Your remark about federal taxes may be the case for some taxpayers, but as the tax rates have gone down, most taxpayers’ incomes have increased, the net result being more total federal tax revenues. The federal tax dollars being used to subsidize our state’s health insurance program are still coming from taxpayers, even if it’s federal deficit spending which we pay for in the long run in the form of interest on debt. But that’s immaterial to the topic of what the universal health care program costs.

You seem to be confusing what any particular entity or group will pay toward the cost of a program with what the program itself actually costs. Yancey Ward is exactly right. It doesn’t matter which government entity’s treasury the money comes from; ultimately it all comes from us taxpayers.

The only important number here is WHAT IT COSTS. Massachusetts implemented a program we can’t afford to pay for with our own state tax monies, so they need to use some of our federal tax monies.

I recommend contacting Health Care for All’s Call HelpLine at 1-800-272-4232. A volunteer there will help find someone who can answer your questions.

Your federal taxes should be the same or lower if your income is the same, because the Bush tax cuts passed in 2001 have been ratcheting the rates downwards in the 11 years since.

$156 million is the right number.

That’s all you folks do. You are no different than the politicians that rammed this law down our throats.

Your saying that 156 million is better than 400 million because of the medicaid reimbursement is no different than saying that the affordable premium is 225 without including the 3K deductible and 20% coinsurance. The premium is really 500-600 per month not 225 before the benefits of insurance truly kick in.

The 256 million from Medicaid is still money that comes indirectly from us. No need to worry Massachusetts, the Feds will kick in $256 million because we can’t figure out to fund the program properly.

Maybe we’d have more funds to cover this if Coupe Deval didn’t back down on the 2008 penalties for not having insurance. We are losing an estimated $600 per person at a minimum who decides not to have insurance this year. That’s $30 million that we aren’t collecting if you figure that 50,000 people won’t buy insurance.

While you’re on the subject of numbers, will you please clarify how the total of 300,000 “newly enrolled” under the Ch 58 law is being calculated?

Specifically, what’s the breakdown of MCaid, Comm Care, Comm Choice enrollment?

We have an obligation to be thoroughly honest about the “MA plan” and what needs to be done to get it on track to actually achieve reform of the healthcare system (that means improving the system and the system is comprised of access to care, cost control, and quality improvement; these 3 elements function in an inseparable and interrelated manner). The nation is watching.

I want us all to work together toward these goals.