Originally Posted by aceventura3

Actions have consequences.

Currently there are many US companies (that have been in the business of making things for years, responsible for creating a booming middle class, etc.) that have been supplementing their retiree benefits with an enhanced prescription drug plan as compared to Medicare. These companies have been able to take a tax deduction for this cost, decreasing the net obligation of Medicare and it has been giving millions of retirees a better benefit. A win, win, win, the companies were doing a good thing, getting a deduction, saving Medicare some money and benefiting millions of retirees.

Under the new health care plan, the deduction goes away.

The government is expecting increased taxes collected to help pay for the plan and they have assumed no negative consequences.

Here are a few of the things we may expect:

*Profitability of these companies declines, net worth of investors decline, corporate taxes collected goes down, capital gains taxes goes down.
*These companies become less competitive internationally, costing jobs and further eroding our manufacturing base.
*These companies discontinue the program, causing millions to lose a valuable benefit, increasing the burden on Medicare, and reducing the taxes collected.

Those who believed the CBO scoring, bought into pure fantasy. CBO can not account for these kinds of consequences outside of the direct language in the legislation.

This legislation is loaded with unintended consequences and "hidden" costs (not really hidden for those who actually look into the details), there was never an honest and open debate on the details.