Dr. Government

The IRS War on Medical Marijuana Providers

"The IRS employs Section 280E, a 1982 addition to the tax code that was a response to a drug dealer's successful effort to claim his yacht, weapons purchases, and even illicit bribes as business expenses. Under 280E, individuals involved in the illicit sale of controlled substances -- including marijuana, even medical marijuana in states where it is legal -- cannot claim standard business expenses on their federal taxes. Oakland's Harborside Health Center was hit with a $2 million IRS assessment in 2011 after the tax agency employed Section 280E against it. Similarly, when the feds raided Oaksterdam University, it wasn't just DEA, but also IRS agents." Continue reading →

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Who will pay more under Obamacare? Young men

"Obamacare limits the amount insurers can charge older enrollees to three times the amount charged for younger participants. Men usually pay less than women, since they typically visit the doctor less frequently. The Affordable Care Act, however, doesn't allow insurers to charge different rates to men and women. Taken together, men ages 25 to 36 could see rate increases greater than 50%, according to Milliman's O'Connor, but women of the same age will only see their premiums creep up 4%. Meanwhile, men age 60 to 64 could see their premiums drop by 12%." Continue reading →

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Editorial-Page Fiction at the New York Times

"They want us to believe that 'slashed' budgets and inadequate spending have caused 'worse health outcomes' in nations such as Greece, Italy, and Spain, particularly when compared to Germany, Iceland, and Spain. But if government spending is the key to good health, how do they explain away this OECD data, which shows that government is actually bigger in the three supposed 'austerity' nations than it is in the three so-called 'stimulus' countries." Continue reading →

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Devastating News for ObamaCare Backers

"A new study finds that (as far as physical health is concerned) there is no difference between being in Medicaid and being uninsured. It’s hard to exaggerate what a blow this is to the people who gave us the Affordable Care Act (ObamaCare). Everything about ObamaCare—from the money we are spending to the damage being done to the labor market to the hassles the whole nation is going through—depends on one central idea: that enrolling people in Medicaid will give them access to better health." Continue reading →

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Affordable Care Act Summary for Self-Employed, Unemployed, and Early Retirees

"Much of the discussion around The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) aka Affordable Care Act aka Obamacare has been about politics. For most full-time workers that wish to keep their employer-provided health insurance, little will change. However, things will be very different for the self-employed, unemployed, uninsured, and those seeking semi-retirement or early retirement. You can use it even if you already have employer-provided insurance, although you may become ineligible for certain tax credits. There’s way too much information to cover everything, but here’s my summary of the developments." Continue reading →

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Half of families suffer in NHS hospitals, study finds

"Despite tens of billions of pounds being invested in the NHS, 46 per cent of respondents said they thought standards of care had declined over the past ten years, while just 20 per cent thought standards had risen. Sixteen per cent said they had personally experienced poor care, while another 30 per cent said their relatives had suffered poor care in the past decade - a total of 46 per cent. The figures come in the wake of the Mid Staffs scandal, in which patients were found to be left drinking from flower vases because they were so neglected. NHS casualty units have become like 'warzones' with medics fighting a losing battle to cope with an increasing tide of patients." Continue reading →

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The First Obamacare Tax That Went Into Effect

"Slipped into the bill by Sen. Harry Reid (D-Nev.) behind closed doors in the middle of the night, the Obamacare 10 Percent Excise Tax on Indoor Tanning replaced the planned Obamacare 'Botax' on cosmetic surgery and has been in effect since July 2010. Industry estimates from the Indoor Tanning Association show that 30 million Americans visit an indoor tanning facility in a given year, and over 50 percent of salon owners are women. There is no exception granted for those making less than $250,000. Obamacare taxes will eventually impact everyone. It is estimated that Obamacare will result in more than 20 new taxes." Continue reading →

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Four Obamacare Taxes That Hurt Mothers Most

"1. The 30-35 million Americans who use a pre-tax Flexible Spending Account (FSA) at work to pay for their family's basic medical needs face a new Obamacare cap of $2,500. This will squeeze $13 billion of tax money from Americans over the next ten years. Now, a mother looking to sock away extra money to pay for braces will find herself quickly hitting this new cap, meaning she would have to pony up some or all of the cost with after-tax dollars. 2. Americans facing high medical expenses were allowed a deduction to the extent that those expenses exceeded 7.5 percent of adjusted gross income (AGI). Obamacare now imposes a threshold of 10 percent of AGI." Continue reading →

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Obamacare: Taxpayers Must Report Personal Health ID Info to IRS

"When Obamacare’s individual mandate takes effect in 2014, all Americans who file income tax returns must complete an additional IRS tax form. The new form will require disclosure of a taxpayer’s personal identifying health information in order to determine compliance with the Affordable Care Act’s individual mandate. As confirmed by IRS testimony to the tax-writing House Committee on Ways and Means, 'taxpayers will file their tax returns reporting their health insurance coverage, and/or making a payment'." Continue reading →

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Revealed: Big Pharma tested dangerous new drugs on unknowing East Germans

"Western drug companies tested pharmaceuticals on more than 50,000 people in the former communist East Germany, often without the knowledge of patients, several of whom died. Some 600 clinical trials were carried out in more than 50 hospitals until the 1989 fall of the Berlin Wall, the report said, citing previously unpublished documents of the East German health ministry, pharmaceutical institute and Stasi secret police. Many major drug companies from Germany, Switzerland and the United States took part, offering up to 800,000 West German marks per study, a boost for East Germany’s underfunded health care system, Spiegel said." Continue reading →

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