Will the International Nightmare of FATCA Finally Be Repealed? https://t.co/Bz1TIPKyMe via @wordpressdotcom
— U.S. Citizen Abroad (@USCitizenAbroad) March 8, 2017
You will find the article on his blog here. Mr. Mitchell’s blog is well read, highly respected and includes well written posts that “cry out” for intelligent comments.
I have always enjoyed reading, over the years, anything that Dan Mitchell has to say. I had never even heard of a libertarian! He was such a breath of fresh air from the very start. What I have never been able to understand, is why others in government, in the think tanks, etc, have not recognized the same things…
And heck, wouldn’t this be a lot more effective than SCE?
The Freedom & Prosperity page has FATCA as the first item under it’s “issues” button
http://freedomandprosperity.org/issues/foreign-account-tax-compliance-act/
And a very long list of links to articles dating back to 2010 which include Dan Mitchell’s as well as Andrew Quinlan, Robert Wood, Barry McKenna and even our own Petros!
I am surprised, in a way, that Brock has never forged a more solid relationship with the Centre for Freedom & Prosperity
This is the comment I made on the article:
“Many expats are holding on to their US citizenship only because they have hope that the Republicans will deliver on their platform promises to abolish FATCA and citizenship based taxation.
If the Republicans fail to deliver, the renunciations will soar because all hope for reform will be gone.”
Well, I guess some of us are more impressed than others. He quotes the injunction in Israel but neglects to point out the case it was not upheld in the highest Israeli court.
Point for being current about T&T.
Disagree with his characterisation of Obama Care. For the first time, the concept of pre-existing conditions ( and what the hell is that? who gets to the age of 35 without a pre existing condition? did you have your tonsils out at age 5? and now you have a strep throat at age 30, sorry that’s not covered) was removed. The Greatest Nation in the World has the worst health care system and costliest coupled with one of the highest infant mortality rate in a developed country.
This article sounded more like Obama slamming than anything else. I don’t mind it needs pointing out that FATCA originated in Obama’s term.
But there was little meat to this article for me, other than rehashing past articles. I want people who really believe that Trump is going to do something about this to convince me of same.
@Ginny
Are we reading the same article? I don’t see anything about Obamacare………
@ Patricia Moon
I think so. Here’s what he said: “Of course, now that they’re in power, they’re getting cold feet. It now appears there will be reform of the disastrous Obamacare law, but not full repeal”
@Ginny
Ok, I see. I glossed over it bc I see the article primarily as being about FATCA. I don’t take Mitchell to be someone who thinks Trump is going to do something about this. I think he is preparing people for a “Justin.”
IMHO, he has written some good things over the years and one of the few who have opposed FATCA from the very beginning. I respect him for that.
As I said, people see different things from their own perspectives. I am past the point of feeling grateful when articles are written that say the same things about FATCA. We initially had a difficult time getting the word out of course and were helped in that effort by some journalists.
Currently I just don’t think it is all that scholarly or helpful to quote an Israeli case and represent it as being the status quo. It leaves a reader with an impression that the author is not au courant and didn’t quite do his fact checking . Or we could just be happy the word continues to get spread. I always like it when Brockers bombard a website with current and accurate information. IMO, a journalist should get it right the first time.
Bottom line: I am not as impressed with this article as USCitizenAbroad is, and that is fine. For me, it didn’t deserve ‘special attention’. Maybe at this stage, I am becoming jaded? Maybe I am still a stickler for accurate reporting? Maybe I am frustrated by how my own government intends to drag out our law suit. Any of the above are possible.
Grumpy cat Ginny
@CanadianGinny
You of course, are entitled to think whatever you like!
why “grumpy cat Ginny?” Spring Fever??
@ Patricia Moon
It might be winter wearies (got that myself) and too many queries from the government team. It’s like they know how much our plaintiffs value privacy and the principle of fair treatment so what do they do? Yeah, we know … poke, poke, poke. I’m not speaking for Ginny, I’m just musing.
I see on American Expatriates FB that almost everyone is voting to have a closed forum which means I won’t be able to access all the good information there. However, if it means the members gain a degree of privacy from beady condor eyes then that’s a good thing.
@EmBee
I know……..today, it was very windy and sometimes the sun came out so I went out on balcony and made a world of difference! It’s coming!
Keith simply asked what they thought. He has not made a decision; spoke with him earlier today.
@ Patricia Moon
We had 8-10 inches of snow with our wind today. Going out to shovel didn’t help my mood at all.
I’ll await and respect any decision Keith makes. He’s on my FATCA-fighter hero(ine) board (pssst … you are too).
@Ginny, “For the first time, the concept of pre-existing conditions ( and what the hell is that? who gets to the age of 35 without a pre existing condition? did you have your tonsils out at age 5? and now you have a strep throat at age 30, sorry that’s not covered) was removed.”
Let me correct you based on your home state Michigan.
Prior to Obamacare, Michiganders with pres-existing conditions could obtain excellent health insurance through Blue Cross with no medical underwriting and pre-existing conditions covered in either six or nine months.
A family in their 30’s could purchase said coverage for less than $400 a month pre-Obamacare. This had a deductible of around $1,000.
Ten years later across the river similiar comparable health insurance with Blue Cross is now five times that monthly premium. The deductible on the new improved coverage is also now much higher thanks to Obama.
Pre-Obama there was NO health insurance crisis in your own homestate and everyone could purchase very good coverage with the main insurer in the State.
George, George! If we are to remain the very good friends I think we are, never refer to Michigan as my home state. I know you were just pulling my leg.
_______
Let me correct you based on your home state Michigan.
Prior to Obamacare, Michiganders with pres-existing conditions could obtain excellent health insurance through Blue Cross with no medical underwriting and pre-existing conditions covered in either six or nine months.
A family in their 30′s could purchase said coverage for less than $400 a month pre-Obamacare. This had a deductible of around $1,000.
Ten years later across the river similiar comparable health insurance with Blue Cross is now five times that monthly premium. The deductible on the new improved coverage is also now much higher thanks to Obama.
Pre-Obama there was NO health insurance crisis in your own homestate and everyone could purchase very good coverage with the main insurer in the State.
____
You are talking to someone who is hard wired not to understand the concept of pre existing conditions, deductibles, people becoming bankrupt due to tests and operations etc. My Canadian system ( or your UK system) isn’t perfect of course, but no matter what happens to me or anyone in my country, we are not going to be bankrupt for health situations at the end of the day.
The concept of pre- existing conditions actually blows my mind. I am incapable of understanding it. What is health care if it is prevented from dealing with your medical history, which by my definition is— pre existing!
In Canada, we know that our taxes are high because we agree to fund our medical system so that we all have access to it. We accept the price under our social contract. What I want for me, I want for you. We address the problems. The US flip flops on models. None seem to be working because insurance companies and other vested interests prevail. Anyway, enough about that. All I actually wanted to say before my rant as Grumpy Ginny was:
do not call Michigan my home state, grrrrr. I am Canadian Ginny. Just born on the wrong side of a very narrow river. I am really trying to forgive my late parents for that huge mistake. But how were they or anyone to know? Of their four children, I was the only sprog born stateside. Why me, dammit it. And then, when I am more rational, I like to think, well maybe there is a whole principle behind why I am here with all of you fighting together, and then things are fine again. And then I am no longer Grumpy Ginny. Nice to hear from you again, George.
@ George.
You actually lifted some cobwebs from my old brain. I had an interview ages ago with Blue Cross of Michigan. I thought they were a very progressive company and almost signed on. The irony was they didn’t offer me the job ultimately because they didn’t want to go through the hassle of getting me a Green Card. I had forgotten about that till you mention it. Little did we both know, I could have waltzed across that river as one of their own four decades ago. At least then I would have been compliant. Life is full of missed opportunities isn’t it? 🙂
@Ginny, yes I was having fun. BUT while I may take liberty in calling you a Michigander I would never ever ever refer to you as a US Citizen.
Michigan lays no claim to you and that is right.
In regards to US health care…….Obama and his administration failed to look at what was working and there were large parts working that are no longer working. Michigan is but one example where affordable health care was available with existing conditions that is no longer affordable.
Re: Michigan and the ACA (a.k.a. Obamacare) – George, you are waaaay off base.
I lived in Michigan 2011 through 2015 as a green card holder, and had health care under a variety of arrangements due to bankruptcies etc. in the auto industry. Bluntly, there was no guarantee of access to health care prior to the ACA, and BCBS was not a panacea. Prior to 2014, pre-existing conditions could make insurance unaffordable — trust me, I too have a dreaded pre-existing condition, watched as friends and colleagues lost insurance and ran out of options, and had to keep track of my own options as various companies melted away beneath my feet. Prior to the ACA, losing employer-paid healthcare in Michigan was a personal catastrophe, particularly as you moved into your 50’s. I have handed people their COBRA documents as I laid then off, and it is a heartbreaking situation to see people who need to decide what necessity of life to do without.
Prior to the ACA, 14% of Michiganders lacked any health insurance; post ACA, that number has been cut in half. In terms of cost, the ACA may have disappointed, but at least it contributed to a slow down health-care inflation for a few years. The idea that the health care industry in Michigan was functional prior to the ACA is farcical.
correction: time frame in Michigan was 2001 to 2015
@Ed, I am sorry to say but you are mistaken about the legal position of Blue Cross Michigan.
Public Act 350 in 1980 required Blue Cross to provide insurance to ALL individual subscribers without regard to health conditions. The sole condition was either a six or nine month wait period if not previously insured.
Link to legal position of Blue Cross;
http://www.andersoneconomicgroup.com/portals/0/upload/doc2258.pdf
http://legislature.mi.gov/documents/2011-2012/CommitteeDocuments/House/Insurance/Testimony/Committee12-9-27-2012.pdf
Any resident in Michigan at the time could obtain Blue Cross without regard to pre-existing conditions.
Here is a link from none other than Carl Levin “complaining” about Blue Cross rates in 2009.
http://levin.house.gov/press-release/michigan-members-have-questions-about-skyrocketing-blue-cross-rates
At that time a young person could buy coverage for $49 per month and a 40 year old could get coverage for $296.
Blue Cross was a superb insurer meeting the Legislative goal of being the insurer of last resort providing non-group coverage to individuals at affordable rates to all that applied.
Further….anyone that lost their health insurance due to a job loss could get Blue Cross WITHOUT any waiting period for pre-existing conditions by providing a certificate of continuous coverage from their prior group insurer.
AND the premiums for Blue Cross were solely age weighted and NOT weighted based on health.
At the time period you state; Blue Cross provided insurance to everyone that applied, with no waiting periods if you had a certificate of prior coverage otherwise six or nine months, the premiums were affordable and the coverage was good value for money especially when you elected Blue Cross Traditional which always was the gold standard meaning you could see any doctor.
@Ed..sorry to say this but Blue Cross is well known to be the dominent insurer and every single licensed health agent in Michigan understands the legal position of Blue Cross.
ANY person in Michigan contacting any licensed health agent in Michigan would have been sorted based on their circumstances.
To the extent people had problems, they did not investigate very far which at the time would have been a simple phone call to Blue Cross or visiting your local agent.
Michigan did NOT have a problem that needed to be fixed by Obama.
@Ginny
An interesting question for you. If someone like yourself living in Windsor needs more specialized than can provided by the local hospital in Windsor does OHIP send you to Detroit across the river or do they put you on a VIA Train to Toronto?
@All
There are several states that prior to Obamacare had a ban on preexisting condition denials. New York, Massachusetts(where Obamacare originated) and Rhode Island I think among others. Massachusetts where I am from is fairly unique in that all the major health insurers were and are not for profit(BCBS of Massachusetts, Harvard Pilgrim, and Tufts).
Tim, two things can happen depending on the circumstances. OHIP does send people with certain types of heart problems to Detroit for surgeries etc. We have been fundraising to acquire better equipment for heart treatments here and there have been good changes but we are not finished yet. If London Ontario has better options and if patients are somewhat stable, they can be sent to certain specialists there. That is not uncommon. We are free to go to Toronto as well, just depends on what cannot be cared for in Windsor. In the case of auto accidents some patients are air- lifted to London when necessary.
One recent example comes to mind. There was a terrible accident involving a firefighter who was critically injured when the fire truck overturned. He was immediately transferred to Detroit for surgery. Unfortunately he was paralysed and remained there for month in rehab after his operation. Conversely, our Emerg departments never turn away any Americans who came here because they didn’t have proper health insurance from, usually Michigan, but even other states.
* months*
CATO are good at putting forward their arguments, but one thing to keep in mind is that although Trump is a conservative, he is no libertarian. He has very little interest in things that libertarians like, such as constitutional rights. Trump’s team won’t necessarily be swayed by libertarian arguments.
@Tim & All
Yes
MA had a ban on denial for preexisting conditions as long as coverage was unbroken. That would be a problem if one moved out of State job wise, then returned. Friends of ours from MA couldn’t retire early to Florida because of a preexisting conditions, they had to wait until they qualified for Medicare.
The United States is very much ununited. Healthcare was a problem before AHCA and continued with problems after it. The rest of Western Democratic Countries manage to give care to their people but the US Government has been unable to bring the health insurance and drug companies under control.