I need your help as kindly, well-meaning, friendly editors....ones, who understand tax structure and ramifications better than I do....preferably before tomorrow morning....thanks!
What I'm looking for is whether my conclusions...that Obamacare will affect property taxes, because of the Medicaid mandate...are correct.
Will the Affordable Health Care Act, often nicknamed
Obamacare, affect property taxes for farmers and town folks here in NYS? Combine
these two quotes and see if you come up with the same conclusion as I did.
First, from a flier by the Fulton
County Board of Supervisors, which was included in each landowner’s tax bill.
“NYS Medicaid Mandate: NYS has the
most expensive Medicaid program in the nation. State legislators have
authorized optional services for recipients that exceed what is required by
federal regulations. Spending per recipient is the highest in the country and
nearly exceeds those of California and Texas combined. NY is one of only a few
states that mandate county governments to pay a portion of the State's cost. In
2013 about 49% of the property tax you pay will pay just one
bill-Medicaid"
(According to the NY State Department
of Health, Medicaid in the state spends “ $53 billion to serve 5 million people.)
Next, a quote from the
dairy farming magazine, Top Producer, detailing how the new law (Obamacare) will
affect dairy farmers.
“The law will also extend Medicaid coverage
and insurance subsidies to all low-income Americans.”
Combining the two quoted
stories, it would seem that if Medicaid will be offered to more people across
the country. If even part of the additional cost is passed along to counties, at
least here in NY, then the answer may indeed be yes.
In the county to our
north, unfunded state-mandated programs account for 80% of the property tax levy.
Here in Montgomery County the same mandates are likely to have a similar effect
on the amount of hard-earned cash land and home owners need to pony up each
year.
Farmers are
particularly likely to feel an extra pinch, since they generally pay taxes on
large acreage in order to grow crops and/or feed animals.
Posts
5 comments:
It's so dark.
I hope someone can answer your questions.
I think that if its going to cost the county and/or state more, and they have a legal right to use income from property taxes to pay for it, then yes, there is a serious possibility that at some point in the near future property taxes will go up to help compensate.....this IS NY after all....
That was a rhetorical question, wasn't it? Nothing about this omnibus healthcare bill is what they said it would be, including the word "Affordable" in its title.
I think you have said it correctly...we are going under the bus.
Linda
http://coloradofarmlife.wordpress.com
http://deltacountyhistoricalsociety.wordpress.com
Cathy, I was hoping someone who knew more than I do would have an answer. Alas, this is to be part of this week's Farm Side...I just sent it as is. We shall see...
Ruth, it seemed to me, judging by the insert in tax bills and the wording of the article that this is certainly a possibility. I'm sure if I'm wrong someone will set me straight.
joated, yeah, I'm looking forward to affording health insurance, which has gone up in price by double digits since we discovered that we couldn't afford it years ago and stopped having it.
Linda, yup, it sure looks that way
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