May, 2013 Obama Care Update, Part 2: More Costs, Less Features, More Democratic Trepidations.

This is part two of this month’s update on the disgrace disaster, and disintegration that is Obama Care. Yesterday we reviewed how long time Democratic supporters and a Democratic newcomer are all trying to distance themselves from the legislation. We learned that support among average Americans, according to a recent opinion poll, is wavering significantly. We learned how the financial underpinnings of the program are washing away in a sea of red ink.

The bad news continues below:

1) On April 24, 2013, Politico reported that “Congressional leaders in both parties are engaged in high-level, confidential talks about exempting lawmakers and Capitol Hill aides from the insurance exchanges they are mandated to join as part of President Barack Obama’s health care overhaul, sources in both parties said.”

Imagine that. Obama Care is so great that the very people that constructed, it defended it, enacted, and spoke so highly of it are trying to get themselves and their top employees exempted from it, both Democrats and Republicans. Actually, it is easy to imagine it since as we have proven many times,

http://loathemygovernment.blogspot.com/2013/02/washingtons-hunger-games-approach-to.html

We are living in a “Hunger Games” reality today where people in Washington take care of themselves at the expense of the rest of the country.

Disgraceful that on one hand they would try to foist this Obama Care disaster on all of his while at the same time trying to get out from under this impending train wreck (their words) for themselves and their close friends. Despicable is too mild a word to use for this underhandedness.

2) The list of disenchanted and running scared Democrats seems to get longer by the day. Democratic Senator Ron Wyden from Oregon was an original supporter of the legislation. However, according to a recent Reuters report:

While Obama and his administration say they are working nonstop on reform, analysts believe a poor performance could make the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act a big enough campaign issue in 2014 to jeopardize Democratic control of the Senate - particularly if insurance costs rise sharply.

“There is reason to be very concerned about what’s going to happen with young people. If their (insurance) premiums shoot up, I can tell you, that is going to wash into the United States Senate in a hurry,” said Senator Ron Wyden, an Oregon Democrat.

Rather than fix what is tragically wrong with this law, the Senator seems more concerned about how it will politically affect the Senate composition. Pathetic.

3) We have reported many times on how Obama Care is causing businesses to cut workers’ weekly hours to less than thirty hours a week in order to stay profitable. Regal Entertainment Group, which operates over 500 theaters in 38 states, announced that it’s going to cut back the hours of non-salaried workers to 30 or less because of Obama Care, as outlined in a recent press release:

“To comply with the Affordable Care Act, Regal had to increase our health care budget to cover those newly deemed eligible based on the law’s definition of a full-time employee. To manage this budget, all other employees will be scheduled in accord with business needs and in a manner that will not negatively impact our health care budget.”

Great, millions of Americans without health care coverage are about to make less money due to a cut in their work schedule. They will see a drop in their income and will still not have health care insurance coverage. Makes no sense.

4) The Heritage Foundation reported on some more distressing aspects of Obama Care April 2, 2013:

- Heritage reported on a recent survey from The Deloitte Center for Health Solutions of more than 600 doctors which found: “Six in 10 physicians (62%) said it is likely many of their colleagues will retire earlier than planned in the next one to three years.”

- The American Association of Medical Colleges estimates the U.S. faces a shortage of 91,500 doctors by 2020 or about 1,800 doctors per state.

- The report also quoted the thoughts and sadness of a Fairfax, Virginia doctor who is retiring in large part because of Obama Care:

“I am in my mid-70s and have both the capacity and willingness to care for patients for another decade. But I am retiring.”

“I cannot stand it anymore. More than half of my time in the office is spent filling out forms, writing letters, responding to inquiries, and attending to ‘urgent’ matters that did not exist 10 years ago. And every year my income is less. At this point I would rather be paid nothing and have the freedom to decide what is right for my patients.”

“The monstrosity has been birthed, and soon you will look in vain if you are seeking a personal physician who knows you, cares about you, and to whom you have ready access. You will find only systems, ready to suck you up, give you a number, and provide you with federally approved accountable care in a sterile environment populated by highly regulated strangers. And it will cost you a lot! (Whatever anyone says, prepare for a future where your health costs will be higher and your choices fewer!)”

A very bad, dark, and distressing view of the future from someone in the medical profession who should know, an experienced doctor. Doctors are leaving the profession in droves because of this monstrosity, reducing the supply of doctors just when the need for doctors is growing. Tell why this makes any sense at all.

5) An April 1, 2013 Newsmax article cited a New York Times article that had uncovered another major problem with Obama Care:

• One of the most hyped features of Obama Care is that it will establish so-called “health insurance exchanges” where small businesses and Americans could go shop and compare a variety of health insurance plans to find the one that best fits their family’s needs and budget.
• However, according to the New York Times report, most states employers will not be able to provide workers with a choice of health plans as the law intended in 2014 and possibly beyond.
• Instead, rather than having a variety of plans to shop and examine, citizens in most states are likely to be limited to a single plan.
• In 33 states where the Federal government will be operating the exchanges, the choice option will be delayed until at least 2015.
• In addition, states operating their own exchanges will also have the option to only offer a single plan as well.
• A number of insurers, including Aetna, have asked the Obama administration to delay the “employee choice” option, citing their bad experience in Massachusetts, which put through health reforms that were the model for the Affordable Care Act.

Another glitch or bump in the road, as the President recently said at a press conference where he summed up the problems with Obama Care. But this is not just a bump or a glitch, it is a major deviation from the original promise of the legislation, the fact that there would be competing health insurance plans in a robust exchange to fit the needs of various small businesses and individuals. Instead, we will be stuck with a single plan to fit, or not fit, everyone’s needs.

As every day goes by, we end up with more taxes, more expenses, and more broken promises of what this law was supposed to provide and at what cost. Disgraceful incompetence or dishonest promises. And we are not even close to finishing our review of this disaster, more to come tomorrow and beyond.

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