Millions and millions of Americans have been forced off of their current and preferred health insurance policies. Millions have lost access to their preferred doctors. Millions have lost access to their preferred hospitals. Millions are paying higher premiums and deductibles than before. Over a trillion dollars will be added to the national debt. Unemployment and underemployment has been made worse because of the law’s criteria. Economic growth has been stifled. Millions of Americans are now at a much higher threat of identity theft as a result of the poor data system processes of the law. Many Americans now have health insurance, at a higher cost, but are having trouble getting access to health care as doctors are retiring earlier as a result of the law and many doctors are not accepting the lower payments they will receive from Obama Care insurance customers. And after tens years, there will likely still be tens of millions of Americans who do not have health insurance coverage despite the purported objective of Obama Care.
And as we have pointed out dozens and dozens of times, the legislation will never be successful because it never addressed the underlying root causes of our high health care costs in this country. Obama put forth an insurance solution to a public health problem:
- Americans eat too much.
- Americans eat too much of the wrong kind of food.
- Americans smoke too much.
- Americans drink too much alcohol.
- Americans do not exercise enough.
- America’s food chain is infected and infested with high fructose corn syrup and sugar.
- America is aging making citizens much more likely to be victims of aging diseases such as dementia and Alzheimers.
- Medical practice tort reform is needed nationally and has been shown to work at the state level.
- Cross state border insurance company competition needs to be encouraged.
- The Federal government loses tens of billions of dollars every year via Medicare and Medicaid through waste, efficiencies, and outright criminal fraud, money that could be used to make America healthier, not criminals wealthier.
1)While Obama and the Democrats in Congress adamantly do not want to change Obama Care in spite of the all the failures it has spawned, many states are not waiting. They see the costs, heart breaks, and other downsides to this legislation and are taking steps to protect their citizens in many ways:
- A study done by the Center For Public Integrity found that there are over seven pieces of state legislation under consideration across the country at the state government level in opposition to Obama Care.
- According to National Conference of State Legislatures’ health care expert Richard Cauchi: "The number of bills is remarkable. There are definitely strong opposing opinions on the topic of the Affordable Care Act.”
- According to Oklahoma State Representative Mike Ritze: “We need to do everything we can to try and reverse this. We can make it harder to enforce if the states get together to attack it on all fronts.”
- Most of the state bills are trying to nullify all or parts of the law or hinder its implementation.
- One approach being taken is to suspend the state businesses licenses of insurers who accept Federal subsidy money, effectively putting them out of business.
- Other bills will make it illegal to compel or force a citizen to participate in a national system.
- As a result of Republicans taking more control of state legislatures last November, the number of opposing bills is likely to increase going forward.
2) Earlier this month we reported on how the IRS is so inept that it will have a very difficult time provided any value added services to tax filers this year. And what makes a bad situation worse this year is that the IRS,which could not do its basic job effectively, now has to administer the complex tax consequences of Obama Care.
As a recent Associated Press (AP) article points out, getting help with Obama Care questions relative to your tax return is likely to also be a disaster:
- Only half of the 100 million people who call the IRS helpline for their taxes will likely get through to an IRS employee.
- Those who do get through will likely been on hold for 30 minutes or more.
- The IRS even acknowledges how bad they are according to IRS watchdog Nina E. Olson: “Taxpayers who need help are not getting it, and tax compliance is likely to suffer over the longer term if these problems are not quickly and decisively addressed.”
- According to IRS Commissioner John Koskinen, budget cuts will prevent the IRS from continuing to help low income taxpayers fill out their returns and tax refunds could be delayed for paper filers.
- Given that the budget cuts are only about 3%, this excuse, like much of the Obama administration’s excuses, rings a little hollow. It is highly, highly doubtful that there is not 3% worth of wastetful spending, inefficiencies, or stupid IRS programs that could not be cut or made better to recover the 3% cut.
- According to the AP story, Koskinen’s advice to taxpayers: "Don’t call the IRS unless you absolutely have to.” Since it is his job to handle calls and to run and effective and efficient organization despite a meager 3% budget cut, he should be removed from his position immediately, given this awful advice.
3) Dan Munro, writing for Forbes recently, did a nice job of summarizing the current state of affairs and mess mess that Obama Care caused relative to health care industry:
- Remember that Obama Care was supposed to reduce the cost of health care in the country and in the economy as we get into the first stat from Mr. Munro. According to the Federal government, the National Healthcare Expenditure (NHE), the total amount that the country spends on health care, is expected to hit $3.2 TRILLION this year. Given that the U.S. population is about 320 million, that means that for the first time ever, the country is going to spend about $10,000 in 2015 for every man, woman, and child living in the country. So much for reducing healthcare costs.
- One reason the NHE is not even higher is the fact that many businesses are moving to high deductible health care plans, forcing employees and families to pay more for their insurance with higher deductibles and premiums. So much for the Obama promise of reducing every family’s average health insurance cost by $2,500 a year.
- Sometime this summer the Supreme Court will decide if people who got their Obama Care policies via the Federal website are still entitled to their Federal government subsidies are will have to give them up, as clearly stipulated in the words of the actual legislation. If the court rules in favor of the clear language of the law, Federal customers of Obama Care are NOT entitled to subsidies, then most of the legislation collapses onto itself since people in 37 states with Obama Care would see an immediate and large rise in their insurance premiums.
What a mess.
4) As we have done with with the preceding posts in this month’s Obama Care update, let’s review what is happening at the human level as a result of Obama Care, all of which were culled from the website:
MARIANNE - OHIO Have had affordable insurance my entire life, both individual, and employer based. Now I am uninsured due to the huge premiums and deductible I found on the exchange when I lost my coverage as of 12/31/13. Never has insurance been based on my income and never have I been so devastated to find the premiums for my son and I more than a house payment. Thankfully, I HAD a great affordable plan last year when I was diagnosed with breast cancer and had surgery, chemo and radiation. I am SO VERY fearful of this returning even though the oncologist said I am cured. No insurance and I absolutely cannot afford this. As a young widow who lost my husband to cancer, I am the sole provider and parent to my son. This law is unjust and I am just sick with worry without insurance for the first time in our lives
DIANE - ILLINOIS We got a letter from our insurance company stating that our premium for both my husband and me was going to be $1120 a month with a $12,700 deductible. This through a private company. Our policy was being cancelled. I went on Medicare in January. Prior our premium on cancelled policy was $679 for both of us. After policy was cancelled 12/31/2013 then reinstated for just my husband his premium for just him was $475.13. The reinstated policy term was to be from January til December. The old policy ran from May of last year and was to go to May of this year. So my husband's premium got increased in January and then we got a letter from insurance company stating his premium was going up again this May to $538.56. So they used the January date and the original May date to levy premiums twice. So what's going to happen next year. Are we going to get two premium increases in one year again? We are all at the mercy of this disgusting messed up law and Obama keeps changing it at will to push his political agenda.
JIM - NEW YORK As CBS 2′s Dick Brennan reported, some are being forced to get a new doctor to remain covered. It appears insurers are trying to cut their costs in light of the coming health care changes next year. Doctors are getting bumped off plans and their patients are getting worried, Brennan reported.
“I just can’t believe it because this is the man you rely on,” heart patient Leonard Goldberg, 82, said.
“It hurts, it hurts inside and it’s a terrible feeling to think that you can’t get what you want,” Tony Molesphini, 83, said.
“Nobody wants to die, me above all people,” 79-year-old Jim Heffernan said.
The three men with heart trouble say their biggest problem is losing the doctor they’ve had for decades, and they fear for their future.
For the original reporting, go here:
That will do it for today’s disaster: states rebelling, IRS failing, and more. One more day to get through all of this month’s Obama Care disasters tomorrow.
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