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Tuesday, November 19, 2013

Obamacare Death Spiral Begins


"If you like your health care plan you can keep your health care plan.  Period."

 Who would have thought that simple assertion might be the death knell for the Affordable Care Act?  Well, not by itself, maybe.  It has a lot of help.

 America accepted the ACA after it was rammed through a complicit partisan Congress.  But it did pass and it does not serve us to pretend it didn't.  We have what Congress and the Prez wanted us to have.  Most Americans, however grudgingly, knew that their health insurance, and therefore their health care, would change; some for the better, some for the worse. It was beguiling to believe that government health insurance would join "free Mexican food" in a utopian tomorrow.

 Let's review what we were told:
  • Health care premiums would go down.  We were were even given a number:  $2,500 per family.
    The reality:  Premiums are going up - WAY up - and you can't choose what you want to insure.  67-year-old male?  "Pre-natal care for you, Buster, and don't ask any questions." -- "Hey, lady!  Turn your head and cough."
  • Coverage would be extended to those who never before could afford health insurance. 
    The reality:  Like whom?  The CBO still predicts 30M uninsured after Obamacare is fully implemented.  And now around 5M policy cancellations and growing? 
  • Healthcare.gov (HC.G for now) was on-track for full implementation on Oct.1.
    The reality:  Kathleen Sebelious knew last March that the ACA roll-out was imperiled, yet testified in April that it "we are on track to meet the October 1 deadline."  And again in July.  And on Oct. 1 said "... it's a great problem to have" and "the volume-related issues are ones that we welcome, frankly."
  • Problems with HC.G were mere "glitches" that were entirely expected and fixable, like when Apple rolls out a new product.
    The reality:  The "fix" turned out to be just a postponement of the individual mandate with the option of renewing your old plan, if... well, a lot of ifs.

You did hear one thing that turned out to be true:
"We have to pass the bill in order so you can find out what's in it."
-- Nancy Pelosi

On the other hand, NancyP also said:
"Every month that we do not have an economic recovery package 500 million Americans lose their jobs."

So she may not be entirely in the game.  You make the call.

 The Obamacare death spiral has begun.  We can see a dull red glare just over the horizon.  We don't know the date or details of its doom, but that flushing sound?  Well, you know.

* * * * *

Bill Maher opined that the prez didn't lie about Obamacare, he merely "evolved on honesty."  

Posted by Charles Stromme at

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