“The primary problem with ACA’s mandate or tax is not the label we give it, but why it is needed at all. Its existence suggests that our central planners in Washington knew that they had failed to design an insurance product that people actually would want to buy. When you have to force people to buy something as obviously valuable as protection against becoming uninsurable or paying astronomical premiums, it means you have some serious design flaws in your product that still need to be corrected.”
“It’s unfortunate that the liberal mainstream media have turned the process of ‘fact-checking’ politicians’ statements into such a partisan farce. If they weren’t so hell bent on seeing Obama get re-elected and, thus, taking down Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan, they wouldn’t miss whoppers like this by DNC Keynote Speaker Julian Castro: ‘Seven presidents before him — Democrats and Republicans — tried to expand health care to all Americans. President Obama got it done.’ Survey says: XXX. The latest Congressional Budget Office report shows that by 2020 30 million Americans will still be uninsured.”
“The first night of the Democratic National Convention was filled with references to the “Affordable Care Act” and its many wonders: Where being a woman is no longer a pre-existing condition. Where birth control is free. Where employers no longer have a say in your health care (really?). Where there are no limits on health costs your insurance must cover. Where 26-year-olds can stay on their parents’ policies. Strange that we didn’t hear about the parts of the law that are barreling down at us and are ready to hit with full force in 2014.”
“The tax penalties of the ACA are trivial, the subsidies are complicated, and the available plans will provide little value to most people. I don’t need coverage for psych counseling and in vitro fertilization. This is how many (most?) people think. So, I therefore believe the ACA will result in FEWER people being covered, not more.”
“But as the president fights to keep the conservative-leaning state in his column this November, education officials here are complicating his campaign message by citing ‘Obamacare’ as a reason for the rising cost of student health insurance plans on campuses from Asheville to Wilmington.”
“Despite efforts by state and health plan officials to smooth the transition, caregivers and others reported ‘the managed care system … was not prepared’ to care for the population’s specific needs, which include complex cases involving mental illness, homelessness and developmental disabilities, the report said… The report about California’s experience comes as the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) is ramping up plans to move many of the nation’s 9 million ‘dual eligibles,’ who qualify for both Medicaid and Medicare, into managed care plans.”
“Beginning in 2014, Section 9010 of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act will impose a new tax on health insurance providers… All of that said, starting in 2014 your fully insured health insurance premium renewal could have an extra 2% (or more) added on to it, representing the pass-through of this tax to you.”
“So, benefits and HR professionals are going to be responsible for providing information on a new state-run program that won’t be part of anything they do in their everyday job? The simple answer is yes. So, on March 1, 2013 when you hand an employee the state health insurance exchange guide, get ready for the following questions from employees…”
“Paul Ryan warned Wednesday night that President Barack Obama’s health care law was the greatest threat to the Medicare program, but mentioned few details of his own ambitious plans to reform the program.
In his speech accepting the vice presidential nomination at the Republican National Convention, Ryan attacked the president’s law and its cuts to the popular Medicare program.”
“Two articles over the weekend highlight the continuing effect of Obamacare on the health care industry – particularly how it is accelerating industry consolidation. In both the insurance and hospital industry, players are consolidating to lower costs, gain market share, and defend their bottom lines. The big question, however, is whether these trends will ultimately benefit consumers and the health care system as a whole, through improved quality and lower costs.”