Obama “scare”—madness is the only train wreck
by Peter W. Johnson
Hopefully most of us are aware by now that the propaganda designed to cast doubts on almost every aspect of the new ACA Health Care Bill, is almost completely manufactured. Yes, some of its foes point out believable exaggerations about the bill’s supposed flaws, but these are usually created by using a few facts, and then running away with insane ideas about their implications.
The most recent propaganda frenzy would have us believe that Government henchmen will invade our homes to make mandatory inspections—resulting in all sorts of nasty demands being made upon, us, their inhabitants. In reality this is just another tactic like the one used to discredit the health care bill by falsely claiming that the bill would create death panels with the power to unplug granny. Both of these provisions are intended to offer completely optional and discretionary services.
And, the purpose of such supposedly evil offers is to give new parents or those with young children, the OPTION of receiving visits from social workers and nurses as a way to improve maternal and child health. It is not compulsory in any way. These services also offer support for the school readiness of young children, along with better child development and the prevention of abuse. Again, none of this is mandatory and none of it is an effort to snatch children from the arms of their parents. Once more the Right wing spin machine has created a sinister lie about nothing at all.
You might also have been alarmed recently by the claim that Democratic Senator Max Baucus called Obamacare a, “huge train wreck.” (A supposed statement explored in the opinions of several moderate voice commenters as well). The Senate Conservative Fund aired a TV ad on Aug. 27th that showed the words on screen—“Sen. Max Baucus (D-Mont.) ‘I just see a huge train wreck coming down and I don’t see any results yet.’”
But Baucus was not referring to Obama care failing—he was referring to the effectiveness of the education and outreach efforts made by the Administration to institute the law — something delayed by the many blatant lies and obstruction attempts launched by Republicans. The deceptive ad featured Baucus in a conversation with Health and Human Services Secretary, Kathleen Sibelius, and was constructed largely from a five minute snippet of their exchange. However a Baucus aid was asked by FactCheck.org, if the Senator thinks, “that the law isn’t working,” and that, “It’s a huge train wreck?” The aid replied that his comment referred only to the implementation aspect of the bill and that, in fact, “He still thinks it’s a great law!”
The House of Representatives has voted 40 times (at last count) to repeal the health care bill even though it has been passed by Congress and largely upheld by the Supreme Court. One has to ask where their motivations are really coming from — especially since they have no decent offer to replace it with anything but the previous, out of control costs of Private Insurance. Oddly one of their favorite ploys to discredit the bill has been to criticize the fact that some insurance costs may go up because of Obama care. But, after going straight to the horse’s mouth, here is what I found at the government site, Obamacare Facts; dispelling the myths.
The most common letters the government receives are complaints that their insurance premiums have gone up under Obamacare. But officials are quick to point out that Obamacare does not regulate premiums or directly control prices. It only regulates the rules that insurance companies play by, and provides a diverse market where those who need insurance can shop and take advantage of competition between providers as well as tax credits offered by the ACA. And it also helps provide increased protection by eliminating rejections due to previous conditions, and eliminating payment caps on health care—along with prohibiting companies to drop anyone because of illness. And, It will also provide a wide range of preventative health care benefits with no, “cost sharing,” required of policies purchased on the Obamacare online health insurance market place.
Unfortunately some private insurers are trying to raise prices just before the law becomes fully effectiv — if this happens to you, you are urged to notify the government so that it can investigate these sudden increases. Such increases are not the fault of Obamacare, which only helps lower the costs already charged by providers, and offers tax credits to make them affordable. Obamacare also strives to improve rates and coverage with the 80/20 rule and other provisions.
The 80/20 rule is designed to assure that providers spend at least 80% of their consumer’s premiums on health care—therefore spending less than 20% on bonuses, overhead, salaries and administrative costs. If they fail to meet this standard, they must refund any overpayments made on costs other than health insurance benefits, and must compensate consumers in the form of rebates. Companies may also seek to grandfather consumers in with more expensive coverage on policies that had been in effect before Obamacare was completely implemented and becomes fully operational by 2014.
This often happens to consumers with high risk policies which come with high deductibles and low premiums, which, although providing few benefits for most common health care needs, will provide catastrophic coverage in cases of serious and chronic illnesses. Policy holders are basically gambling that they will enjoy good health for most of their lives. But, how many people do you know who do NOT develop different major health problems, and therefore, increased expenses, at several stages of their lives?—those that are so blessed are really few and far between!
Another important point to remember is that, although the new health bill will provide credits for those with lower incomes, and essentially provide free insurance for those in extreme poverty, the bill itself cannot control health care costs. So, health care costs will continue to increase at times, just as they would without Obamacare. And, in responses to these increases many premiums will rise—again, with or without Obamacare!
One primary factor affecting costs will be the degree of regulation in individual states. States like California and New York, which already are heavily regulated will experience large reductions in premiums, while states like Ohio, Florida and south Carolina, with few regulations, may see their costs go up dramatically.
For what it’s worth, I think we should note that such lightly regulated states are usually Republican controlled, and are often actively perusing different strategies to discredit and defeat the bills implementation. My own state of Wisconsin has suffered due to our governor (Scott Walker) turning down additional Medicare funding, which he is allowed to do under the Supreme Court’s ruling. Obviously this ridiculous effort to make an ideological statement at the expense of our many citizens who need adequate health insurance coverage is a travesty.
Those who lose Medicare coverage are free to seek out Obamacare, but this will put a greater strain on both them and the ACA—which is already being resisted in Republican States, and, will need to cover many more people because of political ploys by Walker. Apparently he thinks affordable heath care costs are less important than becoming a radical poster boy for the 2016 Presidential elections.
The truth is that, young men will probably pay higher rates than older men (although their plans will come with improved coverage) but for consumers earning less than 400% of the poverty level, average monthly premiums are estimated to be reduced.
The average costs of those earning less than 400% of the poverty level ($46,021 for an individual and $93,700 for a family) will be lowered due to their eligiblity to receive tax credits and subsidies. Those with modest incomes such as the poor and the middle class are likely see a savings of about 60% in their insurance premiums because of their eligibility for those tax credits and subsidies. And 30 million of the 44 million Americans without coverage will now have access to decent health care under the ACA, and under Medicare or Medicaid. Women also are likely to see their out of pocket costs eliminated for many basic health care services.
But, when all is said and done, a recent report by the CBO projected that the new health care bill will lower the premiums of most Americans by 5 to 7%. Those paying the most will be income earners above the average poverty level requirement and will not receive the lower rates, but overall average costs will go down. The fact that consumers will be able to choose from a variety of plans and, can benefit from competition between private ensures, will work in most people’s favor.
I think President Obama is guilty of a minor misstatement concerning whether absolutely anyone will be allowed to keep their current coverage.
Actually, high risk policies that are not grandfathered in may see their rates go up due to the requirement of increased basic health care services and increases in fundamental protections now required under the law. Basic services provided free under Obamacare, include; emergency services, hospitalizations, Laboratory services, maternity care, mental health and substance abuse treatment, outpatient or ambulatory care, pediatric care, prescription drugs, preventative care, rehabilitative services, and vision and dental care for children.
Obama was also not quite accurate about group insurance policies chosen by large companies. Some of these companies may want to offer cheaper plans with less benefits, and employees may then choose to purchase individual polices offered by the new health care exchanges. But in my opinion, when one loses coverage due to the actions of an employer, is it really the fault of the ACA, or rather, due to the deliberate choice of that employer?
There is also little evidence of many employers with more than 50 employees who deliberately fire workers or create part time positions in response to increased insurance costs. The evidence has shown that only .06% of the work force has been reassigned to working just under the 30 hour per week—which defines the part time cut off point determining the official number of fulltime employees—potentially lowering costs to employers. And, the number of workers in this category has actually been smaller in 2013 than in 2012—just the opposite of what would be expected if numerous employers were taking advantage of such strategies.
There is an endless list of lies and hype that has been included in the health care debate—provided by members of the GOP who seem deathly afraid of Obamacare succeeding.
But since only higher income people who make above $250,000 a year as couples or above $200,000 as individuals, will bear the brunt of several substantial tax increases needed to fully fund the ACA, consequently, it is mainly more wealthy individuals and those who despise government control, who are up in arms about the bill. Although some of this may be understandable, it is incomprehensible why the upper 2% has resisted even small tax increases tooth and nail?
If someone took only 1 extra cent from each dollar I earned, in order to better the lots of those less fortunate than me, I would not hesitate to offer it. But The GOP and its Tea party fanatics will soon try once again, to deny raising the debt limit in order to pay for expenses that the government has already accumulated.
Apparently every penny of their fortunes justifies defending their radical and ignorance agenda—even though such grandstanding and fiscal mutiny will only end up hurting our economy and further lowering our credit rating. They are concerned about Americans not having to pay taxes alright! But only their taxes! A large part of their ability to fund such ignorant and bizarre propaganda has been enabled by a Supreme Court which has, ignorantly and radically, increased the presence of corruption and fraud!
We all need to read up on the bill, and take the advertised falsehoods that will soon be filling up our Television screens with lies and innuendos, with a very large grain of salt. After all, Republicans like Nixon, have actually championed single payer insurance plans themselves, and Mitt Romney’s health care law in Massachusetts — which makes prudent use of a consumer mandate—is the template from which Obamacare was designed.
So, what can you expect from a party that changes priorities with the wind, and functions according to the principle of who they can most ruthlessly obstruct by championing them?
Peter Johnsons is a senior citizen who has become much more interested in what is happening in America and the world, than he was as a young man. He’s interested in poetry and expository writing, and has had letters to the editor published in Time magazine, Newsweek and Playboy magazine. He is concerned about ignorance and indifference that has been circulated concerning the significance of man made global warming and is dismayed by the way political lies and corruption are being used to influence the public (apparently free from any penalties or adequate culpability). He frequently writes letters of opinion to the editors of his local newspapers.