Item: “More than 100 health care reform advocates rallied Wednesday near the site of the new Samuel U. Rodgers Health Center to celebrate the anniversary of the Affordable Care Act,” reported the Kansas City Star on March 23. “‘For the first time in the history of this country, we will — maybe — see the end of physical suffering to a large degree,’ Rodgers CEO Hilda Fuentes told the group. The health care law has already brought several changes in medical coverage but won’t be fully implemented for several years. Many Republicans contend the law is too costly and unconstitutional.”

Six additional states have enacted laws, and two states have amended their constitutions to block it.

Twenty-eight states have sued in federal court alleging the law violates the Constitution. Individual citizens have filed another two-dozen challenges.... Two federal courts have struck down all or part of the law as unconstitutional.

Opposition to the law contributed heavily to sweeping Republican gains in the 2010 elections. The House quickly voted to repeal it. Twenty-one governors have threatened not to implement it. At least four states have frozen, returned or refused the federal funds it offers. Three governors have refused to implement it.

As critics predicted, this supposed cure is proving to be worse than the ailments it pledged to heal. The former head of the Congressional Budget Office, Douglas Holtz-Eakin, has determined that just the tax on insurers to take effect in 2014 will raise family healthcare premiums by $5,000 over the decade.

Proponents of ObamaCare, in order to fund their adventure, “socked some of the most popular bogeymen — insurers, drug companies, and medical device firms, among others — with new taxes,” recounts Sally Pipes of the Pacific Research Institute. She continues:

Pharmaceutical companies face a steadily increasing multibillion-dollar tax bill through 2019, while device companies have to send 2.3% of their revenues to Washington.

Insurers get the worst of it. They’ll pay $8 billion a year starting in 2014 — and $14.3 billion annually four years after that.

The president and his allies have decried the industry’s profits and executive salaries, claiming that insurers can more than afford to fund the expansion of coverage — and offer more generous benefits.

A number of regulations on insurance companies have already come into effect. For instance, young adults can stay on their parents’ insurance until they’re 26. Co-pays and deductibles for preventative care are also eliminated. Limits on annual and lifetime out-of-pocket spending are being phased out too.

Of course, somebody has to pay for all those new taxes and benefits. And those somebodies won’t be insurers or drug firms. They’ll be American patients.

Just as there were payoffs to get the bill passed, the government is deciding who among its allies can be relieved of the burdens of the new regulations. Waivers have been granted to more than 1,000 sponsors of health plans — with the largest being the heavily Democrat United Federation of Teachers Welfare Fund in New York, with some 351,000 enrolled in its plan. Others granted waivers from the red tape and added costs include the AFL-CIO and SEIU.

Also hard hit by the new law have been those companies that offer the popular Medicare Advantage plans, essentially private insurance for the holes in the government’s insurance entitlement. Medicare’s own actuary has estimated that ObamaCare would drive about seven million Americans from such plans back into Medicare.

However, as noted in a piece by Michael Tanner in the New York Post for April 6,

Since traditional Medicare lacks several Medicare Advantage benefits, many will have to buy so-called “Medigap” policies to make up the difference. And who’s the nation’s largest marketer of Medigap plans? The AARP [which heavily promoted ObamaCare].

An 18-month congressional probe found that the AARP stands to make $55 million to $166 million in one year alone from seniors switching from Medicare Advantage to AARP Medigap plans. Over the next 10 years, it would earn more than $1 billion from new customers. Business is good if you can get the government to put your competitors out of business.

The AARP isn’t the only big ObamaCare winner to come to light in the last few days. A hearing by the House Energy and Commerce’s Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations disclosed that labor unions and big businesses — including General Electric, Verizon, AT&T and IBM — have received nearly $1.9 billion in payments under the new health-care law to help offset health-insurance costs for early retirees.

The biggest single recipient: the United Auto Workers, which got nearly $207 million in taxpayer money. By the time the feds finish handing out funds to well-connected companies and unions, it’s expected to have cost taxpayers $5 billion.

In the meantime, there are also built-in incentives for private firms to dump the insured onto the government’s rolls. Already kicking in are higher premiums, more taxes, and less competition. Down the line are bigger deficits, more centralized planning, and the inevitable rationing of care by the feds. If you get a sweetheart deal, you win in the short run; if you are a taxpayer, you lose for a long, long time. And the empty promise of better physical health through big government is already hurting the nation’s fiscal health.

After only one year, the program has earned a motto: ObamaCare — it’s enough to make you sick.

— Photo: AP Images

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R Jensen said:

think The president and his allies [claim] that insurers can more than afford to fund the expansion of coverage — and offer more generous benefits. Sorry Obama, the insurers do not have a FED like you do. That logic does not work.

April 27, 2011

Hk40cal said:

Socialist Health Care Rationing.... I doubt many have taken the time to read ALL 2000+ pages of Obama'care. I haven't yet complete it myself,BUT,what I have read, I can tell you; This is NOT healthcare. This law is rationing at it's worse. This law is an unprecedented expansion of government; into your life. Their are death-panels, disguised as; Savings. Medical Cost savings...translation: If it cost to much...."well, its been nice knowing you...oh, buy the Mr. Smith. Here's the number for end of life counseling...Plus we have noticed, you haven't paid your Obama'care tax".... That is just one of the untold secrets...The trillions it will cost. Over 1000 exceptions too Crony Business, Big Union.....The lines for medical treatment will be astounding. I give you one last example. Pig Flu, who remembers the 'fear' caused by HHS.....'you must get the Pig Flu vaccination'. Our daughters pediatrician told us; she should have the vaccination....I told this doctor she was buying into a scam...but, I lost the battle, when my wife stepped in. Now the true story: Their was a free vaccination clinic....at The Palace of Auburn Hills...(this is where the Detroit Pistons play bakit'ball.) I'm not kidding when I tell you this....lined up around the building. There were near 10-12,000 people. While we were in line, I snapped a picture with my Blackberry.....Texted it to all my liberal friend....along with a message: "The future with Obama'care". Six months later. The CDC coyly comes out and tell America, we were a little off on our assessment of this....um, pandemic. The best part about this....another little secret about OH'care. Vaccinations. The Pig Flu vaccs. had no preservatives. All those vaccinations have been destroyed..... Yes Sir. The Fed. Gub'ment won't purchase, with your tax dollars, vaccinations with an shelf life.....more Millions and Billions in tax dollars down the crapper.....

April 27, 2011

Heather said:

AARP and their high premiums Being a medicare specalist and helping many seniors with finding lower coverage; I am always shocked at what seniors are willing to pay for insurance thru AARP. Their premiums are usually 50% higher than what they can find through a broker like me. I guess that help foot the bill for what AARP is doing. Side note, seniors should not be afraid to shop their plans. As long as they are getting a medicare supplement (medigap) plan they will be fine. Get quotes on plan F, because company XYZ's Plan F is the exact same as ABC's plan F. It's been standardized by the government. Heather Is Medicare Supplement Plan F the best?

April 27, 2011