The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act became the ‘law of the land’ on March 23, 2010. Well, partly. It has been changed several times by Presidential fiat. Members of Congress and their staffs were included in the provisions of the law but the President authorized subsidies for the ‘Political Class’ that outranks the middle class. The employer mandate has been postponed from January 1, 2014 to January 1, 2015 due to its complexity. No change for individuals, however.
The healthcare exchanges in all states went into effect on the first day of this month. The administration published a 600-page final rule that must be heeded regarding eligibility. Unfortunately, the software applications have no way of determining personal incomes and must rely on responses by individuals to determine subsidies paid by fellow citizens. Glitches have arisen in the 36 states using the federal online marketplace and the 14 states and the District of Columbia with individual systems.
In 2009 and 2010, polls indicated that a majority objected to the emerging healthcare law based on reported anecdotal evidence. It is highly probable that the President and his staff and members of Congress have never read the bill or the law (PPACA) (P.L.111-148).
In order to achieve passage, the President provided special financial inducements for Senators Ben Nelson (D-NE), Harry Reid (D-NV), Charles Schumer (D-NY), Bill Nelson (D-FL), Mary Landrieu (D-LA) and Ron Wyden (D-OR). These concessions cost other participants millions of dollars.
While we the people think Congress and the President create laws and regulations, the truth is different. The healthcare bill was mostly created by 4,525 lobbyists and 1,750 companies including more than 207 hospitals, 105 insurance companies and 85 manufacturers. Trade and professional organizations provided 745 registered groups that were influential. The AARP sent 56 lobbyists and the AMA was represented by 33 advocates. An estimated $3.47 billion was spent on lobbying efforts.
More than 30 former administration officials are reported to have migrated into lobbying/consulting groups and large corporations with highly lucrative compensation packages. Currently there are more than 33,000 pages of rules and regulations, about 13 times larger than the original law. According to reports, none of the Obamacare implementation costs for this federal statute are included in the estimates of overall costs of replacing vocations with vacations, purloining of purses and redistribution of resources.
A side effect of Obamacare is that it discourages unemployed workers from seeking jobs. The administration has been heaping on unemployment benefits, food-stamp expansions and waived work requirements to receive welfare benefits. Subsidizing healthcare wholly or in part is another reason for career welfare stalwarts to avoid work and receive sustenance by subterfuge. For their attempts at defunding or postponing the law, Republicans have been called jihadists, arsonists, anarchists, terrorists, extortionists, racists, gun-to-the-head hostage takers, and threats to American democracy. Apparently some Democrats missed Mr. Obama’s speech on civility.
Many restaurants and hotels have shifted portions of their workforces to part time thus eliminating the need to provide health insurance for these workers. IBM, Caterpillar and DuPont have switched thousands of retirees to private exchanges. UPS will remove from their plans about 15,000 working spouses that are eligible to receive health benefits at their workplace. Unions have balked at some of its provisions and more than 500,000 members received waivers in 2012. More than 1,200 companies, large and small have also received waivers.
The integrity of the Affordable Care Act is heavily based on the actions of young healthy workers who will be required to pay higher premiums to subsidize older and retired workers. Many of these workers will decline insurance and pay the lower-cost penalty. The law will surely be referred to as the Unaffordable Scare Act (USA).
The ultimate insult to everyone is this: The IRS, a government Agency that is under investigation for political legerdemain and deliberate mischief is administering the program for unwary citizens. Unbelievable; hope and change roll on unabated.
