Patterico's Pontifications

3/21/2012

Obamacare turns two

Filed under: 2012 Election,Health Care — Karl @ 8:12 am



[Posted by Karl]

Obamacare turns two this week.  After the March 2012 Obamacare cost estimate was released, it became apparent that some — and not all lefty pundits — are upset with those noting that the gross cost is exploding as it is phased in.  Apparently, it’s just plain mean to remind everyone how Democrats used the phase-in to get the initial cost estimate under $1 trillion for political cover.  And most of the same people are also upset with those talking about the exploding gross cost because the CBO is also projecting more deficit reduction from increased mandate penalties.  As Conn Carroll notes:

To recap, the CBO now predicts that Obamacare: 1) will force millions more Americans out of their current employer coverage than originally advertised; 2) will force millions more Americans onto Medicaid than originally advertised; 3) will force millions more Americans to pay fines for not obtaining health care; 4) will force businesses to pay billions more in mandate fines; and 5) will leave millions more Americans without insurance than originally advertised.

But to Obamacare’s defenders in the leftosphere, increased fines are a feature, not a bug.  They also overlook all of the dubious assumptions on which the claim of deficit reduction is based.

In contrast, Pres. Obama has no plans to mark the two-year anniversary of his signature piece of domestic legislation.  His White House dodges its prior claims Obamacare would spur the economy.  HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius is unable to defend Obamacare’s impact on the debt, insurace costs, employer coverage, or the myriad waivers handed out to the politically-favored.  Unlike the dead-enders still defending Obamacare, Obama himself stands for reelection and can read the polls.  The “Terrible Twos” can be a painful thing for a Dad.

–Karl

31 Responses to “Obamacare turns two”

  1. Ding!

    Karl (6f7ecd)

  2. This flier came in from the DNC yesterday …

    GET THE FACTS
    Under America’s New Health Care Law, Insurance Companies Now Must Cover A Variety of Screenings and Preventive Care — for FREE

    America’s New Health Care Law Covers YOUR Preventive Care, Wellness Visits And Many Screenings for FREE

    The best way for you to beat cancer is to prevent it — but too many women skip their screenings because they can’t afford the cost.

    Now America’s New Health Care Law requires insurance companies to provide numerous screens and preventive care with no co-pays for women like us.

    Hey, it’s FREE .. who knew ?

    Neo (d1c681)

  3. I sent this to my socialist buddy, and he came back with “But you say the CBO is always wrong!” I said, “No, the CBO has a history of grossly underestimating the costs. And would ya look at that. They grossly underestimated the costs.”

    I would love to live in a world where health care grew on trees, food could be magically generated, and everyone was wealthy. Unfortunately, we live on earth. This simply doesn’t work, and hoping it will isn’t going to fix the problem.

    Ghost (6f9de7)

  4. DeMint was just on Laura stating that Obamacare must be repealed as its multifoliate attacks to Liberty will continue to unfold for its duration.

    He closed by saying whoever we get as the Nominee will be great.

    Uh huh.

    gary gulrud (1de2db)

  5. Ghost,

    Moreover, the CBO is constrained by its rules in producing a baseline scenario. The CBO produces an alternative baseline sceario that’s more realistic and scary.

    Karl (f07e38)

  6. you heard it here first. 8)

    redc1c4 (403dff)

  7. obamacare is a fascist ploy

    you know – like something Hitler would do

    happyfeet (a55ba0)

  8. and everyone was wealthy.

    Unfortunately, there are many people who disagree with you on this last. After all, where will they get maids and nannies and gardeners and poolboys from if everyone is so wealthy they don’t need such jobs?

    I mean, come on, you gots to have servants to be really wealthy. Y’know?

    IGotBupkis, Noter of the Obvious (8e2a3d)

  9. He closed by saying whoever we get as the Nominee will be great

    “Great”? Probably not.

    Better than the current dunderheaded incompetent ephwit?

    Well, does a black hole suck?

    Indeed. Realize that the current ephwit sucks even more.

    IGotBupkis, Noter of the Obvious (8e2a3d)

  10. No, the CBO has a history of grossly underestimating the costs. And would ya look at that. They grossly underestimated the costs.

    Well done. And you’re exactly on target about the problem. The government can mandate supply, but they can’t mandate demand. We saw what happened in MA.

    Dustin (9538d2)

  11. The government can mandate supply, but they can’t mandate demand.

    Shoot. I meant the other way around. The mandate will send demand skyrocketing… and I think some of this demand will be unnecessary much as I think about any subsidy or entitlement, and supply won’t increase.

    Dustin (9538d2)

  12. Ironically, Obamacare was hailed as providing healthcare for 45M Americans. Then they were forced to revise that number to 25M as they had erroneously (cough) included illegal aliens. Now we discover that 20M people will lose coverage under Obamacare. Now that’s progress…

    Gazzer (72d05a)

  13. Unfortunately, there are many people who disagree with you on this last. After all, where will they get maids and nannies and gardeners and poolboys from if everyone is so wealthy they don’t need such jobs?

    I mean, come on, you gots to have servants to be really wealthy. Y’know?

    If random were here, this comment would lead down a very dark path.

    Ghost (6f9de7)

  14. ___________________________________________

    Everyone should just quit their day job and go work for the IRS. That’s the only employer that will come out ahead when the BS of Obamacare is fully enacted and more IRS agents than ever before will need to dig even further into the American populace’s tax returns.

    Mark (31bbb6)

  15. None of this matters. The whole point of Obamacare is to destroy the current system and replace it with something that will never work. “That’s not a bug, that’s a feature.” When it fails, we’ll be told that the only way forward is single-payer, unless you want little children to die from the mumps.

    Kevin M (bf8ad7)

  16. Congress Spinelessly Hands Over Power to the American Caligula: President sends money to Egyptian military that Congress denies. The only thing missing is the Horse Senator.

    Mutnodjmet (c4995d)

  17. I would love to be in the gallery at the Supreme Court when they hear oral arguments.

    JD (516dcc)

  18. I can’t help remembering the illegal way the bill was written, passed and hid from the public. And the lip service to the pub- lic from the republicans in congress, was disgusting. There all in on it. And Demint should have thrown a mother trucking shit fit on the floor. What team am I supposed to admire? The insane dems or the chickenpoop republicans? Time for a turd party.

    [note: released from moderation. –Stashiu]

    sickofrinos (44de53)

  19. tune in to hear Chief Justice Roberts say… “Why, it’s positively Hitleresque!”

    happyfeet (a55ba0)

  20. The whole point of Obamacare is to destroy the current system

    That’s the scary thing. It is important to me that finally some kind of line be drawn on the limitation of government that the current commerce clause trend has erased.

    BUT what happens if they just overrule the mandate? Well… then they basically have outlawed any insurance program that is sane, unless the bar on prior conditions discrimination is not also struck (as it should be, of course, since this is just freedom to contract).

    Dustin (9538d2)

  21. Do you suppose many of those millions who will refuse to buy insurance and pay fines, may just drop out of society or move out of country? If so, good luck in collecting anything from them.

    KathyP (cab240)

  22. One does need to keep that in mind;

    http://www.verumserum.com/?p=8554

    narciso (35ae48)

  23. Do you suppose many of those millions who will refuse to buy insurance and pay fines, may just drop out of society or move out of country? If so, good luck in collecting anything from them.

    A lot of folks in MA simply accept the tax penalties. It’s $1,212 and I believe 50k people went that route. $50 million is a nice little chunk of change.

    I think this would be a substantial tax increase that a lot of Americans would be paying. It could be about three billion for the country.

    Dustin (9538d2)

  24. The left wingers are so Orwellian.

    It’s unbelievable that any rational person could argue that the Constitution allows for the federal government to use its “powers” to force someone to sign a legally binding contract they do not wish to enter into.

    In law, a contract can potentially be voided if there is evidence that either party was under duress or coerced against their will to sign the contract.

    Simply put, the federal government does not have the authority to force someone to purchase something against their will.

    A “right” is something that is inherent, and is not incumbent upon someone else to provide to you. I don’t need someone else to provide me with “something” in order to fulfill my right to freedom of speech, or religion, et al.
    On the other hand, this alleged “right” regarding health care, is theoretically incumbent upon someone else providing me with that health care.

    Elephant Stone (0ae97d)

  25. Obamacare does not turn two this week. The bill is two years old.

    But Obamacare does not go into effect for another 21 months or so. It’s almost two years till it is scheduled to be born. The contraception and other “preventative care” mandate was scheduled for August of this year, for religiously affiliated organizations it was postponed one year, in order to give them a chance to reconsider what their conscience said or divest themselves of the connection.

    A few provisions went or go into effect earlier, like no denial of insurance on the basis of pre-existing conditions, or children can continue on their parent’s health plan till age 26.

    The CBO had to change its estimate because two more years now fell into the 10-year time window they consider. The 10-year window and the manipulation of policy and law to come up with estimates of lower deficit numbers is one of the more absurd things going on in Washington. That’s why the Bush tax cuts came with an expiration date in 2001. In the 10th year everything changed back to a pumpkin so they could have a lower cost estimate for the tax cuts.

    The purpose of 10 years, originally, of course, was that estimates of what something cost could not be manipulated by putting some expenses into he next year, but it didn’t stop manipulation – it just made it more ridiculous.

    This 10-year projection, which you can’t even really do accurately even if you wanted to, is also the reason that the alternative minimum tax is never permanently – or indefinitely – corrected or the Medicare payment amounts not adjusted to reality, so that every year they need to pas a “Doc fix”

    Sammy Finkelman (3c2bfd)

  26. And romney-care, rapes the public. Vote for romney care.
    sheesh.

    sickofrinos (44de53)

  27. It is specifically state in the bill that fines will no be enforced. If the original article got this fact wrong, how many other points are in error?

    tadcf (6f3ab1)

  28. WH meme…
    Obamacare was passed because the Republicans forced Obama to save Medical Care for Americans by threatening to arrest all the doctors and nurses, and turn the hospitals into…….

    AD-RtR/OS! (aec64e)


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