Monday, June 28, 2010

Obamacare, for Those Keeping Score

It has been about 3 months since Obamacrap was signed into law and for those playing along at home, here is a look at how we are doing so far. The folks at ABC News provided this recap.

Some deadlines have been met, while others have not. Nothing unusual from a government perspective. They are good at over-promising and under-delivering.
Some of the changes have already raised red flags. Small businesses have expressed concern about the "grandfather rule," designed to keep insurance plans that were in place by March 23 remain with minimal changes.

The new rule is designed to discourage companies from making major changes to their insurance plans, but small businesses often change their plans and doing so would jeopardize the "grandfather" status of their plan.

This follows the logic of, if you like your plan you can keep it, unless of course we (that would be the government) decide we don't like that plan. In that case, you are screwed.
The administration has to coordinate with states to establish the temporary high-risk pools that Americans can start enrolling in by July 1. But that deadline could slip as several states remain undecided about how they will proceed forward.

The states were invited to participate, not required. If they opted out the federal government would establish and run the plan. So where are the details of the national risk pool?

Do I hear the sound of crickets chirping?
June: Insurers announced they would no longer rescind coverage of patients who get sick.

That's nice.

Of course the health insurance companies still have the ability to rescind coverage in the event of fraud or misrepresentation. This is the way it was before Obamacrap, so no change here but it must sound good to those who follow the main stream media.
July: A tanning tax of 10 percent takes effect.

Gotta get those tax increases in. Fortunately it is summer so tanning salons probably don't have that much foot traffic right now. You gotta wonder if the dim lights in Congress stay up late trying to figure ways to create new taxes.
Aug.: Americans with pre-existing conditions can start enrolling in the high risk pools.

Who moved the goal posts? It was July.
Sept.: Health insurance companies will be prohibited from dropping children with preexisting conditions, adults with preexisting conditions and eliminate lifetime limit co-pays.

For those who have not been paying attention, and apparently there are quite a few of you, health insurance companies never could drop children or adults with pre-existing conditions. As for the lifetime co-pays that are going to be eliminated, I will need to go back to class. I am not sure what a lifetime co-pay is. Never seen it in a policy.
2011: Louisiana specifically will receive an expansion of $300 million in Medicare funding from the federal government.

Part of the Louisiana Purchase backroom deal to buy votes on Obamacrap. I don't recall Medicare funding being part of the deal. Could have sworn it was Medicaid.
2014: Employers would also be required to provide coverage to their workers, or pay a fine of $2,000 per worker.

You know the folks with arm bands and green eye-shades are already at work crunching numbers. Let's see, pay a fine of $2000 or continue to provide premium assistance for employees of $5000+ per year.

Well that's a no-brainer.

The folks in DC weren't sent their for their brain power, but then, some of you already knew that.
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