From the "Have to Pass it to Learn What's in it" Files:
"Older adults of the same age and income with similar medical histories would pay sharply different amounts for private health insurance due to what appears to be an unintended consequence of the new health care law."
Well first, I take great issue with the assumption that this was, in fact, "unintended." After all, the whole point of the bill was to increase the disparity of who pays what for health insurance, with the ultimate aim to dilute the coverage of currently insured folks in favor of those who have chosen to abstain from purchasing it.
The "glitch" in question has to do with how some "younger older" adults (between ages 62 and 65) can elect to take early retirement and receive tax-payer assistance with premiums (of course, those of us paying the actual tab get no such break). In fact, those "younger older" citizens who must continue to work are actually penalized for doing so; as Bob Laszewski notes:
"If you get a job for 40 hours a week, you're going to pay more for your health insurance than if you don't get a job."
Of course, HHS Secretary Shecantbeserious is hot on the case:
"The Obama administration says it is working on the problem."
Why doesn't that make me feel any better?
"Older adults of the same age and income with similar medical histories would pay sharply different amounts for private health insurance due to what appears to be an unintended consequence of the new health care law."
Well first, I take great issue with the assumption that this was, in fact, "unintended." After all, the whole point of the bill was to increase the disparity of who pays what for health insurance, with the ultimate aim to dilute the coverage of currently insured folks in favor of those who have chosen to abstain from purchasing it.
The "glitch" in question has to do with how some "younger older" adults (between ages 62 and 65) can elect to take early retirement and receive tax-payer assistance with premiums (of course, those of us paying the actual tab get no such break). In fact, those "younger older" citizens who must continue to work are actually penalized for doing so; as Bob Laszewski notes:
"If you get a job for 40 hours a week, you're going to pay more for your health insurance than if you don't get a job."
Of course, HHS Secretary Shecantbeserious is hot on the case:
"The Obama administration says it is working on the problem."
Why doesn't that make me feel any better?
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