“We have to pass the bill before we can find out what’s in it.” Ah…the famous words of former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi talking about the massive, cumbersome, confusing and costly Affordable Care Act… or in other words, Obamacare.
If ever there was a Pandora’s Box, this is it, with new surprises and revelations jumping out at us almost daily. As the time draws nearer to the complete implementation of this debacle, people are realizing that what was promised and what we are going to get are two entirely different things.
This sleight of hand was forecast by many on the right who sounded the alarm way before the bill was passed but to no avail. The eleventh hour arm-twisting, back room deals and false promises saw to it that this monstrosity was pushed through so quickly that hardly anyone had the time to read it.
Who in their right mind agrees to something this massive and game-changing without seeing the intimate details in writing? Oh, sorry, we’re talking about Congress here, I forgot. But I digress. They obviously took it on “good faith” that what was told to them was true. I mean, how bad could it be? To add insult to injury, the “Conservative” Chief Justice of the Supreme Court, John Roberts, in a moment of insanity deemed it to be Constitutional and allowed it to become the law of the land.
So now here we are, Pandora’s Box is open and our heads are spinning with the revelations coming to light. For instance, look what was revealed just last week. “Insurance companies will have to pay out an average of 32% more for medical claims on individual health policies under President Barak Obama’s overhaul.” This means that premiums will go up. What? We were promised that premiums would go down, not up. The Society of Actuaries report also states that by 2017, the estimated increase could be 62% for California, 80% for Ohio, more than 20% for Florida and 67% for Maryland. There are stats that indicate some states may be reduced, but the overall majority of us will be hit with major increases. As employers drop their employee’s health care coverage, increases will grow even larger.
If that little surprise isn’t enough, how about a pending Federal food- labeling rule that stems from the health care lawrequiring store owners to label prepared, unpackaged foods found in salad bars and food bars, soups and bakery items. This could potentially cost upwards of $1 billion in the first year alone which means it would translate to higher costs at the register. The consumer would pay the price of another Obamacare “hidden” surprise. Not only that, but if the stores get it wrong, they could be subject to thousands of dollars worth of fines and executives could be put in federal jails.
Who knows what tomorrow will bring? Will there be a limit on how many times you can see a doctor in a year? Will your dependents be covered the same as before or will they be dropped from your policy? Will a panel of government experts decide whether or not you qualify for a medical procedure? These questions could be lurking within the health care law and will reveal themselves little by little over time.
One thing is certain however; the American people overwhelmingly were against this law and pressure is being put on Congress to repeal it piece by piece. We can see some hope on the horizon with the Senate support to repeal the tax on medical devices. The outrage is beginning and when it becomes clear that, “you can keep your health plan if you like it….you can keep your doctor too”, was all a lie, then all bets are off. The majority of us want to keep the best medical care in the world; we want the best doctors, facilities and research because we have always had it. Once people see where Obamacare is really taking us with its high costs, restrictions and regulations, the outrage will escalate.
For decades people from all over the world have come to the United States for their medical care because they know it is far superior to anything else. With the implementation of Obamacare in 2014, where will they go?
Morgan Brittany
Politichicks.tv