Anyone who has lived long enough to understand federal government's shennanigans and limitations KNEW President Obama's "Affordable" Care Act would create a health care system that is anything BUT affordable. Here's on assessment, similar to many others from people who dare to be honest:
http://articles.nydailynews.com/2011-09-30/news/30244666_1_premium-for-family-coverage-affordable-care-act-obamacare
Note the line, "In fact, the White House is still claiming the law will lower premiums." What parallel universe are these people living in? The rest of the article tells the truth for those of us living in the real world outside the White House bubble.
And it's not just working folks who are suffering from rapidly increasing health costs. My health care costs in retirement have increased about 30% in two years. And one of my two doctors told me that his Medicare reimbursements have decreased 30% in two years. Now he's giving up vacations like I am to match his income to his expenses. How long will it be until I can't find a doctor willing to take Medicare patients? Probably not long. That's one way to reduce Medicare costs ... keep people (especially in rural areas) from using it (due to costs and no doctors accepting Medicare patients). I'll need to keep paying into the system for something I get no benefit from.
The line in the article referenced above from the Obama administration that may be the most hilarious (in reality, maddening) is: "Managed care companies were told they would have to "justify" rate increases above 10%" starting in September this year. Maybe that's why I was told of 15% increases in August this year, one month prior to the start of such scrutiny? And the administration came up with this new 'tool' why? Because they were surprised by the increases we're seeing! I don't understand. They were told this would happen and it did. Republicans were called fear-mongers for saying that two years ago. Now it's coming true just like they said and Americans don't find this fishy?
Those companies which will, henceforth, have their increases scrutinized have already increased my costs an annual average of 15% each year (though 2012) so what do you think will be the increases in the future? Maybe a guaranteed 10% (the maximum amount that will avoid HHS' scrutiny ... surprise!)? You know this administration will act surprised when health care companies in fact do increase our cost by exactly that 10% pretty much every year!
For a real eye-opener, do the math on that 10% annual increase. If managed care companies increase their rates 10% (and thereby escape scrutiny) my health care costs will DOUBLE (from the date of the bill's passage) by January 2017, 5 years from now (factoring in the 15% annual increase to date). And here's the really bad news:
AT THAT RATE, HEALTH CARE COSTS WILL CONSUME OUR ENTIRE INCOME (MINE AND MY WIFE"S) BY 2019! Health care we can afford, eh?
Another GOTCHA is that HHS Secretary Sebelius said the "scrutiny" law would result only in LOOKING AT health care companies' increases. She DID NOT say they'll hold the increases to a 10% maximum ... only that they'll LOOK at it! So there's no guarantee the costs will be less than 10% either! The double-speak language this administration uses is maddening. Doubly maddening because the average American doesn't seem to understand what it really means.
You think I'm exaggerating? Well, you thought that two years ago when I and other Republicans started saying this would happen. Since we've been 100% correct to date, do you think we're more likely to be correct going forward or less likely?
For sure, the "Affordable Care Act" has been life-changing just like President Obama and other progressives said it would. Life changing for sure ... can't afford camping vacations or most other things we could two years ago. Clearly it hasn't been better for working OR retired Americans as this administration PROMISED ... and still(!) keeps promising in total denial of fact as if everything is okay when anyone living in the real world outside the White House can see it isn't.
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