Obamacare and Low Information Voters

Obamacare. Remember that? The one that Nancy Pelosi rammed through the House of Representatives but never read?Yeah, that law.Did you know that Obamacare is still the law of the land and had not been repealed? Give yourself a gold star.“Four in ten Americans (42%) are unaware that the ACA [Affordable Care Act] is still the law of the land,” the report says, “including 12 percent who believe the law has been repealed by Congress, 7 percent who......

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IPAB MIA

Missing ObamaTax deadlines is nothing new for HHS Secretary Shecantbeserious, and this time it may be a blessing in disguise for any folks feeling a bit under the weather:"Under [the ObamaTax] ... government officials in charge of keeping Medicaid afloat have until Tuesday to report whether costs for the fiscally foundering program will exceed expectations ... the Independent Payment Advisory Board Death Panel ... still doesn’t exist."Maybe they......

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Obamacare Simplified

Seems the folks in DC are not happy with the reaction to coming Obamacare rules, etc and in particular the 26 page application.BEHOLD!I give you the new application.Tomorrow morning the Administration will announce a spiffy, new 3-page application for individuals (which we’ll attach here when it becomes public).* There will be an 7-page application for families (11 including the appendix), TimeEven still, most folks won't qualify for a subsidy and those that do will not be pleased with their choice of health insurance optio......

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Behold the future of health care

While Medicaid "patients" rack up the "free" healthcare, those actually charged with delivering that care are left holding the proverbial bag:"As many doctors struggle to keep their practices financially sound, some are buckling under money woes and being pushed into bankruptcy ... Chapter 11 bankruptcy filings by physician practices have spiked recently"There are, of course, multiple reasons - lower insurance reimbursements, prohibitively high compliance......

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The problem with free Insurance

This doesn't apply just to insurance but when you offer someone an unlimited amount of something for free they are very likely to find uses in ways you never intended. For example, if I am cold and you offer me an unlimited amount of priceless framed paintings I would burn them to keep warm. My need isn't art to admire but staying warm.This thoughtful Medicaid recipient found a very affordable way to get to town without the cost of maintaining a car or a bus pass:"The Dorchester County Sheriff's Office says 51-year-old Audrey Ferguson of the Dorchester community has called EMS at least 100 times......

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News from all over the 58 states...

■ Ohio: Senate Republicans, in an uncharacteristic display of competence, have put the kibosh on Gov Kasich's plan to expand Medicaid in the Buckeye State. I'm pretty sure that's a sign of the Apocalypse.■ California: Surprising exactly no one, fewer employers in the Golden State are now offering group health insurance:"The percentage of California employers that offer health care coverage to their employees has plummeted ... only 49% of employers......

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About that Prevention and Public Health Fund

It seems that the White House is getting itself into a little bit of a pickle.  Early this week the House GOP introduced a bill to take money from the slush fund Prevention and Public Health Fund to re-open the high risk pool. Almost immediately the White House issued a release that President Obama will veto the bill. He will veto it because:"The Affordable Care Act created the Prevention and Public Health Fund to help prevent disease,......

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Throwing Water on a Grease Fire

PPACA was passed solely by Democrats. There was not a single vote from a Republican in favor of the law and not a single vote from a Democrat against the law. One would assume that expanding access to insurance for those who are without insurance and are high risk would come from Democrats right? Right?Wrong!This week Joe Pitts (R-PA) introduced the Helping Sick Americans Now Act. Essentially this bill would take money from the Prevention and Public......

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Cavalcade of Risk #182: Call for submissions

Jeff Root hosts next week's Cav. Entries are due by Monday (the 29th).To submit your risk-related post, just click here to email it.You'll need to provide:■ Your post's url and title■ Your blog's url and name■ Your name and email■ A (brief) summary of the postPLEASE remember: ONLY posts that relate to risk (not personal finance tips and the like). And please only submit if you are willing to link back to the carnival if your submission is accept......

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Bumblebees and Insurance Exchanges

Helicopters and bumblebees have two things in common.According to aerodynamic experts, they are not supposed to fly, yet somehow they do.Come October 1, 2013 the Obamacare health insurance exchange is supposed to fly but there are folks who understand these things that say it will never get off the ground. I am neither an engineer nor an IT specialist, but I do know a thing or three about computer systems, carriers and the government. Enough......

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Terrorism Insurance?

We've all seen the horrific pictures of the Forum restaurant and the Lenox hotel, as well as the shattered glass from other businesses along the busy thoroughfare that was the site of the attack. Aside from the incredible human toll, though, there's a business one, too:"Companies could lose insurance payouts for property, lost income and other damage if the bombings are officially declared an act of terrorism by key U.S. officials" [emphasis added]That last bit is important, and we'll get to it in a moment. First, though, it's important to know that acts of terror are typically excluded from commercial......

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Health Wonk Review: Money Tree edition

As maples and oaks begin to blossom, we turn our attention to another kind of tree, the much vaunted 'Pachira aquatica.' Well, knot really - ours is metaphoric in nature [ed: ISWYDT]. As I leafed through the submissions, it was easy to see where this was headed. Going out on a limb didn't appeal to me, so I decided to let the posts just naturally fall. Into place.I do realize that some of these posts will be more poplar than others, but please give......

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Right Remedy, Wrong Patient?

From Politico, this:"Congressional leaders in both parties are engaged in high-level, confidential talks about exempting lawmakers and Capitol Hill aides from the insurance exchanges they are mandated to join"Seems to me the solons have it almost exactly backwards.I think the correct move would be to exempt EVERYONE EXCEPT lawmakers, Capitol Hill aides, plus administration employees and political appointe......

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Wait, what?

FoIB Holly R sent us this link:"Scammers Find Fertile Ground In Health Law"Interesting article, but they never mentioned the biggest scam of all.Wonder why that ......

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Bye Bye Baucus

Sen. Max Baucus (D), the one person who has their fingerprints all over Obamacare more than anyone else in DC, is not going to run for re-election.After announcing he felt that Obamacare was a "train wreck" he apparently decided to run . . . away.The senator's retirement comes as a bit of a surprise, as he'd just raised a hefty $1.5 million and has nearly $5 million on hand. Baucus was the last remaining Democratic senator who faced serious questions......

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Have Gun, Will Insure?

I've been engaged in an interesting email conversation with a gentleman who believes that we can - and should - require some sort of liability insurance for legal gun owners. Aside from the Constitutional issues, there are a number of problems with this idea.Mr Harvey has had an op-ed piece published in the online Insurance Journal (Mazel Tov!) which will be the subject of this post.Mr Harvey begins by bemoaning that  "the level of death and......

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5th Amendment Insurance?

Okay, this one tickles me:"Looking for someone who knows they will NOT buy health insurance next year. Pls get in touch"The intrepid soul who tweeted (twitted?) this odd request is Dan Gorenstein, a reporter for Marketplace.org (which "presents news on business, economics, and money"). The request seems odd, because a quick search turned up no similar requests from him for, say, folks who planned to cheat on their taxes next year, or rob a bank,......

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More ObamaTax wage cuts

We've mentioned how the ObamaTax has adversely affected college faculty by forcing incentivizing institutions to reduce hours to avoid health insurance fines taxes.FoIB Holly R reports that this trend is, in fact, picking up steam:"Maricopa Community Colleges are cutting 1,300 temporary workers back to less than 25 hours a week"Even though the relevant portion of the ObamaTax doesn't take effect until 2014, the government plans to use a "one year......

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Tale of Three Gov's [UPDATED]

■ First up, Ohio: Recently, the Ohio House put the kibosh on Gov Kasich's plan to expand Medicaid. It should be noted that this is still an ongoing battle political skirmish, but it highlights the fact that this is far from a "done deal."■ Next, uber-wonk Avik Roy reports that legislators in the Wolverine State have also voted to turn aside their Governor's plan to expand Medicaid in that state.Ohio's Kasich and Michigan's Snyder, both Republicans, face prolonged battles within their own party as they try to implement this key "feature" of the ObamaTax.■ David Adams runs the Kentucky Progress......

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The Media Trivialize Medicare Advantage

I wish they knew how to stop.Here’s a recent example from the April 19 Wall Street Journal Page B4. [subscription required]In its 6th paragraph, the article states:“The Medicare Advantage plans at issue typically combine basic Medicare benefits with extras, such as gym memberships.”This statement trivializes Medicare Advantage by failing to describe the real importance of Medicare Advantage plans.  It’s a common media failure, particularly disappointing when parroted in the WSJ.The truth is, Medicare Advantage benefits for medical care are much superior to basic Medicare (Part A and Part......

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Kathy says so

"U.S. Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Kathleen Sebelius today assured yet another congressional panel that the [ObamaTax] exchanges will be opening on schedule."Okey-dokey, Kathy.If you say so......

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MVNHS© Death Panels

Coming soon to the 58 states:"[MVNHS©] doctors are prematurely ending the lives of thousands of elderly hospital patients because they are difficult to manage or to free up beds ... there was often a lack of clear evidence for initiating the Liverpool Care Pathway ... a 71-year-old who was admitted to hospital suffering from pneumonia and epilepsy was put on the LCP by a covering doctor on a weekend shift."We've discussed the Liverpool Care Pathway......

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Captain Obvious to the white courtesy phone, please

In theory, the ObamaTax requires that, beginning next January, every American (citizen) must buy health insurance, or pay a penalty tax. The problem is that the penalty tax is rather inconsequential:"95 Tax Penalty Begins in 2014 Yet Most Say They Are Unswayed ... The tax penalty for not purchasing health insurance will start at $95 per individual or 1 percent of household income, whichever is greater"Less than $100 a year! Doesn't seem so onerous.......

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Irony or Common Sense?

The latest firm to fight back against the birth control convenience item mandate imposed by Ms Shecantbeserious is Eden Foods, which makes and markets soy-based drinks (among other products). They don't find the mandate particularly healthful, and are seeking to opt out of it. As Eden's CEO puts it:"I'm not trying to get birth control out of Rite Aid or Walmart, but don't tell me I gotta pay for it"So of course advocates of a national healthcare......

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Obamacare in the Bay State

According to the current regime, RomneyCare (of Massachusetts fame) begat Obamacare. If RomneyCare had not been such a raving success (albeit thanks to federal Medicaid waivers) thanks at least in part to over $1 BILLION in federal tax dollars.If Obamacare is to work as well as RomneyCare, where will the money come from? If the folks in Massachusetts needed $1 billion plus in federal seed money to get the plan running (2005 - 2008), how much will......

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Ha! [Updated & Bumped]

Two-and-a-half (2 1/2) years ago, Mike noted that "Senate Finance Chairman Max Baucus, who wrote most of the [ObamaTax] ...  is telling me not to worry about all the rattles I hear in this Cadillac he sold me (that I can't afford)"Fast-forward to today:"[Senator Max Bacus (D-Montana)] who helped write President Obama's health care law stunned administration officials Wednesday, saying openly he thinks it's headed for a "train wreck."Oh really?Appears......

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PCIP - A True Story

Wednesday was a tough day for me. One of my long time group clients has a small union division. I am very close personally and professionally with both sides of the negotiating table. They have trusted my recommendations and know that I have always stepped up to make sure that everything that is done is in the best interest of both parties.The employee (Jim) who heads up the union representation has been through a rough several years. In 2005 his mother (Jane) was diagnosed and beat breast cancer. In 2007 his father (John) was diagnosed with lung cancer. In 2008 his wife was diagnosed and beat......

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Buyer's Remorse (The Roof's Caving In)

From the "Careful What You Wish for Files," Cato Institute's Michael Cannon tips us that "[a] labor union representing roofers is reversing course and calling for repeal of the federal health law, citing concerns the law will raise its cost for insuring members."This from the folks at The United Union of Roofers, Waterproofers and Allied Workers who worry that the ObamaTax "could lead members to lose their existing health plans."No kidding?Welcome (late) to the party, p......

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Stupid GOP Tricks

It's easy to pick on folks like San Fran Nan who admonished her fellows to pass the bill to learn what's in it, but what excuse do these rocket surgeons have?"House Republicans are moving quickly on a new bill to strengthen ObamaCare's temporary insurance plan for people with pre-existing conditions ... The measure seeks to shore up the Pre-Existing Conditions Insurance Plan (PCIP) ... The Obama administration announced earlier this year that it......

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