Obama Fix to Fulfill Promise

[KeithE]

To attempt to make good on his promise “if you like your plan you can keep it”, Obama swallowed his pride and offered a fix.
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It was the honorable thing to do. It is only offered for one year. He even admits that it will not make all cancelled plans re-appear at the same price (but prices have been going up most years anyway- actually mine went down from 2012-2103). But he is doing what he can.

So those cancelled plans that did not meet the ACA requirements (pre-existing conditions allowed, annual or lifetime caps, no rebates when payments are lower than 80% of premiums, 18-26 olds cannot be on their parent’s plan) will probably be re-offerred. This will probably mean more people will sign up for ObamaCare (e.g. those with pre-existing conditions and those 18-26 year old (many recent college grads are not finding jobs thanks to the financial crisis)). All I can say to those who opt for the cheaper non-ACA compliant plans is GOOD LUCK - you may be one serious illness away from bankruptcy.

I’m still bothered by the lack of cost control that can only come with elimination of the overtreatment (as opposed to maximizing treatment to maximize profit as in our current system). ObmaCare will not substantially help that. Single payer systems (e.g. all other OEDC countries) have controlled costs but the HC lobby will not allow it in the US.

[William Thornton]

I was a potential consumer of the Obama exchanges but am not comfortable with this as it stands. Since I have an alternative (GuideStone's insurance was grandfathered and I am free to continue to buy it, and have decided to do so) and am not among the tens of millions who had their insurance cancelled, I am keeping what I have. No way I'm jumping into this cesspool.

It is far too early to call this a "fix." At some point ObamaCare insurance dictates will kick back in (presuming that he can by executive fiat delay this a year). I don't see how this magically puts him in a position of now fulfilling his promises about your insurance or doctor. Hogwash.

This thing is a mess. The website is a pathetic debacle. The rollout is a disaster. About the only sure thing is that we have tons of new people with free insurance, Medicaid.

Keith, various experts on both sides, Obama, members of the legislative branches all have opinions. No one knows where this is going.
The "fix" is uncharted territory. About the only sure thing is that there will be a lot of finger pointing.

[KeithE]

[William Thornton]

Both of these charts are irrelevant to the fix. States may choose not to acceed to the medicaid expansion and entitlement expansion. Even you say that cost controls are mostly absent from Obamacare, so it is at least not proven that adding millions to insurance rolls, adding mandates to every insurance policy, and gummit run exchanges will do anything towards lowering costs. It's tough to see how adding people and services will eventually add up to subtracting costs...but I'm sure there is a speculative graph showing that it will.

Reminds me of the ex-UGA football star who opened up a furniture store. His slogan was, "We buy in volume and sell below cost." Maybe he didn't have to take any remedial math classes.

I am open to insurance reform but think what we have is just another welfare state entitlement that will cost those who have money more in taxes, insurance, and medical costs.

[Haruo]

Washington's Insurance Commissioner says,