“Healthcare Reform?” I’ll say so! (But not for the better.)

We are probably all sick of hearing about the failure of ObamaCare; but I am constrained to continue blogging on the subject, because it is of such imminent importance to each of us. This law is the most mistaken piece of legislation to have come down the pike at us in my lifetime. It had some good intentions behind it; but its unintended consequences far outweigh its good qualities. And…I am afraid that the difficulties with the registration procedures on the internet are just the beginning of more problems down the road.

I am afraid we are headed for lost jobs, an economy increasingly made up of part-time workers, higher health spending, a decline in medical innovation and medical devise production, and more difficulty retaining desirable health insurance and care.

Past polling going back to the 1940’s have consistently indicated that Americans have believed desired a system of “national health insurance;" but they have never indicated that they would be willing to pay adequate amounts out-of-pocket money to get it.

President Obama has promised the American people that the Affordable Care Act (ACA) would insure 45million uninsured people without costing middle class families one penny in new taxes; and that paying for it would not add one dime to the federal deficit. He even said that a typical family of four would save $2500 yearly in premiums before the end of his first term in office.

The Congregational Budget Office, on the other hand has calculated that by 2023, ObamaCare will have imposed over $1 trillion in new taxes. $318 billion of this amount will come from taxes aimed primarily at singles earning >$200,000 yearly and married earning >$250,000. But the remainder of the increased tax money will come in a variety of forms that will hit both middle and low income people.

When all is said and done, the folks the president assured would not see taxes go up a dime to bankroll health reform will shoulder close to 70% of ObamaCare’s tax burden.

President Obama has promised that this new law will provide health care coverage for 45 million people. But…the CBO calculates that by 2023, there will remain 31 million uninsured—a far cry from the president’s promise!

Another Obama promise: “We’ll lower premiums by up to $2500 for a typical family per year….We’ll do it by the end of my first term as president of the United States.” (June 5, 2008) But…according to the Kaiser Family Foundation/Employer Health Benefits Survey, average premiums for family coverage during that period increased from $13,375/year to $16,531/year.

The President has promised that spending on health care will “not add one dime to the deficit.” However, his own Treasury Department has calculated that federal spending, as a share of GDP will rise by more than 40% by year 2085. Rising health entitlements will account for every penny of that increase!

President Obama has said, “I will not sign a plan that adds one dime to our deficits.” (September 2, 2009) Former CBO director Douglas Holtz-Eakin has calculated that “the new reform law will raise the deficit by more than $500 billion during the 1^st 10 years and nearly$1.5 trillion in the next decade.”

President Obama has promised that “If you like your doctor, you will be able to keep your doctor, period.” (June 15, 2009) But…recently, we have seen health insurance companies one after another dropping coverage of clients because of ObamaCare’s requirements. For example:

1)   Florida Blue is dropping 300,000 policy holders.

2)   Highmark in Pittsburgh is dropping 20% of its individual market customers.
3)   Kaiser Permanente of California is dropping 160,000 patients.
4)   Independence Blue Cross Philadelphia is dropping 45% of its customers.
5)   Kaiser in Ohio (where Nancy and I get our health care coverage) is going completely out of business and selling all its coverage and business to Healthspan Integrated Care. (These figures come from FOX News Special Report of 10/23/13)

Well, so much for that promise!

(Much of this blog post is a redaction of an article in The Weekly Standard of 10-21-13. The Rest is from my own experience.)