Dissing Obamacare … ok, then what?

2013

First, let me say the word Obamacare is not derogatory, the President uses it himself. I just wish my iPad would get the message that it’s a word.

The critics, including me on occasion, are out in droves and it’s true there are major problems and more to come. Implementation is not going smoothly, costs are higher than predicted, but most of all the adverse consequences for people in the individual and small group markets are now being realized. Young people will pay more, higher benefits do mean higher premiums for everyone, some employers are reacting by trimming coverage or work hours to avoid higher costs and penalties. We now know that insuring those with pre-existing conditions costs lots of money and that adult children do use health care when they gain coverage. After all this we will still have millions of uninsured people and billions in new taxes and fees on individuals and organizations.

We probably should have concentrated on managing costs in the private sector first which if successful, would have made it easier to expand coverage, but we didn’t. So now we have what we have, a large and getting larger by the day bureaucracy, a growing new entitlement liability and nothing of consequence to manage costs.

Criticizing and undermining may be a new sport, but it doesn’t accomplish much. On the other hand, those who say these are just transition problems are optimistic … and wrong. We have masked but not solved the fundamental problems of how we view, use, provide and pay for health care.

Now what?

Obamacare is moving forward so now is the time to end the battle to kill it and rather seriously look at what can and should be modified and to address the unsolved problems with our health care system.

WARNING: You probably will not like the real solutions we need. It won’t include “free” birth control for “women” age 15.