Alaska’s Sen. Mark Begich proclaims “seven million people have access to quality, affordable care and are in control of their own health-care choices.”
I love statements like the one above. They contain virtually no factual information, but are easily accepted as truth by many people easily susceptible to such rhetoric.
Of course the Senator is referring to the newly enrolled under Obamacare. We will forget the seven million number because the number doesn’t matter here.
Let’s talk about “quality.” There is absolutely nothing, nothing in Obamacare that assures or relates in any way to the level of quality (please define) health care people who enrolled in a health plan through an exchange (or any other plan) receive. If you go to doctor A and hospital B, those entities participate in many different health plans and provide the same level of quality regardless of the plan and the same level of quality irrespective of Obamacare.
Now for “affordable.” To whom? Clearly some people are getting a good deal, because their cost is much less as the government provides a hefty subsidy. On the other hand, the total premium cost has not only not changed, but in many instances increased as a result of the law. Then we have the out-of-pocket costs. Obamacare plans for the most part have higher deductibles and co-payments to allow for lower premiums. This means affordability for many of the newly insured will be tested when they must pay two thousand dollars or more before there is any insurance payment.
Control of their own health care choices? That’s pure rhetoric without meaning. Everyone is always in control of their own health care choices, good or bad. If the Senator is referring to managing care and exercising utilization review by insurance companies perceived by critics as coming between patient and doctor, well, that has not changed nor should it. In fact, many of the plans within the Obamacare exchanges are EPOs, exclusive provider organizations and provide no coverage unless health care is received within the limited group of providers and all insurance plans monitor for medical necessity.
Clearly many Americans have health insurance today they did not have before and that’s good, but beyond that there is a long way to go before claims for higher quality and lower costs have any credibility, if ever.
QUINNSCOMMENTARY 