The law that isn’t. Obamacare is turning out to be as much of a joke as it is creating false promises. The Administration has a simple policy; just ignore any part of the law that doesn’t work or as they say below, may create a political firestorm. The law is constantly being watered down with exceptions or simply by ignoring its provisions.
Either health insurance is “affordable,” or it’s not. You can keep the insurance you have if you like it, or not. You can keep your doctor, unless you can’t. You will be penalized if you don’t have insurance unless, you aren’t. The law is saving money, except it isn’t. Open enrollment ends on X date, except when it doesn’t.
It’s really quite amazing when you stand back and take a good look.
WASHINGTON — Obama administration officials and other supporters of the Affordable Care Act say they worry that the tax-filing season will generate new anger as uninsured consumers learn that they must pay tax penalties and as many people struggle with complex forms needed to justify tax credits they received in 2014 to pay for health insurance.
The White House has already granted some exemptions and is considering more to avoid a political firestorm.
Mark J. Mazur, the assistant Treasury secretary for tax policy, said up to six million taxpayers would have to “pay a fee this year because they made a choice not to obtain health care coverage that they could have afforded.”
But Christine Speidel, a tax lawyer at Vermont Legal Aid, said: “A lot of people do not feel that health insurance plans in the marketplace were affordable to them, even with subsidies. Some went without coverage and will therefore be subject to penalties.”
via White House Seeks to Limit Health Law’s Tax Troubles – NYTimes.com.
QUINNSCOMMENTARY 
Obamacare oh boy. Do not believe the list of in network drs when choosing which insurance plan to sign up for. We signed up for the same insurance co because we knew an ophthalmologist listed as in network was highly recommended by friends for cataract surgery. Call him nope, not one dr. in our entire county that does cataract surgery accepts Obamacare silver plan. First mistake should have called him to be sure but wouldn’t help he doesn’t accept any Obamacare policies. We are at 30 miles out and the list of ophthalmologist in network either do not do cataract surgery or do not accept the Obamacare silver plan. Call the insurance co for a name, they give a name of a general surgeon. Call again, after an hour on the phone and a so called “deeper” search I was told to call around to various dr’s in the area and see if they know someone who will accept our silver plan. Ridiculous. Cataract surgery cost about $5000 if I use insurance I would have to pay at least $3900 for deductible, co pay and 30%. Of course first you have to see the primary care dr and pay the co pay to get a referral then wait for approval. Instead of having a free consultation with the expert ophthalmologist to find out if you need cataract surgery. It cost $18,000 a year for this service. Couldn’t keep our family dr (although we still use him willing to pay the $50 he charges instead of the $30 co pay to our new primary care dr. in network that we need to have and will have to use for a referral) and their in network list is inaccurate. Maybe I don’t have a right to complain because we do get a subsidy but I think at $18,000 a year the insurance co. they can at least have an accurate in network list. What is so hard about that.
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This is what happens when the entire Democratic caucus passes a bill to find out what is in it instead of reading it first and working to make it sensible then voting on it.
The unfortunate part of this is that tax season is in March and April instead of September and October. Most of the people impacted by this will have forgotten by November but if tax season was in September and October they would never vote for a Democrat again.
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I think it will be very interesting to see the outcome of the SCOTUS ruling “King v. Burwell”, whether the plain meaning written in the law will be upheld or what the court “thinks” was the intent of congress regarding subsidies in States that use the Federal exchanges. The language of the law seems pretty cut and dry but with this joke of a law; who knows?
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I don’t think the SCOTUS will ever cause the upheaval that will result if the rule against the law as it is now applied.
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