Yet another black eye for Obamacare

Remember when Obamacare was being “sold” to the American public? The President and Democrat leaders paraded out an assortment of citizens who were unable to purchase their own insurance due to a pre-existing condition of some sort.

According to the President,

uninsured Americans who’ve been locked out of the insurance market because of a pre-existing condition will now be able to purchase quality, affordable health care–some for the very first time in their lives.

We were told this problem was huge, and the passage of Obamacare would correct it immediately.

So, one of the first aspects of Obamacare to be implemented was the pre-existing condition insurance program, and it began in July.  Each state had the option of implementing its own program (27 states took this approach, and, some of them already had such programs), and, for the rest of America, insurance was made available by the Department of Health And Human Services.

Here we are, five months later, and the results are “stunning”.

[I]n North Dakota…one person has signed up out of 647,000 state residents.  Four people have enrolled in West Virginia.  Things are better in Minnesota, where Mr. Obama has rescued 15 our of 5.2 million, and also in Indiana—63 people there.  HHS did best among the 24.7 million Texans.  Thanks to ObamaCare, 393 of them are now insured…Combined federal-state enrollment is merely 8011 nationwide as of November 1, according to HHS. [emphasis supplied]

However, the story doesn’t end here.  Next year,

…HHS plans to make its cut-rate insurance even cheaper (and more expensive for taxpayers) so it can avoid having to admit that the President’s claims about the nation of the indigent sick denied insurance were false.

I’m certainly not minimizing the importance of  these Americans being able to obtain insurance, but, at least as of now, the government has taken over one sixth of the American economy to save 8011 citizens.  Wouldn’t there have been a far less intrusive and costly way to achieve the same result?

And, call me cynical, but, I’m beginning to wonder whether anything we were told about Obamacare was true.

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SoundOffSister

The Sound Off Sister was an Assistant United States Attorney for the Southern District of Florida, and special trial attorney for the Department of Justice, Criminal Division; a partner in the Florida law firm of Shutts & Bowen, and an adjunct professor at the University of Miami, School of Law. The Sound Off Sister offers frequent commentary concerning legislation making its way through Congress, including the health reform legislation passed in early 2010.

13 Comments

  1. winnie888 on November 14, 2010 at 11:15 am

    These people are Obama's 8011 Points of Light…I say we survey them in a year to find out how WONderful their obamacare turned out to be.

    The only thing I believe about Obama is that he looks like a fool.  Daily.



  2. sammy22 on November 14, 2010 at 2:25 pm

    @SOS: Given you resume, something tells me that you have no problem getting or paying for your health care (same goes for Jim, Steve and etc.).



  3. Gary J on November 14, 2010 at 2:25 pm

    Sorry SOS,but i'm beginning to get that leg tingle that tells me you are "beginning to doubt " our President.



  4. TomL on November 15, 2010 at 3:50 am

    Sammy your point is?



  5. Dimsdale on November 15, 2010 at 4:27 am

    Define "no problem getting or paying for your health care", please.  Will the easy availability of bad health care be a solution?

     

    You can have health care reform, but to do so, you have to pick two of the following: cheap, good or universal.



  6. GdavidH on November 15, 2010 at 5:19 am

    Sammy…????

    Jim has talked often of his health insurance difficulties, and his treatment out of pocket costs.

    PAY ATTENTION



  7. sammy22 on November 15, 2010 at 11:39 am

    So why are you against Obamacare? Don't you want/wish that everybody gets covered? Why did SOS write the last 2 sentences?



  8. SeeingRed on November 16, 2010 at 3:10 am

    I can't wait for the 60 Minutes expose on this phenom.  They'll run it riht after they do thier 45th story on $75 hammers. 

    NObamacare ails in the courts for at least two reasons: equal protection clasue (see 111 corporate opt-outs) and an over reach on Commerce Clause.  As far as requiring preexisting conditions be covered by companies that make money through managing risk isn't insurance, it's welfare. 



  9. socialenemy on November 16, 2010 at 3:43 am

    You know whats great about Obama making health care "available to everyone" I STILL CAN'T AFFORD IT. And with my taxes going up, because they will, because according to the Democrats I'm not poor enough yet to be considered truly poor, I won't be able to afford health care ever. I'm ever so happy Obama came along and made it even more impossible for me to ever go to the doctor or hospital without it costing me everything I have managed to hide away in the bank.

    And Sammy, what does it matter how much SOS makes? Her point isn't about how much this bill may hurt her, it's about how much it's going to hurt everyone. Including the "non rich" like you and me. But don't worry, I'm sure you'll feel the "burn" of Obamacare and it's tax hikes soon enough, and what with all the good he's done for the country, you'll be able to have that burn checked out… For a nominal fee…



  10. SoundOffSister on November 16, 2010 at 3:53 am

    Sammy,

    I wrote the last 2 sentences because I firmly believe that those with pre-existing conditions should be able to obtain insurance.  In fact, before Obamacare, many states already had high risk insurance pools to cover those people.  And, I have no problem with my tax dollars being spent to offset some of the cost of providing the insurance.  But, I do not believe that we needed to expend $1 trillion over 6 years, take over one sixth of the US economy, and, essentially gut Medicare to do so.

    Also, we now know that you will not be able to keep your insurance, or your doctor; premiums will not go down; and the "pre-exiisting condition" population wasn't as massive as we were led to believe.



  11. sammy22 on November 16, 2010 at 6:02 am

    Guess what? Health care premiums and payments are still firmly in the hands of the insurance industry. I am still keeping my insurance, my doctors and, yes, I may not see my premiums go down because the insurance industry has no incentive to reduce them. I also resent having to "implicitly" pay for the feckless 20 somethings who do not buy insurance, go skiing, break a leg and go to the hospital at my/our expense. The insurance industry has already spoken about what "pre-existing conditions" will cost all of us and how much the feckless ones will cost . As for the $1 trillion over the next 6 years, I ask:"What would you find acceptable. Pick a number other than zero, please".



  12. Lynn on November 18, 2010 at 3:14 am

    Sammy, What a dilemma, if we don't answer, you think there is no solution. Obamacare keeps premiums in GOVT hands. Obamacare makes you buy a policy that meets their standards, not one that fits your individual healthcare needs. competition in insurance policies is the answer.



  13. sammy22 on November 18, 2010 at 1:16 pm

    @Lynn. There has been competition in insurance policies "since time immemorial" in this country (unless you've been on some other planet for some decades). The result has been that more and more people and businesses have been unable to "afford" paying the ever escalating premiums. You have heard the definition of insanity, have you not?



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