GOP's Main Law Firm Helping Them Dismantle and Repeal ACA
GOP plans to eliminate ACA
employer mandate and revamp
Cadillac tax
Introduction: The
GOP will be delighted about this story as they continue with their dream to
dismantle or repeal the ACA – since day one – that story is here from Vox.com.
In recent months, some large
health insurance plans have quit Obama care, including, most notably, Aetna
and United
Healthcare. Those exits have raised short-term concerns that the Obama-care
marketplaces will have very little competition 2017.
Impact: One
in four healthcare.gov counties will have just one insurance plan
on the marketplace next year. But it is also
true there are areas (mostly those
that are urban, with large populations) where the marketplaces remain quite competitive. The level of
Obama care competition, in 2017, will vary hugely from place to place.
Beyond next year, there are
now long-term worries about whether Obama care can transform the country’s
insurance markets as supporters had hoped. The law was meant to be the
beginning of America’s transition to a new health care system — one where
consumers rather than large companies would buy their own health insurance. In
the early 2010’s, economists would speculate that big companies would drop
their workers onto the marketplace rather than remain saddled with rising
premium costs.
The marketplace failures to
attract a robust group of health plans to many areas suggest it will be quite
difficult for Obamacare’s insurance expansion to deliver on that vision. Companies
haven’t shown any interest in moving workers to the marketplaces. They’re
still using benefit packages as a way to attract top employees.
What is Obama care for if it’s
not a major transformation of the health care system? Most experts think it
will become like other safety-net programs we know, offering limited services
to a predominantly low-income population. The plans sold on the marketplace now
tend to be inexpensive, but offer a relatively small choice of doctors and
hospitals. A former Obama official calls
this the “Medicaid-ization” of Obama care. (Odd word to use to say the least)…!!!
Whether you view this as a
bad outcome for Obama care likely depends on what policy goals you consider
important. The health care law has undoubtedly driven America’s uninsured rate
to an all-time low. Twenty
million more people have health insurance because of Obama care.
Two key points at this stage of this development:
(1) If you’re someone who cares about expanding
coverage, this is a big win, but it's still true that the law is a far cry from
what health wonks envisioned just a few years ago when they saw the health care
marketplaces reshaping the industry.
(2) If your key priority with Obama care was
building a more consumer centric insurance marketplace, then the law is quite
clearly falling short — and possibly on the path to failure.
Stay tuned. Thanks for stopping by.
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