This isn’t a “for” or “against” Obamacare article. So don’t stop reading.
This is an anti-apathy article. Now you can stop reading. Was perusing an actual, printed newspaper (you know, just kickin’ it old school) yesterday that discussed potential implications of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) or, informally, Obamacare. Although I do tend to politically lean a specific way, I believe in forming an independent opinion. And, in all honestly, I’ve been a bit apathetic in regards to forming an opinion about Obamacare. For several reasons: 1. Seemed like a moot point to develop an initial opinion until everything played out in the courts. No more excuses here. Now that this has played out, time to take a stance. Unless, of course, the Fall election leads to an attempt to repeal. 2. The political rhetoric on this issue is the most pungent I’ve ever witnessed. Republicans – “Obamacare will be the death of all business while taxing the US economy into oblivion.” Democrats – “If we don’t require and provide healthcare now, it will cost American taxpayers kajillions of dollars down the road.” The truth? Probably, like always, somewhere in the middle. Damned if we do. Damned if we don’t. 3. ‘Honestly, who gives a shit? I have health insurance.’ I mean, seriously. Those idiots in congress are going to do what they are going to do regardless of my opinion. Probably won’t make that much of a difference in my actual paycheck. And, I have a job with a decent health plan, so why worry about the government option public plan? And there, with point number three, is where I was completely wrong. A recent study by Deloitte indicates that 1 in 10 employers will drop their health insurance in 2014. An additional 10 percent of employers are undecided. I’ve seen other studies suggesting the number is much higher – as many as 30 percent of employers will drop ESI (Employer-Sponsored Insurance). Basically, between 5 and 35 million Americans who currently have health insurance from their employer will be shifted to the government option. Regardless of where that number ends up falling, the companies most likely to drop insurance are small businesses. Why? Companies with less than 50 employees or less will receive little or no penalty for not offering insurance. Additionally, companies with more than 50 employees may also benefit from dropping ESI. Although employers will be subject to a tax if they don’t offer insurance, the $2,000 per employee penalty may be less expensive than their current ESI health plan contribution. Under the tax penalty option, an employer would also likely see additional savings by reducing the HR costs associated with maintaining and administering their ESI plan. What does this mean for you? Well, there is a decent chance you could find yourself on public health insurance within the next few years. If you don’t currently have insurance, are self-employed or if you work for a small company, those odds are much, much greater. If you fit into the former two categories, Obamacare could be a great thing for you. The latter category…I’m not as convinced. Regardless, if you fit into any of the three categories, you should share my following two concerns: 1. Not having access to the best doctors and institutions. I’ve witnessed public health care firsthand. The fact of the matter is, insurance companies pay more for a procedure than state provided health insurance or Medicare. That makes it difficult to gain access to some healthcare professionals. Why would they want operate on Joe when it pays more to do the same thing for Tommy? As I understand it, Obamacare would even out some of the inequities. As I know it, the medical industry will find a work-around. 2. Public health insurance may not be as cheap as you think. Obamacare is designed to provide a health insurance option for those who cannot currently afford coverage. Naturally, it stands to reason that the people who cannot currently afford insurance probably make less money than those who can afford insurance. And, for that reason, your price for Obamacare insurance will be dependent on how much money you earn. Now this is where it gets scary. My condolences, in advanced before you read on, if you live in an urban area (likely to have a higher salary) and don’t have kids/are an empty-nester. The government subsidy for public healthcare will be based on how much money you make in relation to the poverty level. If you make 400 percent or more of the poverty level, you will pay 9.5 percent of your salary towards Obamacare coverage. If you make less than 400 percent of the poverty level, your salary percent will be less than 9.5 percent (the less you make, the lower the percentage). No worries, right? No way you’re close to making 4X the poverty level, right? Now, what if I told you the poverty level for the lower 48 for one person is $11,170. If you make $45,000, you are over the 4X poverty level. Who makes $45,000 a year? Young professionals who likely acquired a shit-ton of college debt and worked their post-college asses off for five years before finally getting that big promotion. High school graduate Baby Boomers who worked like a dog to move up from mailroom clerk to executive assistant. Even scarier? If you’re married with no kids and both you and your spouse work. The poverty level for a family of two is $15,130. So, if you and your spouse make more than $61,000, you’re screwed. That means you each average just over $14 an hour. Not a terrible wage…but that doesn’t go very far in a city where you pay $800 + utilities to live in a decent, safe community. tl;dr I know, I know. This is the world’s longest post. On a boring topic, no less. And, I haven’t even begun to answer all of my own questions. Like, “If people can’t afford to pay for government-mandated health insurance, how can they afford to pay the government penalty for not paying for government-mandated health insurance?” But, I’ll stop here. Other than to implore you to do your research, form an opinion, share it with your elected federal officials, and use it to guide your vote this Fall. As for my opinion? Compromise. But that would make too much sense. And never happen. Democrats probably should not have shoved a 2700-page bill down people’s throats without proper vetting. Most elected officials admitted they had not read the entire document before voting. It would have been best to pass incremental changes rather than one broad brushstroke left to the interpretation of the bloated government bureaucracies. Republicans should probably have spent more time focusing on how to make the bill better through amendments and negotiating rather than wasting a lot of time, energy and resources trying to deem it unconstitutional and crying, “foul.” Even the Republican party admitted that we needed some healthcare reform. And both parties should be ashamed, and call out their own members, who publicly traded stocks based on what was happening behind closed doors in secret committee meetings. If you ever feel the need to mentally vomit and fear for the future of this country, read “Throw Them All Out” by Peter Schweizer. I knew about earmarks. I had no idea about all of the insider trading.
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