ObamaCare Turns 3: 10 Disturbing Facts About Health Law

I don't know how accurate or credible this article is but it does raise a lot of questions about the so-called Obamacare that has been in effect for 3 years now and now starting to take off. The ripple effect has already been felt in several industries and this article does raise some valid points about the potential overall impact of this health law.

But only now, as ObamaCare's third anniversary approaches — President Obama signed it into law on March 23, 2010 — is the country starting to find out what the sweeping health care overhaul will actually do.

And although the law expanded Medicare's drug coverage and let kids stay on their parents plans until they turned 26, there are some important aspects to consider.

According to this article, Obamacare will:
1. Boost Insurance Costs

Officially the "Affordable Care Act," ObamaCare promised to lower premiums for families. But regulators decided to impose a 3.5% surcharge on insurance plans sold through federally run exchanges. There's also a $63 fee for every person covered by employers. And the law adds a "premium tax" that will require insurers to pay more than $100 billion over the next decade. The congressional Joint Committee on Taxation expects insurers to simply pass this tax onto individuals and small businesses, boosting premiums another 2.5%.

2. Push millions off employer coverage

In February, the Congressional Budget Office said that 7 million will likely lose their employer coverage thanks to ObamaCare — nearly twice its previous estimate. That number could be as high as 20 million, the CBO says.

3. Cause premiums to skyrocket.

In December, state insurance commissioners warned Obama administration officials that the law's market regulations would likely cause "rate shocks," particularly for younger, healthier people forced by ObamaCare to subsidize premiums for those who are older and sicker.

4. Cost people their jobs.

The Federal Reserve's March beige book on economic activity noted that businesses "cited the unknown effects of the Affordable Care Act as reasons for planned layoffs and reluctance to hire more staff.

5. Tax the middle class

IBD reported in February that much of the $800 billion in tax hikes imposed by ObamaCare will end up hitting the middle class, including $45 billion in mandate penalties, $19 billion raised by limiting medical expense deductions, $24 billion through strict limits on flexible spending accounts, plus another $5 billion because ObamaCare bans using FSAs to buy over-the-counter drugs.

6. Add to the deficit

The Government Accountability Office reported in January that Obama-Care will likely add $6.2 trillion in red ink over 75 years if independent experts are right and several of its cost control measures don't work as advertised.

7. Cost more than promised

The Congressional Budget Office now says ObamaCare's insurance subsidies will cost $233 billion more over the next decade than it thought last year.

8. Be a bureaucratic nightmare

Consumers got their first glimpse of life under ObamaCare when the Health and Human Services Department released a draft insurance application form. It runs 21 pages. "Applying for benefits under President Barack Obama's health care overhaul could be as daunting as doing your taxes," the AP concluded after reviewing the form.

9. Exacerbate doctor shortages

Last summer, a study by the Association of American Medical Colleges found that the country will have 62,900 fewer doctors than its needs by 2015, thanks in large part to ObamaCare. At the same time, a survey of 13,000 doctors by the Physicians Foundation found that almost 60% of doctors say ObamaCare has made them less optimistic about the future of health care and they would retire today if they could.

10. Leave millions uninsured

After 10 years, ObamaCare will still leave 30 million without coverage, according to the CBO. As IBD reported, that figure could be much higher if the law causes premiums to spike and encourages people to drop coverage despite the law's mandate.

10 Disturbing Facts about Obamacare

Plus cost companies double on their workers comp insurance, leading to many companies losing it after a claim, and possible having to close their doors do to not being insured, or not being able to afford higher rates.

The biggest scam played on the population because the propaganda of a popular president at the time the big insurance mobster got themselves a bigger bailout than the too big to fail, they waited, patiently and they got their wish, to force their insurance crap into every American in the nation that hold a job or else

Now time to suck the consumer dry.

Still people out there think that Obama care is the best thing beside apple pie. if you are poor or working poor no, Obma is not going to send you a check to pay for health insurance, you will be lining up in the Medicaid lines or either put on par time, worst you could be losing your job as your employer can not afford to pay for health care, and be hopeful that your state has not cut the Medicaid by then. If you are unemployed, well guess what, no health care insurance for you, if you are have existing conditions, well you will get health care but be ready to pay more for it, no, no penalty or tax just a "fee".

The irony. Nothing but another bailout from the whores in congress to the pimps in corporate America at the expenses of middle class tax payer.

It was signed into law in 2010 but it doesn't take effect until 2014. Everything you are complaining about is nothing more than corporate greed screwing their employees over.

reply to post by buster2010


And sadly that is what health care is a corporate for profit entity that actually their lobbyist help draft the Obamacare that will be imposed on the working class, also to make it worst the insurance companies were the ones that added the mandated in the bill.

Surprising it is it. No really, I follow the darn thing from the beginning to the end, bailout it is and we have not seen the hidden loopholes yet but they are there, get ready to pay for it.

But that is ok the health care is been predicted to bankrupt the nation more within just a few years of been enforced, by then the insurance companies mobsters will come out with another way to keep screwing the tax payer and working class with the help of the whores in congress.

reply to post by buster2010


You are aware that the 2014 date is the FINAL stage of implementing this, right? Obamacare started coming into effect almost from day 1. Not quite, but close. It's been a phased introduction. 2014 is the BIG key with the Exchanges being in place (in theory). OF course, that's the stage my state and others have straight out made illegal to participate in, in any form. SO that's when it gets wild ....but it's been hitting in parts all this time?

I always found this to be a load of BS.

A tax, as the health care law turned out to be, is supposed to be used by the government for the people. To use for national defense, infrastructure etc.

Right now this tax is going directly to health care companies.
I don't agree with that.

Sorry OP I work in the Health Insurance industry. What you don't get is that your premiums are going to skyrocket ANYWAY. They will use any excuse to raise your premiums and to reduce your benefits. People act as if the insurance industry is a victim in Obamacare; for the most part, they love it, imagine having millions of people mandated to buy your product. Its a scam. What Obama should have done is expand Medicare to the public.

Next time you run into someone who works for an insurance company ask them how they like THEIR health insurance, insurance companies give the WORST, cheapest plans to to their employees.

reply to post by AllInMyHead


Sadly that is the part that people doesn't understand, like I said it is a bailout, they one that they could not get back when the 2008 most corporate rats got theirs.

This one is by law, yes many still doesn't understand what the world "mandated" is even under tax, they think that if they are poor or working poor they don't have to worry about this, but if you can not afford a mandated private or company run insurance then Medicaid lines are going to be for you, if you are lucky to have a state that will fall under Obama expanded medicaid program but at the same time many states are now excempt from the penalties of not enforcing this part of the bill thanks to the supreme court ruling on states madate but not on individual mandates.

This bill is to target the middle class like always as they are the ones that support the welfare class in the nation.

Anyone know what the tax penalty will be for not purchasing healthcare? I've heard, $200.00, $600.00, $695.00, $1,200.00, up to $20,000.00 for a family of four.

As a single guy, what will my penalty be?

What ever it is, it's too much. Even if it's only one cent, it's too much. I should not be penalized/taxed for not purchasing something. Especially something I can't afford.

And for you idiots that are going to tell me to find a better job, save your rhetoric. I own my business and pay my employees well. Me, not so much. This bill is going to cripple a lot of people(myself included) and businesses(mine included).

Thank you to all the supporters of this bill. You've outdone yourselves... Bravo.

reply to post by KawRider9


And if you manage to get an insurance by mandate, the co pays and deductible will eat at your pocket books because is not until this day anything in the bill that say how much copay and deductibles you will be paying.

Meaning if you get a deductible you will not be able to get any benefits from your insurance until you pay that deductible and this deductibles are done yearly, so by the time you manage to fill your 2000 or more year deductible you still will not be reaping benefits because your year is about to expire.

People have not idea how insurance work, I had Insurance all my adult life I know.

reply to post by AllInMyHead

Next time you run into someone who works for an insurance company ask them how they like THEIR health insurance, insurance companies give the WORST, cheapest plans to to their employees.

You are correct. Insurance plans are a scam and outrageously priced.

How does it work for the self-employed entrepreneur? I am at a crossroads now about to start a small business with my wife but I am very apprehensive about COBRA prices. I also have 3 children but don't know what impact Obamacare will have on small businesses and health care premiums for self-employed people.

If the premiums are too much, my wife will probably have to go back in the work force just to get an affordable health care premium for our family.

Originally posted by buster2010
It was signed into law in 2010 but it doesn't take effect until 2014. Everything you are complaining about is nothing more than corporate greed screwing their employees over.

2014 is not too far from 2013. The corporate greed and hunger was satisfied by the POTUS. Besides do you have a 401k or any other investments or retirement plan?

Obamacare is a total disaster and it's designed to ration healthcare to the elderly and the disabled.

The problem is the elderly are living longer and therefore collecting benefits longer and that means using healthcare. There's not enough workers to support these benefits.

Things like S.S. and Medicare are pyramid schemes. They depend on workers at the bottom of the pyramid paying out benefits to people retiring at the top of the pyramid. When people start to live longer, the pyramid turns into a diamond and you don't have enough workers to pay out the benefits.

So instead of reforming and changing the programs, Obamacare makes the problem 20 times worse.

You're basically taking services away from the elderly and disabled and bring in the "uninsured" who are mostly made up of young people who don't use a lot of healthcare. So you're crowding out the elderly by adding all these people to the system.

There were ways to help the uninsured through prevention without adding all of these people to the system.

THE SYSTEM IS BROKEN!

Instead of reforming and fixing the system, Obamacare is trying to mandate people into the system to build up the bottom of the pyramid and ration healthcare. A disaster in the making.