Obamacare - Page 2 of 9 - THE RIDGEWOOD BLOG.

Posted on March 25, 2017 March 25, 2017

8 of 11 Remaining Obamacare Co-ops on Verge of Collapse

Posted by Tony Smith on Friday, February 26th, 2016, 4:00 PM

Of the 11 remaining health insurance co-ops created under Obamacare, eight of them could collapse in less than a year. Moreover, the 11 remaining are less than half of the original twenty-three that were established in 2012 to compete with for-profit, private insurance companies. This from Mandy Cohen, one of the top federal health officials in charge of overseeing the implementation of Obamacare. As COO of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, Cohen’s responsibilities not only cover the physical presence of Obamacare throughout the country but its disastrous virtual presence in the form of healthcare.gov.

In addition to the possible collapse of the healthcare co-ops, Cohen hinted that there was much more at stake than just the loss of insurance for consumers. From the Daily Caller:

“About $1.4 billion of the $2.5 billion in Obamacare loan funding was lost when the 12 failed co-ops went under.

Cohen ominously hinted that many local hospitals, medical clinics and doctors may not be paid for services they delivered to co-op patients because federal law requires that the government be first in line among creditors.

“For federal loans, there is an order of repayment,” she said. “I believe we are at the very top of all of the creditors,” but who gets paid “is on a case-by-case basis” determined by the Justice Department.”

Facing a House oversight panel, Cohen refused to reveal further information on which co-ops were in danger of collapse, citing possible damage to the co-ops if consumers were informed their insurance providers may not be able to do their jobs and provide them with insurance in the near-future. For an administration so apparently concerned with protecting consumers from the dangerous and irresponsible corporations, it would seem that same standard of consumer protection does not apply when the government’s reputation is at risk.

Obamacare was supposed to ensure that every US citizen would have affordable healthcare without the threat of it being taken away from them. But as the old saying goes, “what the government gives it can take away”, and in this case, the American people face the loss of their insurance by the very administration who promised it to them.

The Obamacare program has been riddled with failure. From a website launch that would make only North Korea envious, to billions in possible fraudulent payments, and billions more wasted on failed exchanges that never got off the ground, Obamacare has been an abject failure that has cost taxpayers billions and created industry-crushing regulations that have hurt, rather than have helped, the health and welfare of the American people. And it would seem that with Mandy Cohen’s most recent testimony, the beginning of the end for another part of the Affordable Care Act’s infrastructure

Posted on March 16, 2017 March 16, 2017

“20 million people gained healthcare due to Obamacare” , Not So Fast

March 16,2017

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood Nj, you have heard it over and over again ,”20 million people gained healthcare due to Obamacare. This confirms that Obamacare was successfully addressing the underlying problems within the healthcare market.”

The reality is far different ,the majority of these people were simply placed on an expanded version of Medicaid, meaning, rather than addressing the issues plaguing the dysfunctional healthcare market, Obamacare did little to improve markets and simply pushed people into government-run healthcare, paid by taxpayers.

People keep touting, as though it were some sort of success story, that “more people have health insurance today due to Obamacare.” This particular talking point seems astonishingly absurd, however, since Obamacare contained within it a MANDATE that FORCED people to get health insurance. Of course, if you put a gun to someone’s head and tell them to buy something, they’re more likely to buy it. This is akin to passing a law requiring everybody to buy one additional pair of shoes, then proclaiming yourself a business genius because you then saw shoe sales increase. If sales didn’t increase because the product became more affordable or more desirable, however, it should be obvious that you didn’t actually “fix” anything.

Let’s take a look at the numbers:

• A 2015 estimate showed that, of the 20 million newly insured people, 14.5 million were put on Medicaid and CHIP (Children’s Health Insurance Program). [a]

• Of this 14.5 million placed on tax-payer financed health insurance, about 3.4 million were previously eligible before Obamacare [b], but hadn’t enrolled because they didn’t need it. That means tax payers are paying the health insurance costs of 3.4 million people who knew they didn’t actually need it but were forced to accept the hand-out anyways since Obamacare mandates they have insurance.

• Additionally, of the 20 million, 2.3 million were simply young adults (aged 19 to 25) who gained coverage between 2010 and 2013 as a result of Obamacare’s provision which said they got to stay on their parent’s insurance until they were 26. [c] People 19-25 rarely require extensive healthcare, however, which is why they rarely choose to buy it themselves. So while letting them stay on their parent’s insurance may have been helpful in a handful of circumstances, it was mostly “fixing” a problem which did not exist. Matter of fact, the reason the ACA wanted younger people insured was precisely BECAUSE they don’t get sick enough to cost money, and thus represent income for health insurance providers rather than costs.

• Lastly, in 2016, the numbers didn’t look much better. Preliminary data indicated that net total enrollment increased by “2,535,020 individuals in the first three-quarters of 2016.” [d] But of that 2.5 million increase, the net increase in PRIVATE (market) insurance was actually only “490,211 individuals.” Again, Medicaid accounted for “81 percent of the incremental growth in enrollment in 2016.” [d]

Thus, roughly 81% of the newly insured people in 2016 were simply given free insurance which everyone else funded. How is that a success? A successful reform would have seen people affording their own private health insurance – when and only IF they wanted it – because the product would have gotten better, cheaper, or both. Instead, since that wasn’t accomplished, Obamacare simply pushed people into government-run insurance to pretend it had “solved” the problem. It was called “The AFFORDABLE Care Act,” but a more appropriate name would have been “The Forced Welfare Expansion Act.”
———————-
Sources:
[a]
https://aspe.hhs.gov/…/de…/files/pdf/187551/ACA2010-2016.pdf

[b]
https://kff.org/…/state-indi…/medicaid-expansion-enrollment/…

[c]
https://aspe.hhs.gov/syst…/files/pdf/187551/ACA2010-2016.pdf

[d]
https://budget.house.gov/…/house_budget_testimony-haislmaier…

Posted on March 16, 2017 January 20, 2019

ObamaCare Subsidies Rob the Middle Class

By Alieta Eck, MD

As the controversy rages between those Republicans who want full repeal and those who want to retain what might be “good” about ObamaCare, we are not asking the right questions. While they are arguing whether or not to keep the ObamaCare subsidies (or the equivalent as “tax credits”), is anyone asking what it is we are subsidizing?

Why has medical care in the United States gotten so expensive? Why did the cost of a hospital stay go from an average of $17,000 in 2000 to $33,000 in 2010, while the average length of stay declined? Why do our hospital stays cost three times more than in other industrialized countries?

The dirty little secret is that having insurance might be a guarantee that the insured pays MORE. And because deductibles have risen dramatically along with premiums, a family needs to pay thousands of dollars out of pocket before insurance kicks in. But how does this work?

Most insurance companies have networks of “preferred providers.” One would assume that a “preferred provider” is a doctor or a lab that gives better rates, but the opposite is the case. As an example, one patient spent a day in the emergency room where the total bill came to $12,000. The “preferred provider” rate brought the bill down to $10,000, which happened to be that patient’s deductible. Upon further scrutiny, the breakdown of the bill showed a lab fee of $3,500—labs that would have cost less than 100 cash on the outside.

When the hospital patient advocate was queried, the answer came back, “Your insurance company negotiated $10,000 and, since you have not met your deductible, you are bound it pay it. Paying the cash price is not an option.” She acknowledged that this seemed unfair, but would not budge.

Another patient discovered that his insurance had lapsed and was given a cash price of $75 for an office visit. Once insurance was restored, the submitted fee was $275. Since he had not met his deductible, he was expected to personally pay the higher fee.

Since 92% of people will not incur more than $5,000 per year in medical expenses, the middle class has been fleeced under ObamaCare in so many ways. Many patients have received subsidies. But this just means that taxpayers are forced to pay part of their premiums, and the patients are still stuck with those deductibles and the higher negotiated fees.

So what is really happening?

Insurance premiums have soared, and the insurance companies love it. They keep a percentage of the bloated premiums for “operating costs.” Hospitals are buying physician practices, and Medicaid and Medicare have agreed to pay the hospitals higher fees for the same service in the same location. No government official has been able to explain why.

The ratepayers and taxpayers are the “forgotten men” in our medical system. Hospital and Insurance executives are now commanding compensation that exceeds $1 million. One CEO of a consolidated hospital system in central New Jersey receives $9 million per year. What exactly does he do to merit this high salary? The usual reason for lavish executive pay is that the official brings lots of revenue into the business. The big hospital systems are businesses that profit massively at the expense of patients and taxpayers—although the excess might be called something other than profit if the hospital is tax-exempt (allegedly “nonprofit”).

Our politicians are complicit in this heist, as last year insurance companies and hospitals were among the ten greatest contributors to the campaigns of legislators who allow this scam on the middle class to continue.

The best recommendation would be for patients with high deductibles to hide any connection with an insurance company and negotiate the best cash prices for services. Find a physician who is in no network and who can help navigate where to find cash-friendly sources of medicines, labs, and x-rays.

Patients with their doctors need to take control of medical care once again.

________________________________

Dr. Alieta Eck graduated from the Rutgers College of Pharmacy and the St. Louis University School of Medicine in St. Louis, MO. She studied Internal Medicine at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in New Brunswick, NJ and has been in private practice with her husband, Dr. John Eck, MD in Piscataway, NJ since 1988, affordablehealthinc.org. She has been involved in health care reform since residency and is convinced that the government is a poor provider of medical care.

Dr. Eck testified before the Joint Economic Committee of the US Congress in 2004 about better ways to deliver medical care in the United States. In 2011, she testified before a Senate Health Committee chaired by Senators Bernie Sanders and Rand Paul– about ways to avoid non-urgent visits to the emergency rooms.
In 2003, she and her husband founded the Zarephath Health Center, a non-government free clinic for the poor and uninsured that currently care for about 300 patients per month utilizing the donated services of volunteer physicians and nurses. It is only open 12 hours per week. zhcenter.org
She is working to pass NJ S239, a bill that would provide medical malpractice protection for the private practices of physicians who donate 4 hours per week in a clinic like the ZHC. njaaps.org
Dr. Eck was the 2012 President of the Association of American Physicians and Surgeons and serves on the board of Christian Care Medi-Share, a faith based medical cost sharing ministry.
She was the Republican nominee for the US Congress for NJ12 in 2014.
In March, 2015, she chaired a meeting of the National Physicians Coalition for Freedom in Medicine, about 30 physicians, who gathered in Washington, DC to draft a “One-Page Plan” to restore affordability, promote patient choice and retain quality in medical care. https://aaps.wufoo.com/forms/m11okp2x1yjc8qf/
Dr. Eck spoke at the National Press Club in Washington, DC in June, 2016 to help unveil the Wedge of Health Freedom, an initiative of the Citizens’ Council for Health Freedom, with President Twila Brase. JointheWedge.com

https://aapsonline.org/obamacare-subsidies-rob-middle-class/

Posted on March 15, 2017 March 14, 2017

Health Coverage does Not Equal Health Care

Ridgewood Nj,one again many have demonstrated selective anesthesia, so here is a reminder of Obamacare architect Jonathan Gruber bragging about deceiving the American people, who he thinks are stupid.

Obamacare Architect Jonathan Gruber not only twice admits fooling stupid Americans but admits the concerted effort in the to mislead what the ACA or Obamacare is all about and what it goals are .

In a report, released by the Alliance for a Just Society,in 2015 is the result of a yearlong study that included a survey of 1,200 low-income people in 10 states and was conducted in Spanish, Cantonese and English. It found that people of color, families in rural communities and those with language and cultural barriers still struggle to get health care and pay for it.

The conclusion was , “cost was a struggle even in states that expanded Medicaid, where insurance premiums paid by people every month can be high.” “While the racial barriers are significant, the biggest barrier for enrollment for people of color was premium cost,”

The Heritage foundation came up with the exact same conclusion in 2013 . Many of Obamacare’s beneficiaries have already discovered or will eventually discover that there’s a big difference between insurance coverage and access to health care services.

Today, the New York Times highlighted a report by the Department of Health and Human Services that shows access to care in the Medicaid program is very limited.

The study, conducted between July 2013 and October 2013, concludes that more than half of providers could not offer appointments to Medicaid managed care enrollees with 35 percent of providers listed under an erroneous location. Nor were those the only issues, according to the report:

Among the providers who offered appointments, the median wait time was 2 weeks. However, over a quarter had wait times of more than 1 month, and 10 percent had wait times longer than 2 months. Finally, primary care providers were less likely to offer an appointment than specialists; however, specialists tended to have longer wait times.

This is neither surprising nor a new conclusion. The Medicaid program has a long and well-documented history of limited access to care and poorer health outcomes for beneficiaries compared to those with private insurance.

Posted on March 12, 2017 January 20, 2019

Coverage vs. Care: Interview with Dr. Alieta Eck on Halo Health

March 12,2017
the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Ridgewood NJ, Coverage vs. Care, Interview with Dr. Alieta Eck on Halo Health where she discuses ,why insurance coverage is not the same as access to medical care and offers some interesting ideas could help.

Dr. Alieta Eck, M.D. graduated from the Rutgers College of Pharmacy in NJ and the St. Louis School of Medicine in St. Louis, MO.

She studied Internal Medicine at Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital in New Brunswick, NJ and has been in private practice with her husband, Dr. John Eck, MD in Piscataway, NJ since 1988.

In 2003, they founded the Zarephath Health Center, a free clinic for the poor and uninsured that currently cares for 300-400 patients per month utilizing the donated services of volunteer physicians and nurses.

Dr. Alieta Eck is working to enact NJ S94 in New Jersey whereby physicians would donate their time caring for the poor and uninsured in non-government free clinics in exchange for the State providing medical malpractice protection within their private practices. She is convinced that this would relieve taxpayers of much of the Medicaid burden currently consuming 1/3 of the NJ budget.

Alieta Eck has been involved in health care reform since residency and believes that the government is a poor provider of medical care. Dr. Alieta Eck testified before the Joint Economic Committee of the US Congress in 2004 about better ways to deliver health care in the United States.

Dr. Alieta Eck then testified against Obama’s health care plan at a U.S. Senate subcommittee hearing in 2011.

In 2013, Dr. Alieta Eck put her name forward in the Republican primary race to win the party’s nomination for a temporary seat on the U.S. Senate. Confident she could make a change in Washington she ran on a platform of shrinking the federal government and repealing ObamaCare – President Barack Obama’s Affordable Care Act.

Despite losing her bid for Senate, Dr. Alieta Eck pushed forward, running for Congress in 2014 but, lacking enough votes to win the predominantly Democratic 12th Congressional District, came second to Bonnie Watson Coleman, the first African-American female member of New Jersey’s congressional delegation in state history.

Dr. Eck is a long time member of the Christian Medical and Dental Associations and in 2009 joined the board of AAPS, the Association of American Physicians and Surgeons, which advocates the preservation of the practice of private medicine.

In addition, she serves on the advisory board of Christian Care Medi-Share, a faith-based medical cost sharing Ministry and is a member of Zarephath Christian Church. She and her husband John have five children, one who is now an ophthalmology resident in St. Louis, MO.

Posted on March 8, 2017 March 8, 2017

MEDICAID 2.0 PROVIDES BLUEPRINT FOR HEALTHCARE REFORM IN GARDEN STATE

LILO H. STAINTON | MARCH 7, 2017

New Jersey’s Medicaid program serves almost 2 million clients; increased cost efficiencies and enhanced responsiveness are a must — especially with ACA under fire

New Jersey’s Medicaid program, the health insurance plan that covers nearly one in every five residents, is in desperate need of modernization to better serve patients and provide them higher-quality care while remaining financially sustainable in the years to come.

That’s the assessment of a diverse group of healthcare stakeholders convened more than a year ago by the New Jersey Health Care Quality Institute to review the massive program, explore successful efforts in other states, and recommend reforms to improve the delivery of Medicaid in the Garden State. Representatives of the group, whose work was funded by the Nicholson Foundation, unveiled on Monday the results of their work: the Medicaid 2.0 Blueprint, a detailed plan with 24 specific recommendations designed to make the system more efficient, better integrated, and more responsive to patient needs.

https://www.njspotlight.com/stories/17/03/06/medicaid-2-0-provides-blueprint-for-healthcare-reform-in-garden-state/?utm_campaign=new-jersey-politics&utm_content=2017-08-03-9074583&utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_term=New%20Jersey%20Politics

Posted on March 8, 2017 March 7, 2017

What the House GOP Obamacare Replacement Plan Does and Doesn’t Do

Melissa Quinn / @MelissaQuinn97 / March 07, 2017

House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Kevin Brady, left, and Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Greg Walden, right, unveil their Obamacare replacement plan, the American Health Care Act. (Photo: Shawn Thew/EPA /Newscom)

After seven years of promises to repeal and replace Obamacare, House Republicans finally have a bill detailing how they plan to reform the health care system once the Affordable Care Act is dismantled.

The House Ways and Means and Energy and Commerce committees revealed their replacement plan, the American Health Care Act, on Monday evening. The bill repeals key provisions of Obamacare, but also implements parts of a replacement.

The 123-page bill is the culmination of weeks of discussions and negotiations—and years of calls for Obamacare to be repealed and replaced—from House Republicans on the relevant committees who worked through the weekend putting the final touches on the legislation.

The Congressional Budget Office has yet to release cost and coverage estimates for the replacement proposal.

Republicans are using a budget tool called reconciliation to fast-track the replacement plan through the Senate, where it needs 51 votes to pass.

GOP leaders in both chambers have a tough sell—so far, the replacement hasn’t been well received from Congress’ right flank, who have called on their leaders to bring a bill from 2015 unwinding the health care law before members for a vote.

>>>Conservatives Offer Solution to Repeal Obamacare, Defund Planned Parenthood: Pass 2015 Bill Again

In a memo to its members, policy staff for the Republican Study Committee detailed their concerns with the legislation, which included the Medicaid expansion and tax credits.

Additionally, members of the conservative House Freedom Caucus raised concerns about the replacement plan and said changes will need to be made to the legislation before it earns their support.

“We really need to look at some amendments to make sure we get rid of the taxes,” Freedom Caucus Chairman Mark Meadows, R-N.C., told Fox News on Monday night. “We put something on President [Barack] Obama’s desk just a few months ago, and to suggest that what we put on President [Donald] Trump’s desk sets a new entitlement, keeps some taxes, doesn’t repeal all of Obamacare, we’ve got to do better.”

“Negotiations start now,” he continued.

Republican leaders in the House and Senate have slim margins for success in getting the replacement plan across the finish line.

In the House, Republicans control 237 seats and cannot lose more than 19 votes.

In the Senate, they control 52 seats and cannot lose more than two votes.

Here is the rundown of the American Health Care Act:

What the Bill Repeals

-The penalties for the individual and employer mandates.

The American Health Care Act lessens the fines for not complying with the mandates to $0, effective Dec. 31, 2015. This provision provides retroactive relief for consumers who didn’t have coverage in 2016 and are filing their taxes now.

-Obamacare’s subsidies beginning in 2020.

-Medicaid expansion beginning in 2020.

-The “Cadillac Tax” on expensive employer-sponsored plans until 2025.

-All of Obamacare’s taxes, effective after 2017.

-Payments to insurers for cost-sharing reductions by 2020.

What the Bill Replaces

-Advanceable, refundable tax credits based on one’s age.

Under 30: $2,000
Between 30 and 39: $2,500
Between 40 and 49: $3,000
Between 50 and 59: $3,500
Over 60: $4,000
The credits are available in full to individuals making up to $75,000 and families making up to $150,000. For every $1,000 in income higher than those thresholds, the credits decrease by $100.

-Expanded health savings accounts.

The American Health Care Act increases the maximum contributions to health savings accounts, or medical savings accounts, to $6,550 for individuals and $13,100 for families beginning in 2018.

-Protections for consumers with pre-existing conditions.

-Continuous coverage requirement.

Regardless of whether they’re healthy or have a pre-existing condition, Americans must maintain continuous coverage. If there is a lapse in coverage for longer than 63 days, individuals will face a 30 percent surcharge from insurers.

-Age ratio of 5-to-1 for how much more insurers can charge elderly customers versus younger customers.

-Per-capita caps for Medicaid, which depend on each state’s number of enrollees, beginning in 2020.

-Funds for states to set up high-risk pools, reduce out-of-pocket costs, or stabilize health insurance markets.

-One-year freeze on government funding to Planned Parenthood.

What the Bill Leaves in Place

-Essential health benefits requirements.

-Letting adults remain on parents’ plans until age 26.

-Tax exclusion for employer-sponsored coverage.

Posted on February 24, 2017 June 27, 2021

List of Obamacare Tax Hikes

Posted by John Kartch on Thursday, February 23rd, 2017, 6:57 PM PERMALINK

It is time to repeal each and every one of Obamacare’s tax increases. The full list is below:

Individual Mandate Non-Compliance Tax: Anyone not buying “qualifying” health insurance – as defined by President Obama’s Department of Health and Human Services — must pay an income surtax to the IRS. In 2014, close to 7.5 million households paid this tax. Most make less than $250,000. The Obama administration uses the Orwellian phrase “shared responsibility payment” to describe this tax.

For tax year 2016, the tax is a minimum of $695 for individuals, while families of four have to pay a minimum of $2,085.

	Households w/ 1 Adult		Households w/ 2 Adults	Households w/ 2 Adults & 2 children
	2.5% AGI/$695		2.5% AGI/$1390	2.5% AGI/$2085

A recent analysis by the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) found that repealing this tax would decrease spending by $311 billion over ten years.

Medicine Cabinet Tax on HSAs and FSAs: Since 2011 millions of Americans are no longer able to purchase over-the-counter medicines using pre-tax Flexible Spending Accounts or Health Savings Accounts dollars. Examples include cold, cough, and flu medicine, menstrual cramp relief medication, allergy medicines, and dozens of other common medicine cabinet health items. This tax costs FSA and HSA users $6.7 billion over ten years.

Flexible Spending Account Tax: The 30 – 35 million Americans who use a pre-tax Flexible Spending Account (FSA) at work to pay for their family’s basic medical needs face an Obamacare-imposed cap of $2,500. This tax will hit Americans $32 billion over the next ten years.

Before Obamacare, the accounts were unlimited under federal law, though employers were allowed to set a cap. Now, parents looking to sock away extra money to pay for braces find themselves quickly hitting this new cap, meaning they have to pony up some or all of the cost with after-tax dollars. Needless to say, this tax especially impacts middle class families.

There is one group of FSA owners for whom this new cap is particularly cruel and onerous: parents of special needs children. Families with special needs children often use FSAs to pay for special needs education. Tuition rates at special needs schools can run thousands of dollars per year. Under tax rules, FSA dollars can be used to pay for this type of special needs education. This Obamacare tax increase limits the options available to these families.

Chronic Care Tax: This income tax increase directly targets middle class Americans with high medical bills. The tax hits 10 million households every year. Before Obamacare, Americans facing high medical expenses were allowed an income tax deduction to the extent that those expenses exceeded 7.5 percent of adjusted gross income (AGI). Obamacare now imposes a threshold of 10 percent of AGI. Therefore, Obamacare not only makes it more difficult to claim this deduction, it widens the net of taxable income. This income tax increase will cost Americans $40 billion over the next ten years.

According to the IRS, approximately 10 million families took advantage of this tax deduction each year before Obamacare. Almost all were middle class: The average taxpayer claiming this deduction earned just over $53,000 annually in 2010. ATR estimates that the average income tax increase for the average family claiming this tax benefit is about $200 – $400 per year.

HSA Withdrawal Tax Hike: This provision increases the tax on non-medical early withdrawals from an HSA from 10 to 20 percent, disadvantaging them relative to IRAs and other tax-advantaged accounts, which remain at 10 percent.

Ten Percent Excise Tax on Indoor Tanning: The Obamacare 10 percent tanning tax has wiped out an estimated 10,000 tanning salons, many owned by women. This $800 million Obamacare tax increase was the first to go into effect (July 2010). This petty, burdensome, nanny-state tax affects both the business owner and the end user. Industry estimates show that 30 million Americans visit an indoor tanning facility in a given year, and over 50 percent of salon owners are women. There is no exception granted for those making less than $250,000 meaning it is yet another tax that violates Obama’s “firm pledge” not to raise “any form” of tax on Americans making less than this amount.

“Cadillac Tax” — Excise Tax on Comprehensive Health Insurance Plans: In 2020, a new 40 percent excise tax on employer provided health insurance plans is scheduled to kick in, on plans exceeding $10,200 for individuals and $27,500 for families. According to research by the Kaiser Family Foundation, the Cadillac tax will hit 26 percent of employer provided plans by 2020 and 42 percent of employer provided plans by 2028. Over time, this will decrease care and increase costs for millions of American families across the country.

Health Insurance Tax: In addition to mandating the purchase of health insurance through the individual mandate tax, Obamacare directly increases the cost of insurance through the health insurance tax. The tax is projected to cost taxpayers – including those in the middle class – $130 billion over the next decade.

The total revenue this tax collects is set annually by Treasury and is then divided amongst insurers relative to the premiums they collect each year. While it is directly levied on the industry, the costs of the health insurance tax are inevitably passed on to small businesses that provide healthcare to their employees, middle class families through higher premiums, seniors who purchase Medicare advantage coverage, and the poor who rely on Medicaid managed care.

According to the American Action Forum, the Obamacare health insurance tax will increase premiums by up to $5,000 over a decade and will directly impact 1.7 million small businesses, 11 million households that purchase through the individual insurance market and 23 million households covered through their jobs. The tax is also economically destructive – the National Federation for Independent Businesses estimates the tax could cost up to 286,000 in new jobs and cost small businesses $33 billion in lost sales by 2023.

Employer Mandate Tax: This provision forces employers to pay a $2,000 tax per full time employee if they do not offer “qualifying” – as defined by the government — health coverage, and at least one employee qualifies for a health tax credit. According to the Congressional Budget Office, the Employer Mandate Tax raises taxes on businesses by $166.9 billion over the ten years.

Surtax on Investment Income: Obamacare created a new, 3.8 percent surtax on investment income earned in households making at least $250,000 ($200,000 for singles). This created a new top capital gains tax rate of 23.8% and increased taxes by $222.8 billion over ten years.

The capital gains tax hits income that has already been subjected to individual income taxes and is then reinvested in assets that spur new jobs, higher wages, and increased economic growth. Much of the “gains” associated with the capital gains tax is due to inflation and studies have shown that even supposedly modest increases in the capital gains tax have strong negative economic effects.

Payroll Tax Hike: Obamacare imposes an additional 0.9 percent payroll tax on individuals making $200,000 or couples making more than $250,000. This tax increase costs Americans $123 billion over ten years.

Tax on Medical Device Manufacturers: This law imposes a new 2.3% excise tax on all sales of medical devices. The tax applies even if the company has no profits in a given year. The tax was recently paused for tax years 2016 and 2017. It will cost Americans $20 billion by 2025.

Tax on Prescription Medicine: Obamacare imposed a tax on the producers of prescription medicine based on relative share of sales. This is a $29.6 billion tax hike over the next ten years.

Codification of the “economic substance doctrine”: This provision allows the IRS to disallow completely legal tax deductions and other legal tax-minimizing plans just because the IRS deems that the action lacks “substance” and is merely intended to reduce taxes owed. This costs taxpayers $5.8 billion over ten years.

Elimination of Deduction for Retiree Prescription Drug Coverage: The elimination of this deduction is a $1.8 billion tax hike over ten years.

$500,000 Annual Executive Compensation Limit for Health Insurance Executives: This deduction limitation is a $600 million tax hike over ten years.

Posted on February 16, 2017 January 20, 2019

4 Broken Obamacare Promises That Town Hall Protesters Should Remember

Jean Morrow / @Jean_Morrow2013 / February 15, 2017

While the House and Senate plan to repeal and replace Obamacare, members of Congress are hosting town hall meetings with their constituents and have been greeted by hostile crowds.

These folks seem to have amnesia about Obamacare’s glaring failures.

Here’s a quick refresher on Obamacare’s top four broken promises.

1. Costs are exploding.

President Barack Obama promised that his reform proposal would cut typical family costs by $2,500 annually. That, of course, never materialized.

The typical family today pays about 35 percent of their income for health care.

The small group and individual insurance markets were hit hard by big premium increases. An eHealth report concluded that from 2013 to 2017, the average individual market premium increases were 99 percent for individuals and a jaw-dropping 140 percent for families.

Costs have also increased for those with employer-sponsored insurance, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation, from 2010 to 2016, average family premiums for employer-sponsored plans nearly increased 32 percent.

Higher premiums are not the only shock. Out-of-pocket costs in the Obamacare exchanges, particularly deductibles, have been stunning. HealthPocket analyzed that for the lowest tier bronze plans in 2017, the average deductible for an individual is $6,092 and $12,383 for a family.

2. Competition and choice are declining.

Obama told America his proposal would increase competition in the health insurance markets but that hasn’t happened either.

On Tuesday, news broke that Humana will be leaving the Obamacare exchange markets next year. This was just the latest in a growing list of insurers who are jumping ship from this massive public policy failure.

Town hall audiences should take a good look at county-level data. A new Heritage Foundation analysis found that Obamacare’s exchanges, in their fourth year of operation, offer Americans little health insurer choice.

The downward slide in competition means that in 2017, consumers in 70 percent of U.S. counties are left with just one or two insurer options on the exchanges. The 70 percent figure is way up from 36 percent in 2016.

3. Forget about keeping your plan.

Perhaps the most famous health care promise of all, Obama’s promise: “If you like your health care plan, you’ll be able to keep your health care plan.” In fact, there were 37 instances where Obama or a high-ranking administration official repeated that infamous promise to keep you plan and your doctor.

Rarely has there been such a disconnect between rhetoric and reality. In 2014, the first year that Obamacare was fully implemented, the Associated Press reported that there were at least 4.7 million canceled policies across 30 states. The law’s insurance rules and mandates forced many insurers to cancel plans that people liked and wanted.

Sadly, the disruption only continued from there. For example, hundreds of thousands of people signed up for plans offered by insurers under Obamacare’s co-op program.

But 18 out of 23 of these federally-funded insurers have already collapsed, meaning taxpayers are highly unlikely to be repaid the more than $1.9 billion in loans they received—not to mention the thousands of co-op enrollees that lost their health care plans, some in the middle of the year.

Not exactly a proud moment in public policy.

4. No, you can’t necessarily keep your doctor.

Obama promised patients that they would be able to keep their doctors. For many patients, that also turned out to be untrue.

Obamacare’s rising costs, and its limited flexibility in federally fixed benefit designs, resulted in plans resorting to narrow provider networks. Narrow networks limit access to doctors and other medical professionals as a way to contain costs.

Enough is enough. For seven years, Obamacare has proved to be one giant bundle of broken promises and policy failures. Congress needs to get serious—quickly—and repeal Obamacare.

This is a crucial first step in moving America toward the patient-centered health care system our country deserves.

Posted on February 15, 2017 February 15, 2017

“It’s not going to get any better; it’s getting worse,” CEO of Aetna, Mark Bertolini said in an interview at a Wall Street Journal event

Aetna CEO: Obamacare markets are in a ‘death spiral’

By PAUL DEMKO

Updated 02/15/17 10:28 AM EST

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Obamacare is in a “death spiral,” the influential CEO of Aetna, Mark Bertolini, declared Wednesday morning.

Bertolini’s doomsday prophesy: More insurers will pull out of the government-run marketplaces in the coming weeks and many areas will have no insurers to provide Affordable Care Act coverage in 2018.

“It’s not going to get any better; it’s getting worse,” Bertolini said in an interview at a Wall Street Journal event. But he declined to say whether Aetna would completely pull out of Obamacare markets next year.

Humana, which had already significantly limited its exchange footprint this year, announced Tuesday that it would completely pull out of the exchange markets next year after determining its customer base would still be unprofitable. That followed major pullbacks this year from other national insurers, including Aetna and UnitedHealth Group.

https://www.politico.com/story/2017/02/obamacare-market-death-spiral-aetna-mark-bertolini-235041

Posted on February 10, 2017 February 10, 2017

Why Delaying Obamacare Repeal Is Hurting the American People

Sondra Clark / @SondraClark / February 09, 2017

When President Donald Trump took office, repeal of Obamacare seemed like a guarantee—and then the timeline started slipping.

All the elements are in place: A Republican-controlled Congress and a Republican president, all elected after promising to repeal Obamacare. But once the celebration and ceremonies died away, Congress started to do what it does best. Nothing.

“Nothing” may be a bit strong given the historic levels of obstruction from Democrats in the Senate, but House Republicans have no such excuse. In fact, they even have a blueprint.

Last year, the House and Senate passed an Obamacare repeal using the budget reconciliation process. That measure was ultimately vetoed by then-President Barack Obama, but that same legislation can be reintroduced and sent to Trump’s desk to be signed into law.

There is no reason to delay. The slipping of the Obamacare repeal timeline is creating cascading problems for the American people.

Delaying Repeal Prolongs the Current Health Care Crisis

No one needs reminding that Obamacare takes away choice, erodes the value of health care, and puts additional burden on the pockets of the American taxpayer. The unsustainable nature of Obamacare is creating massive uncertainty and causing insurers to leave the marketplace, causing individual premiums to increase.

Additionally, once repeal is signed into law and real health care reforms begin moving forward, private insurers will need time to adjust to the new market. Continuing to delay repeal shortens the time insurers will be able to adjust and provide the best solution for the insured.

Most importantly, we don’t want Americans living under the current failing health care system any longer.

Obamacare is bad, and only getting worse. Average premiums are going up by 25 percent this year, deductibles are blowing past $10,000 for a family, and 70 percent of U.S. counties have no insurer choice, or a choice between only two insurers.

What good is a health care plan that you can’t choose and can’t afford to use? Congress must repeal it as soon as possible to put better health care choices back in the hands of the American people.

Delaying Repeal Hurts Public Support for Congress

Nearly every single congressional Republican campaigned on the promise to repeal Obamacare. The unfortunate consequence of the delay is that the American people are losing faith in the people whose job it is to represent them.

Recent Heritage Foundation research shows 72 percent of Americans will take the promises of Congress less seriously if they wait to fulfill their promise to repeal Obamacare. And 70 percent of Americans believe the longer Congress waits to fulfill their promises to repeal Obamacare, the less likely they will be successful.

There is no doubt that lawmakers will be held accountable to their promises.

Delaying Repeal Keeps the Focus Off Other Priorities

The surest way to repeal Obamacare is through the reconciliation process. However, that option has an expiration date. The reconciliation package is part of the budget process for fiscal year 2017 and it has to be completed before the fiscal year 2018 budget process begins.

In addition to creating a time crunch, the fight over when and how to repeal Obamacare is delaying action on other critical fights.

There is no doubt that Obamacare repeal is and should be the first priority, but Trump and congressional Republicans have made major promises to Americans that must also be considered.

Tax reform. Border security. Regulatory reform. Those priorities cannot move forward until Obamacare repeal is finalized.

What’s Next?

Republicans campaigned on repealing Obamacare in 2010, 2014, and 2016. Now it is time to step up to the plate and use the budget reconciliation process to deliver on those promises.

Congress needs to send a full repeal of Obamacare to the president for his signature. Americans cannot afford any further delays.

https://dailysignal.com/2017/02/09/why-delaying-obamacare-repeal-is-hurting-the-american-people/?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=thf-fb

Posted on February 10, 2017 February 9, 2017

New Jersey bucks national trend in Obamacare enrollment

By Kathleen O’Brien | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

on February 09, 2017 at 10:48 AM

New Jersey bucked a national trend of declining enrollment in Obamacare health insurance, but just barely, according to the tally released by the Trump administration.

January provided a roller-coaster timetable for consumers: They could sign up for subsidized health insurance through the 31^st, if they were eligible.

Yet a new president took office Jan. 20, and one of his first actions was to sign an executive order aimed at withdrawing support of the Affordable Care Act.

Television and radio commercials that had always aired during the last week of enrollment to warn procrastinators of the upcoming deadline were cancelled – then reinstated after protest.

There is usually a surge of about 700,000 people signing up on the federal Obamacare website, healthcare.gov, at the last minute. This year, however, that number was cut nearly in half, to 375,000.That meant an overall drop in the number of Americans who now purchase their policies through the federal marketplace.

Nationally, roughly 12.2 million signed up for Obamacare in 2017, versus 12.7 million in 2016 through the federal marketplace and state-run exchanges.

In New Jersey, though, the situation was markedly different.

The pace of new enrollments dropped once Trump took office, but by the close of the open enrollment window, 295,067 New Jersey residents had acquired insurance through the federal marketplace.

That’s a about a two percent increase over last year’s enrollment of 288,573.

https://www.nj.com/healthfit/index.ssf/2017/02/obamacare_sign-ups_tank_-_but_not_in_new_jersey.html

Posted on February 6, 2017 February 5, 2017

Trump: ObamaCare plan could take until next year

BY PETER SULLIVAN – 02/05/17 05:07 PM EST

President Trump said Sunday that it could take “sometime into next year” until his ObamaCare replacement plan is ready, a slower timetable than he and other Republicans have put forward in the past.

Fox News’s Bill O’Reilly asked Trump in an interview before the Super Bowl if Americans can “expect a new healthcare plan rolled out by the Trump Administration this year.”

https://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/317998-trump-obamacare-plan-could-take-until-next-year

Posted on January 27, 2017 January 27, 2017

NJ hospitals: Obamacare repeal would slam us

Massachusetts Institute of Technology Professor Jonathan Gruber Obamacare architect said last year that a “lack of transparency” and the “stupidity of the American voter” helped Congress approve ObamaCare

Michael L. Diamond , @mdiamondappPublished 5:02 p.m. ET Jan. 26, 2017

New Jersey hospitals would be hit hard by the repeal of Obamacare if Congress doesn’t replace it with a law that would include similar levels of insurance coverage, their trade group said Thursday.

Hospitals would lose money from both private insurance and Medicaid reimbursements. They would need to treat more consumers who lose their coverage in emergency departments. And both would put a strain on their bottom line, officials said.

https://www.app.com/story/news/local/new-jersey/2017/01/26/nj-hospitals-obamacare-repeal/97078816/

Posted on January 24, 2017 January 24, 2017

Reminder :Obamacare Architect Jonathan Gruber Twice Admits Fooling Stupid Americans

Reader comments , “The individual mandate ensured that the pool would not only be sick people.

The mandate also protects taxpayers. People without health insurance will get sick and wind up in hospitals. The uninsured will be a burden to hospitals that do charity work (not Valley). They are healthy right now. Eventually some will find out that they have an illness or they may have an accident. Then they will need charity care and can run the risk of going bankrupt. I do not want to underwrite their medical bills- the way we used to. I don’t care if they go bankrupt.”

Obamacare Architect Jonathan Gruber Twice Admits Fooling Stupid Americans

Ridgewood NJ, In the clip , Massachusetts Institute of Technology Professor Jonathan Gruber appears on a panel and discusses how the reform earned enough votes to pass.

He suggested that many lawmakers and voters didn’t know what was in the law or how its financing worked, and that this helped it win approval.

“Lack of transparency is a huge political advantage,” Gruber said. “And basically, call it the stupidity of the American voter or whatever, but basically that was really, really critical for the thing to pass.”