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Guest Post: The Obamacare Ship Of Fools
Submitted by Jim Quinn of The Burning Platform blog,
It was so fitting that Obama sauntered into the Rose Garden on April Fools day to proclaim the wonderful success of Obamacare. We are the fools for allowing this fool and his fellow fools in Congress to further bankrupt our country with this disastrous government run clusterf*ck. He is a dangerous empty suit. The only thing that mattered to him and his sociopathic control freaks in the last two months was hitting an enrollment number that he could tout as success. Making sure there are enough doctors in the plan or ensuring excellent healthcare services once you get sick is not part of their agenda. And they certainly don’t worry about the 7.1 million people paying their premiums. That’s the insurance companies’ problem.
Their is so much propaganda, spin, disinformation and outright lies circulating in the captured mainstream media that the dumbed down, distracted, disinterested American populace believe the sound bites from Obama and the talking heads on MSNBC and the rest of the Obama loving media. Isn’t it funny how early in the disastrous roll-out of this joke Sebelius and her band of HHS drones didn’t know how many people had enrolled for weeks after the end of a month, but yesterday Obama knew that exactly 7.1 million people had enrolled within hours of the final deadline?
You may have noticed the non-stop 30 second ads trying to convince iGadget addicted morons to sign up for Obamacare over the last three months, building to a crescendo in the last few weeks. Obama was desperate to get young people and his black constituency to sign up. Most of the commercials were black NBA superstars yapping about the wonders of Obamacare. These were surely targeted to white middle class people. Right? Guess how much the average 30 second commercial costs. How about $123,000. The government has admitted their advertising budget for the last three months was $52 million. My guess is they went over budget and probably spent $75 million of your tax dollars to convince millions to join a government program that will cost you trillions more of your tax dollars. The original July 2013 estimate from the government for the total advertising of this mess was $700 million. I’ll take the over in the final number. This is after spending $600 million on the wonderful glitch free website.
Let’s assess the tremendous success the Savior was blustering about yesterday. He sold the plan to the American public back in 2009 with a number of promises.
It won’t add one dime to the deficit
Our teleprompter reader in chief told the American people his plan would not add one dime to the deficit. After it passed he told Congress it would cost $900 billion over ten years. Then the CBO actually ran the numbers and it jumped to $1.4 trillion. What’s a $500 billion error among friends? That almost perfect accuracy for the Federal government. Of course the Democratic politicians that passed this wonderful bill delayed all the bad stuff until 2014 and after, while front loading all the good stuff.
They delayed the major spending provisions in order to show only six years of spending under the plan in the original 10-year budget window (from FY2010-19) used by CBO at the time the law was enacted. Therefore, the original estimate concealed the fact that most of the law’s spending only doesn’t even begin until four years into the 10-year window. A Senate Budget Committee analysis (based on CBO estimates and growth rates) finds that that total spending under the law will amount to at least $2.6 trillion over a true 10-year period (from FY2014–23). That’s a lot of dimes added to the deficit. Does $2.6 trillion sound like budget neutral to you? Of course we’re doing it for the children. 
It will cover the 46 million uninsured Americans
The Census Bureau number of 46 million includes 10 million illegal immigrants. I know Obama wants to cover them on our dime, but even he will have trouble with that one. A report from the Kaiser Foundation put the number of true uninsured at 28.6 million. The CBO numbers and the Obama administration storyline were built on the assumption that everyone signing up for Obamacare was previously uninsured. Studies by the McKinsey Group and Rand Corporation have concluded that only 30% of all enrollees into Obamacare were previously uninsured.
The vast majority are previously insured people, many of whom are getting a better deal on the exchanges because they either qualify for subsidies, or because they’re older individuals who benefit from the law’s massive rate increases for the young. I know Obama loving liberals don’t like math and wish that Common Core feel good math could be applied to the Obamacare clusterf*ck, but here are the facts:
- Supposedly 7.1 million people have signed up for Obamacare.
- Approximately 30% of these people were previously uninsured – totaling 2.1 million people. That is only 7.3% of the uninsured people in the country. What about the 26.5 million people still uninsured? Obama spent all this money on advertising and only convinced 7.3% of the uninsured to sign up????
- The Obama administration seems to be uninterested in whether the people who have signed up for Obamacare have actually paid their premium. The McKinsey survey found that the proportion of those who had formally enrolled in coverage, by paying their first month’s premium, was considerably lower among the previously uninsured, relative to the previously insured. 86% of those who were previously insured who had “selected a marketplace plan” on the exchanges had paid, whereas only 53% of the previously uninsured had.
- If you run the numbers, 5 million times 86% equals 4.3 million who have paid their premiums. Of the previously uninsured 2.1 million times 53% equals 1.1 million who have paid their premiums. Therefore, the true number of paying Obamacare enrollees is 5.4 million.
The skewed demographics implications will get worse over time, as the cost of plans continues to go up. In the McKinsey survey, of those who had decided not to sign up for Obamacare, the most common reason was the “affordability” of the offered plans. Indications from insurers like Aetna and WellPoint is that the premiums on the exchange will go up substantially next year. The demographic assumptions for the Obamacare enrollees are disastrous for the American taxpayer. It is skewed toward old sickly people, with very few young healthy people. The risk pool is how premiums are determined.
The LA Times painted the ominous picture for what will happen next year:
Long-term stability could be undermined if newly insured people do not pay their bills or if they drop coverage in coming months because they are unhappy about the high deductibles or narrow doctor and hospital networks some plans offer.Some people have had to pay higher premiums to replace old plans that did not comply with the law’s consumer standards.More ominously, some insurance industry officials are warning they may raise rates substantially next year. Major rate hikes could push out healthy consumers, undermining the law’s marketplaces and recharging political opposition.
Foolish conclusions
- Obama and his Democratic minions (law passed without one Republican vote) have adjusted, delayed, and not enforced all the really bad stuff in this law until after the 2014 mid-term elections, with some really bad stuff delayed until after Hillary assumes power in 2016.
- As usual the CBO estimate of $2.6 trillion will be off by 100% as the true cost will soar past $5 trillion. It will be the gift that keeps on giving, like Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security, Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, etc.
- The risk pool will be so skewed towards older sicker Americans that premiums will skyrocket by 20% per year over the next few years, making many of the enrollees drop it altogether.
- The millions who end up not paying their premiums to the insurance companies will be subsidized by the paying customers of the insurance companies because we are rich and need to help the poor. Obama will punish insurance companies that tell the truth about non-payment by the dregs.
- The government has taken control of our healthcare system under the auspices of covering the millions of uninsured. The fact that 93% of the uninsured remain uninsured after the rollout reveals that this has been nothing but a socialistic power grab by Obama and the people who want to control every aspect of our lives.
- The promised $2,500 annual savings in premiums for the average family seems unlikely to materialize as premiums for the average family have risen by 30% to 50% since 2009.
- The if you like your doctor you can keep your doctor promise seems to be ringing hollow as millions have been forced out of their existing plans and now have much less choice of plan and doctor options.
- The millions of math challenged drones who believed Obama and have focused solely on the monthly premiums evidently don’t understand that deductibles on the lowest level plan average $5,000 and go as high as $12,000 drive the true cost much higher. I hope they don’t get sick or injured.
I hope you enjoyed being Obama’s fool on April 1. They say a fool is born every minute. Obama and his minions are counting on it.
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All kinds of tools for all kinds o fools.
The Obamacare Ship of Fools.
Just a subset of the Government Lovers Ship of Fools.
7 million sign ups. 2 million in catastrophic circumstance.
5 million subsidised. Fuck you O and the incapable, ignorant pieces of shit you rode in on.
In a year or two only those who receive subsidies will be on Obamacare because of how expensive premiums will be.
And people on subsidies don't care about price because they aren't paying
As a result insurance companies can raise the price to $70K per year per person and no one will bat an eye.
Only government insolvency will end Obamacare, but this does accelerate us to down that path.
Lost me at "their is so much propaganda"... STFU bitch and learn to spell.
Many ignoranti get that wrong. Also many get cheapo word correction software induced errors.
"...non-payment by the dregs..."
"Dregs" seems a little harsh. How about just referring to them as "typical Democrats". It's a euphemism, I know, but we need to all work together to raise the tone around here.
That's all you got out of that article huh?
what i got is.....sauntering is the new word for nigger walking...
What I thought was missing from the article is the fact that the Medical community is now using the same tactic that it used to handle Fukushima radiation to handle Obamacame. In response to hightened radiation levels on the west coast, the "safe" level of radiation was simply raised - problem solved. Now the "safe" level for blood pressure has been raised meaning that insurance companies no longer have to pay for the care or medication of millions of Americans which were ALREADY ON MEDICATION due to their blood pressure levels. Then I saw the MSM the other day pushing the fact that women shouldn't be getting mamograms as often as they do. For as long as I can remember, the message has ALWAYS BEEN to get tested early and often. Now that the insurance companies are running the show, "mamorgrams often result in false-positives which cause all kinds of problems, blah, blah, blah." WTF is wrong with this country? (rhetorical)
Why did you quote so much? If it had been 'thare' I'd have taken the piss out of him. As it is, I chalk it up to the fact that he's a busy bloke trying to make a difference.
come on, now, be fair. $75 million in ads to get 2.1 million previously uninsured to sign up is only $35 a head.
for the government, that's actually pretty good!
/s
Right (I know you're in sarc mode) - and how many millions lost their insurance, or now have crappy insurance...yeah, good enuf for gubmint work.
the real cost of government run healthcare = line up and die
the line ups are in Europe and Canada and these two government run shit shows tell the market how many doctors are hired, how many surgeons, etc. when these government run shit shows run out of means to solve, they send their patients to the US
Canada has healthcare in their fucking constitution - so those union mobs won't be leaving the business anytime soon - so guess where the unions next big move in the US will be - no, it's not cars. you guessed it - union mobs running line up and die healthcare.
FUCK YOU BARRY - YOU FUCKING COMMUNIST!!!!
Being beholden to your drug dealer is no way to run a country.
Their advertising budget alone as well as the massive bureaucracy and bumbling bureaucrats crfeated by this frankenstein POS could've provided alot of care for people - preferably tax paying Americans... but then what else would you expect from the arrogant narcissistic pathologic lying illegal alien kenyan muslim sociopathic ignoramus fudge packer in chief only interested in its grand imperial golf life style and $17K dresses for its wookie...
The national health care system in the UK is so good you get to perform your own surgery.
http://metro.co.uk/2014/03/28/man-chops-off-his-own-hand-with-a-home-mad...
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2591485/Father-builds-guillotine...
Remember - people like me voted for the Barack! He is soooo cool, isn't he?..... Now where is the "any" key?...
rethugs lost it with zio-con foreign policy from 2001> ...now this is what you get, eat your peas
Plus +1000 if I could. I pledge allegience to what? Fck them in their asses.
The students in my German class were asked if they had TVs and only 10% did. Nobody is listening to mainstream
And if the Won happens to come on, "Let me be clear <CLICK>".
What if it works. :0
Hang him for Treason. Then things will finally change for the better.
...hanging too good for it.. sandpaper its skin off and then burt it in salt....
Is this a Kosh bros. report.
Who are the Kosh brothers? Illiterates aren't generally permitted here.
Apparently 13 posters know who I am talking about. They aren't worth spelling their name right.
So anyone who doesn't buy the obamacare line, and actually does the math, and sees that it will end up costing many times what they claim, just like Medicare, SS, etc, is somehow related to the Koch brothers and this is all part of some nefarious scheme to undermine this brilliant legislation? Does that about sum it up?
So, if only 1.1 million of the previously uninsured have paid their premium -- and are not considered insured if they haven't paid -- that means less than only 4% of the 28.6 million previously uninsured have now obtained coverage! 'Even though they were spending $17 million per month for advertizing it! 'Even though it was required by law! 'Even though millions lost their jobs or were reduced to part time in order to do this! 'Even though health care has been made dramatically LESS affordable for the majority of people in order to do this!
Holy cr&p! That means the Patient Destruction and Unaffordable Care act is even dramatically more of a complete and total failure than I already thought it was. How the f*&# can anyone claim this as a success?!!!
I guess that is why we shouldn't let the politicos pass laws which don't follow the requirements of the 10th Amendment to the US Constitution. If you think Obamacare is constitutional, please tell me what parts of the Constitution and its amendments have "delegated" the authority to the Federal government to mandate what forms of health care insurance are legal, even though no interstate commerce of health care insurance is permitted!
As someone who has been a registered Dem voter for decades, I am outraged at the complete destruction of our nation apparently being performed by my political party.
.....ask justiss jackass kennedy....
I was thinking more of Justice Roberts who switched right at the end of the process, as I have read. Who got to him and how?
I didn't expect much from Justice Kennedy, but -- unlike Roberts -- he actually voted against Obamacare [or at least the individual mandate] being constitutional in National Federation of Independent Business v. Sebalius.
Perhaps because for the Democrats, have Roberts take this hot potato off their hands would have been a dream come true? People don't get to be chief justice of the Supreme Court by being chumps.
That's an interesting point, if I understand you correctly. So, do you think Justice Roberts' plan was to let it be implemented so that people would see it for the disaster that it is, Dems would be swept out of office, and ultimately the law repealed?
If so, I will congratulate Justice Roberts on the day that it is fully repealed [whether it is replaced with something else or not]. Until then . . . not so much.
Think about it. If they really wanted to make health care insurance -- and thus health care -- more affordable, the first thing they should have done is to eliminate the disparity between how employers and employees are treated, tax-wise, when they purchase health care insurance. Either give the same deduction to the workers, or take the deduction away from the employers. But, whatever you do, don't create a huge incentive for the people paying for the insurance to be unlikely to actually be using it and for the people who are using it to be unlikely to actually be paying for it! What kind of competition do you think that kind of situation creates [besides cronyism, corruption, and a lack of the benefits of capitalism].
'Not to belabor the point that this law was passed on a huge pack of lies. 'Not belabor the point that this law is dramatically increasing the need for deficit spending -- despite Obama's claims to the contrary. [Well, actually, maybe he didn't lie (about only this issue). He said this law wouldn't add one dime to the deficit. That is a fact; it is adding trillions upon trillions of dimes to the deficits and debt, not just one dime!]
"He said this law wouldn't add one dime to the deficit. That is a fact; it is adding trillions upon trillions of dimes to the deficits and debt, not just one dime!"
Ack - that's parsing words like Clinton...clever observation though..
"As someone who has been a registered Dem voter for decades, I am outraged at the complete destruction of our nation apparently being performed by my political party."
You sir, are a puddinghead. Now please find the nearest hole and die"
Sincerely,
Humans for Freedom.
'Typical response for a non-critical-thinker. 'No debate. 'No constructive criticism. 'Just an insult. I guess you don't have any concerns about the destruction which can be caused when laws aren't followed [or, you don't understand the fundamentally corrupting nature of political power when unrestrained by such laws and their enforcement].
"Typical response for a non-critical-thinker. 'No debate. 'No constructive criticism. "
Really? You just went along when these assholes as "your" party passed this piece of shit using RECONCILIATION??? What kind of fucking moron are you? Not even the hand-picked Dem pollsters could spin this as "what America wants".
YOUR PARTY HAD A SUPERMAJORITY dimwit fuck. Do you even know what that mean?? YOU SUPPORTED the tyranny. YOU VOTED FOR OBAMA TWICE. Admit it.
Funny how someone as brainwashed and incapable of any thought besides the ideas that fed to them by the MSM and "intelligista" like Krugman can actually have the balls to call anyone a "non-critical thinker". Go back to your state-run or academic or nimby echo chamber and listen to the sound of you assholes destroying liberty.
Marge.
In support of your comments in hindsight, however, I will agree that if I had included the following additional four words in my original comments which you quoted, it would have been a better post:
"...the complete destruction of our nation as it was founded apparently being performed..."
This much better states what I think I was trying to express.
'Just for good measure. I will also agree that, in my opinion, this destruction is being performed with some or more help by some of more of the Repubs as well as the Dems.
And, actually, no, I voted for McCain and Romney even though I am still a REGISTERED Dem voter . . . for some reason.
[I only voted for Obama in the primary against Hillary, and this is now the vote which I believe I now regret more than any other I have ever cast -- even though I'm not really sure Hillary would have been all that much better, if any. I remember liking Bill -- at least a little teeny tiny bit -- and hating Hillarycare.]
"As someone who has been a registered Dem voter for decades, I am outraged at the complete destruction of our nation apparently being performed by my political party."
Welcome (to reality)! It's hard to think outside those red and blue boxes - but once you do - freedom!
The high deductibles are killer. More than half of Americans live pay check to pay check and have less than $1,200.00 in cash to their name. So how will paying for health insurance with $5,000.00 deductibles or higher help them???
Ding-ding-ding! $375/month with a $7,000 deductible is like paying for a car you never drive.
They give you a glossy picture of it, with a slick brochure, but it's parked in a fenced lot somewhere or someone else is driving it.
That's OK, as long as they're not texting or eating while they drive. And, definitely no sex in either the front or back seat.
That is only for the unsubsidized customer.
If you are subsidized, some of the deductible is covered by Uncle Sugar.
Can I get a "Govmint Subsidy" for $500 Alex?
Of course they can't. That's when Big Gov is YOUR DADDY. Don't you get it yet??
Idiots.
It's the ARM of Healthcare.
Ship of Fools, U.S.S.A. Titanic, H.M.S. Upyourass.
Welcome to the New Rome, all hail Caesar.
BTW, forget about seeing a physician under obamascare.... "midlevel providers" will be the norm so you will be seeing either a PA or RN practitioner.... now if you all believe being evaluated by a PA or RN is equivalent to being evaluated by a board certified physician with 11-20 years of post secondary schooling and training, you probably think Burger King is as good a Ruth Chris'... long live the fudge packer in chief for bestowing on this.... oh, yea, the fudge packer in chief, its favored corporate and union minions as well as the corrupt democrap and republicant elected stooges and associated bureaucrats have exempted themselve from this... how do ya like them rotten apples???
I broke my leg and had to have surgery.I saw the Dr. twice,once in the ER and then right before surgery,haven't seen him since.When I go to the office it's always the PA.
For any dead heads out there on ZH I have to do this.
Grateful Dead perform "Ship of Fools" 3-28-81 http://youtu.be/7HTcet_BgYMAnd don't forget World Party's song also titled Ship of Fools:
Is it bong-thirty yet?
If there is a God and I believe there is then Obama is going to burn in hell for what he's done to this country and their healthcare insurance that these American people once enjoyed. FYI NSA I take no joy in stating this today.
Obama did not do anything, himself. He only did what tens of millions of Americans demanded and voted for.
Duplicate post.
Sure. Obama is just the innocent bystander. You must be joking though because no one at this point is that stupid. To believe he's intentionally running this country into the ground might be a bridge too far for those that voted for him though.
There is no God, no hell, and the NSA doesn't give a shit about your grief in believing Obama's going to burn there.
Jesus, scared of burning in hell, scared of the NSA, just plain scared. Man up already.
Now get back to raising junior.
If there is a God and I believe there is then the the intellectually lazy, sltothful, stupid people that voted him into office twice are going to burn in hell for what they have done to this country. I take no joy in stating this today.
A Drudge Headline today: POLL: Americans Trust IRS, NSA More than FACEBOOK...
These are the voters I am talking about.
I just read that a class action suit against Nevada Obamacare has been filed, apparently a lot of people signed up, paid their money, and then found out they weren't covered.
Is it just me or is the administraion and its friends starting to act very erractic and irrational? I think I smell a whiff of fear. Some kind of political gangrene is taking place perhaps?
With comrade Obama on your side - who needs enemies?
I want to know where all the money is going. Income tax rates went up 3.8% on unearned income plus a .9% medicare surtax plus a tax on med device companies, a tax on pharmaceutical companies, insurance companies, etc, etc.
On top of that everyone I know has seen their rates go up as much as 50%.
So it took all the money to subsidize the exchanges? It was cheaper to have the uninsured go to the emergency room and have the rest of us pay for it that way.
No one should ever call pols or crats fools. Doing so diminishes their depravity and mendacity.
No matter their intelligence, one can consider them smarter than us because they are now in positions of pomp and power and high salaries and venal opportunities and in partial control of our lives.
They are not BETTER, they are morally deficient, which is why they were selected and cajoled into the positions that they hold, but not stupid and certainly not fools. They are evil.
Put another way: Was Hitler a fool?
Where is the Mayflower and when does it depart?
It is irrefutable that O-care will increase costs to employers.
http://freebeacon.com/issues/employers-say-obamacare-will-cost-them-5000-more-per-employee/
The question is what employers will do about it as it is not to be expected that they will just absorb this cost increase.
It is mostly likely that most of the cost will be passed on to the employee.
Listen to the anecdotes (Hugh Hewitt is really good at this) and you can see that this is the case. Higher wage workers are paying more, those that qualify for subsidizes pay less. Some, but not many (net that is), have insurance where they previously did not.
So O-care is really a tax on the middle class, they pay more, those making less pay less.
It is a tax. Call it what you will. Let’s see how this plays in November.
sschu
I agree. The problem now: there is no where to go from here.
Door 1. Repeal it. Not enough support. Can't go back from here. Ship sailed.
Door 2. Pass alternative. Crickets. Crickets. Red team will never propose anything now that they are gearing up for 2016.
Door 3. Modify the plan to make it moar better. See Door 2.
We are screwed. No credible leadership, too much political showmanship and jockeying.
Only slim choice is to throw the bums out. All of them. But the minority who actually vote are entrenched in their dogma. The majority who don't vote, really don't give a shit,
America 2016. We Are So Screwed.
There are penalties for employers that tell their circumstances on how the LAW is causing them to fire people.
Can you order this shit insurance on your Obamaphone? Or is that way too much technology for this new tax?
The White House needs 7 million healthy young people to join the health care exchanges within the first year of the law to keep premiums low for everyone under the Affordable Care. The light of day is showing Obamacare is not about healthcare, it is a massive transfer of wealth through hidden taxes, penalties, mandates and coverage requirements that yield a surplus of overpayments. More about this subject in the article below.
http://brucewilds.blogspot.com/2013/11/obamacare-starts-out-looking-very...
Just to mention the obvious....many hear have referenced the number of people who have signed up & paid their first premium....that of course is no guarantee the 2nd. is going to be paid.
This may end up as a field day for the insurance companies....I complied with the law....the deductible is now $5,000 per year, the premium is higher, and the co-pay for Rx tripled.....so the same insurance company I had before (Anthem) now gets paid more for providing far less. I doubt my situation is unique among those of us who are actually paying for their own plans from their own pocket.
Jim Quinn is always quick to blame the mess we are in on the Boomer generaton.
But, he's now finding out that his own generation is not going to do anything but make matters even worse. Heck, Quinn himself probably voted for Obama.
Funny now, to see him ranting this way.
jumping off the building doesn't kill you
it's the sudden stop...
obamacare is cheap
but the deductibles will kill you
Better off claiming to be an illegal mexican and then you get it all for free. After all look at what they bring .... measels, tuberculosis, intestinal parasites, rapists, murderers, dwi's, taxpayer burdens.... come on up, the libtards say there is a labor shortage on jobs amerikans wont do... because they are on ebt/welfare and their obamaphones.. busy fucking thier brains out to make welfare babies to get more sucker taxpayer money...
obamacare = no doctors, no hospitals and no healthcare... just taxes and more unemployment and more debt... this is what you get when you put a retard in the office... and retards in congress supporting him, while stealing and tuffing money in their pockets.