Commentary
I was critical of ObamaCare prior to its passage in 2010, writing op-ed pieces and letters to the editors of newspapers while living in Texas. I resumed my fight after moving to Arizona in 2014 when I started my blog commentaries.
I wrote about Obama’s ill-conceived promises and later the lies, and I refuted the act’s costs forecast by OMB, revealing later that I was correct.
I was extremely disgusted with Sen. John McCain’s “thumbs down” gesture during a July 28, 2017, vote to repeal the act designed to remove certain provisions of the law.
This vote not only preserved the ACA but also marked a significant setback for President Trump and the Republican Party’s agenda. It didn’t seem to matter to McCain. Sometime later, McCain explained that he’d always believed ObamaCare should be repealed and replaced. Thanks, Senator.
I haven’t given up on a Republican effort to put forth a healthcare bill to replace the (Un)Affordable Care Act (ObamaCare). Even though I’ve heard the parties are close to a negotiation in which Republicans would give on two more years of subsidies while gaining provisions to prevent fraud and income caps. Payment for abortions is still a stick.
On Saturday, however, Senate Majority Leader Thune seemed to indicate the Republican plan to give taxpayers more choice in how their health care dollars are used was still on the table.
President Trump has been clear that he believes the money in question should go directly to the people to buy their own healthcare rather than the insurance companies to pad their bottom lines.
House Republicans who are in tough reelection fights contend that the two-year extension of subsidies is vital to the GOP’s chances of winning in the midterms.
New Hampshire Democrat Sen. Jeannne Shaheen, who is not seeking reelection, has the audacity to push for an extension of the subsidies, declaring “It’s in everyone’s interest to get this done,” warning that it would be “shortsighted “of Republicans to fail to act.
Even though I have been aware of the cost of ObamaCare, I was shocked to read the findings in a study published in the JAMA Health Forum showing that the ObamaCare individual market has become a money pit for taxpayers.
In 1924 they paid nearly 80 percent of the premiums for subsidized plans, compared to 30 percent in 2014.
Taxpayers paid more than $114 billion directly to insurers in 2024 – one third more than in 2023, more than double the amount in 2020.
ObamaCare is a poor value that many consider a product few Americans would voluntarily purchase without subsidies. “Congress has thrown taxpayers under the bus,” writes Ge Bai, a professor of health policy and management at Johns Hopkins University, “forcing them to pay for nearly the entire ballooning cost of subsidized ObamaCare plans.”
Looking back to 2009, the editorial board of the Wall Street Journal writes, “ObamaCare’s structure was shaky by design, and now the Democrats want to keep shoveling out subsidies to hide their errors,” while claiming the GOP alternative is “far superior.”
It’s too late for you to let your Congressmen know where you stand on the further subsidizing of ObamaCare.
May God continue to bless the United States of America
