EDITORIAL
There are many reasons why Obamacare is a bad idea, not the least of which is that despite what the US Supreme Court said, I believe it is unconstitutional to order people to buy medical insurance or be fined by the government if they don't. And there are other compelling reasons why Obamacare is a bad idea.
It looks like it will hurt the job market and turn many employment opportunities into "part time" positions so employers can avoid paying fines for not providing insurance coverage. The cost of buying insurance will be disproportionately higher on young people who may opt for paying the fine instead of buying costly insurance thus defeating the actuarial calculations which make some coverages cheaper for older citizens. In the long run, rates will have to be altered to accommodate reality.
Coverage options may not be as favorable as the what are currently available due to the requirement that pre-existing conditions be covered. This could force a lot of uninsured, very ill people into the marketplace, subsidized with government money, and put a tremendous burden on the system. To prepare for this many companies are requiring very high deductibles and pretty high premiums for many classes of enrollees.
These are some of the arguments being advanced by the GOP in opposition to Obamacare. But what if they are wrong?
What if people actually go onto the exchanges and find that acceptable coverage will be available to them at a lower cost than they are currently paying? What if many young people without insurance who would otherwise default in paying their occasional medical bills, find that buying a cheap policy with the help of government credits is responsible and desirable. Could the expectation of medical care providers that they will not go unpaid as often eventually lower the cost of services?
What if some insurance companies adapt to the new system rather than lobby heavily to crash it and find a way to make a profit? Might that eventually result in lower premiums and even cheaper coverage?
I know, the GOP and many others are convinced that the system is set up to fail, that acutuarialy it will never work because younger people aren't likely to pay the higher premiums which are necessary to fund the program. And I know that if the system fails then we are headed to a "single payer" system, which is shorthand for "government provided and funded" universal health insurance, a totally socialist program which we cannot afford. And I know that if we get to a single payer system taxes will go up beyond belief and could crash our entire economy. I know all this is possible, but what if it works?
Then we are left with the argument that it is unconstitutional and little else. What might Congress do if the whole thing works out but the purists will never accept the law and continue to protest? They could remove the individual and employer mandate and let people continue to use the system voluntarily once they found out it was a good idea, if ever that day comes.
Right now, without doubt, the biggest opponents of the system are insurance companies who do not want to let go of their total control of the industry. They are the ones lobbying Congress the hardest, and it is their bidding that opponents of Obamacare are doing.
I still don't like it, I still think it is unconstitutional, I still think it is a trap set for all of us designed to fail and hurt the economy, but I also have great faith in the ingenuity of American business, the adaptability of the American people, and the process of elections which have made Obama a lame duck president and the people more aware, informed and engaged.
In otherwords, my hope lies in change.
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