The Humanitarian failure that is Obamacare

[Quantum Windbag]

People keep calling me, and others like me, heartless because we don't want the government to step in and fix the problems in the health care market. The thing is, if they really cared about people, they would join me in arguing against the government because the government simply does not have the means to fix the problems.

Let’s stipulate that most people who favor the ACA have honorable intentions: they want everyone, including people in ill health, to have access to good and affordable medical care. All decent people should want that. (How many favor it merely because it builds up government power and takes money from the well and well-heeled? I suspect it’s the same number as those who oppose it out of a dislike of the poor and ill. Of course politicians who favor the ACA undoubtedly find that it lines up nicely with their political interests.)
The problem is that in making government policy, unmovable obstacles often stand between motives and desired results. The laws of economics and politics thwart the best intentions. Sheer will is not enough to overcome these obstacles, because they are implicit in the logical structure of human action.
One cannot merely decree that there be good and affordable medical care for all. Setting up a byzantine bureaucracy won’t do the trick either. Reality is simply not subject to the human will in that way. The maxim “nature to be commanded must be obeyed” applies here.
If politicians, bureaucrats, and pundits do not understand this, it indicates that they are stuck in an outmoded mindset. Before the 18th century, Ludwig von Mises wrote, the “belief prevailed that in the field of human action no other criterion could be used than that of good and bad. If a policy did not attain its end, its failure was ascribed to the moral insufficiency of man or to the weakness of the government. With good men and strong governments everything was considered feasible.” But, Mises continued,

The Humanitarian Shortcomings of the Affordable Care Act - Reason.com

This is one of those times you really should read the whole thing before you jump in and say something stupid.

 

[waltky]

Granny says, "Dat's right - he oughta change it - he's the one dat brought dis mess down on ever'body...

Obama Changes Affordable Care Act Requirements by Himself
November 14, 2013 -- If you like your insurance plan, maybe you can keep it after all, for another year, President Obama told the American people on Thursday.

He said people may keep individual plans that haven't already been canceled; or they may buy similar ones, if they're available -- even if those plans don't meet the coverage and cost requirements of Obamacare, as the law says they must. But insurers can't sell those old plans to new customers. That's the main difference between Obama's administrative "fix" and the legislative fix House Republicans plan to bring up for a vote on Friday. Obama also told insurance companies who issue the old policies that they must try to steer people to the Obamacare health exchanges. Critics pounced even before the president spoke: "There’s only one institution that can change the law: Congress," the Heritage Foundation blogged. "President Obama’s 'plan' attempts to ignore them entirely. The president’s proposal is but the latest in a long line of waivers and unilateral changes made in a futile attempt to repair an inherently unworkable law."

Obama told a White House news conference he "completely gets how upsetting" it is for Americans to get cancellation notices from their insurance companies, especially after he promised them they could keep their plans if they liked them. "And to those Americans, I hear you loud and clear. I said that I would do everything that we could to fix this problem. And today I'm offering an idea that will help do it. "People who have plans that pre-date the Affordable Care Act can keep those plans if they haven't changed. That was already in the law," Obama said. "Today, we're going to extend that principle both to people whose plans have changed since the law took effect and to people who bought plans since the law took effect. So state insurance commissioners still have the power to decide what plans can and can't be sold in their states, but the bottom line is, insurers can extend current plans that would otherwise be canceled into 2014 and Americans whose plans were canceled can choose to re-enroll in the same kind of plan.

"We're also requiring insurers who extend current plans to inform their customers about two things: One, what protections these renewed plans don't include. Number two, that the (Obamacare) marketplace offers new options with better coverage and tax credits that might help you bring down the cost. "So if you received one of these letters, I encourage you to take a look at the marketplace. Even if the website isn't working as smoothly as it should be for everybody yet, the plan comparison tool that lets you browse costs for new plans near you is working just fine." "Now, this fix won't solve every problem for every person, but it's going to help a lot of people. Doing more will require work with Congress. And I've said from the beginning, I'm willing to work with Democrats and Republicans to fix problems as they arise. This is an example of what I was talking about. We can always make this law work better. "It is important to understand, though, that the old individual market was not working well. And it's important that we don't pretend that somehow that's a place that we're going back to."

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act sets enumerates certain "essential" health benefits that must take effect on Jan. 1, 2014. "We cannot 'fix' Obamacare. The damage has been done. It’s time to start over," Sen. Ted Cruz tweeted as the president started speaking.

Obama Changes Affordable Care Act Requirements by Himself | CNS News

See also:

Insurance Industry: 'Higher Premiums'
November 14, 2013 - After President Obama unilaterally changed his health care law on Thursday, the insurance industry issued a warning.

"Changing the rules after health plans have already met the requirements of the law could destabilize the market and result in higher premiums for consumers," said Karen Ignagni, president and CEO of America's Health Insurance Plans (AHIP).

Here's Ignagni's full statement: "Making sure consumers have secure, affordable coverage is health plans’ top priority. The only reason consumers are getting notices about their current coverage changing is because the ACA requires all policies to cover a broad range of benefits that go beyond what many people choose to purchase today.

Premiums have already been set for next year based on an assumption of when consumers will be transitioning to the new marketplace. If due to these changes fewer younger and healthier people choose to purchase coverage in the exchange, premiums will increase in the marketplace and there will be fewer choices for consumers. Additional steps must be taken to stabilize the marketplace and mitigate the adverse impact on consumers.

President Obama announced on Friday that he is giving insurance companies the option of offering health plans that should otherwise be canceled under the Affordable Care Act's requirements, which take effect on Jan. 1. Insurance companies will be required to inform consumers who want to keep their old plans about the protections that are not included under those plans. Customers also must be notified that the health care exchanges offer more coverage and in some cases, at lower cost.

Insurance Industry: 'Higher Premiums' | CNS News