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Manias, Panics and ObamaCare Crashes
Wall Street Journal ^ | Nov 23, 2013 | WSJ Editorial

Posted on 11/23/2013 9:44:11 AM PST by Innovative

More cancelled health plans. Millions and perhaps tens of millions more Americans will lose their coverage, despite the White House's one-year suspension of the mandates that force insurers to liquidate their old products. The problem is backloaded.

The exchanges don't offer what most people expect from normal commercial insurance and instead feature tighter administrative oversight of smaller groups of physicians akin to Medicaid. Clinton-era HMO-style plans are coming back, and doctor-patient relationships will be the next political casualty.

In the 1990s Americans rebelled against cost containment pressure, such as the "drive through" rules that told women to leave hospitals a day after giving birth. As beneficiaries seek care, they'll find they can't visit their family physicians without huge out-of-network markups, or can't get certain procedures without prior authorization. Such methods are the only way to keep premiums affordable amid ObamaCare's costly benefit mandates.

(Excerpt) Read more at online.wsj.com ...


TOPICS: Editorial; Government; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: medicalcare; obama; obamacare; rationing
This is just the beginning...
1 posted on 11/23/2013 9:44:11 AM PST by Innovative
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To: Innovative

Excellent summary. This should be a hand out given to voters outside polling places, people in line in doctor’s offices etc.


2 posted on 11/23/2013 9:56:23 AM PST by AMDG&BVMH
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To: Innovative; All
At its core, the entire "Manias, Panics and ObamaCare Crashes" discussion is not about health care reform, insurance reform, a poorly-executed program, or even the human consequences of determined "progressives" and their dishonest and inept attempts to commandeer and transform a "People's" government into their own .

The arrogant and so-called "progressive" agenda has, for decades, sought to replace the founding concept of Creator-endowed individual rights, liberty and laws to protect that liberty with their own false concept of imperfect persons in government assuming the role of the "Supreme Being."

The electorate must become educated to these competing ideas and rediscover America's Founding principles, which can enable them to recognize which are true ideas of liberty, and which are counterfeit ideas of tyranny. That is not easy.

From America's founding to the 1950's, ideas derived from religious literature were included in textbooks, through the poetry and prose used to teach children to read and to identify with their world and their country.

Suddenly, those ideas began to disappear from textbooks, until now, faceless, mindless copy editors sit in cubicles in the nation's textbook publishing companies, instructed by their supervisors to remove mere words that refer to family, to the Divine, and to any of the ancient ideas that have sustained intelligent discourse for centuries.

Back in 1876, a Black Minister and Ohio State Legislator, Rev. Benjamin W. Arnett, delivered the "Centennial Thanksgiving Sermon," celebrating the Declaration of Independence, at St. Paul A.M.E. Church in Urbana, Ohio. The Sermon can be read online at the American Memory Section of the LOC, in the African-American Collection. Below is a small excerpt from that Sermon's conclusion. In it Rev. Arnett warned about a movement among "liberals" to remove the ideas underlying America's founding documents. See if you don't recognize those ideas from what you have observed in recent years:

"The Danger to our Country.

"Now that our national glory and grandeur is principally derived from the position the fathers took on the great questions of right and wrong, and the career of this nation has been unparalleled in the history of the past, now there are those who are demanding the tearing down the strength of our national fabric. They may not intend to tear it down, but just as sure as they have their way, just that sure will they undermine our superstructure and cause the greatest calamity of the age. What are the demands of this party of men? Just look at it and examine it for yourselves, and see if you are willing that they shall have their way; or will you still assist in keeping the ship of state in the hands of the same crew and run her by the old gospel chart! But ye men who think there is no danger listen to the demands of the Liberals as they choose to call themselves:

"'Organize! Liberals of America! The hour for action has arrived. The cause of freedom calls upon us to combine our strength, our zeal, our efforts. These are The Demands of Liberalism:

"'1. We demand that churches and other ecclesiastical property shall no longer be exempt from just taxation.

"'2. We demand that the employment of chaplains in Congress, in State Legislatures, in the navy and militia, and in prisons, asylums, and all other institutions supported by public money, shall be discontinued.

"'3. We demand that all public appropriations for sectarian educational and charitable institutions shall cease.

"'4. We demand that all religious services now sustained by the government shall be abolished; and especially that the use of the Bible in the public schools, whether ostensibly as a text-book or avowedly as a book of religious worship, shall be prohibited.

"'5. We demand that the appointment, by the President of the United States or by the Governors of the various States, of all religious festivals and fasts shall wholly cease.

"'6. We demand that the judicial oath in the courts and in all other departments of the government shall be abolished, and that simple affirmation under the pains and penalties of perjury shall be established in its stead.

"'7. We demand that all laws directly or indirectly enforcing the observance of Sunday as the Sabbath shall be repealed.

"'8. We demand that all laws looking to the enforcement of “Christian” morality shall be abrogated, and that all laws shall be conformed to the requirements of natural morality, equal rights, and impartial liberty.

"'9. We demand that not only in the Constitution of the United States and of the several States, but also in the practical administration of the same, no privilege or advantage shall be conceded to Christianity or any other special religion; that our entire political system shall be founded and administered on a purely secular basis; and that whatever changes shall prove necessary to this end shall be consistently, unflinchingly, and promptly made.'

"'Let us boldly and with high purpose meet the duty of the hour.'

"Now we must not think that we have nothing to do in this great work, for the men who are at the head of this movement are men of culture and intelligence, and many of them are men of influence. They are led by that thinker and scholar, F. E. Abbott, than whom I know but few men who has a smoother pen, or who is his equal on the battle-field of thought. He says in an address on the duty of his leagues:

"'My answer may be a negative one to all who see nothing positive in the idea of liberty. The conviction I refer to is this: that, regarded as a theological system, Christianity is Superstition, and, regarded as an organized institution, Christianity is Slavery. The purpose I refer to is this: that, whether regarded as theological system, Christianity shall wholly cease to exercise influence in political matters. Although the national Constitution is strictly secular and non-Christian, there are many things in the practical administration of the government which violate its spirit, and constitute a virtual recognition of Christianity as the national religion. These violations are very dangerous; they are on the increase; they more and more give Christianity a practical hold upon the government; they directly tend to strengthen the influence of Christianity over the people, and to fortify it both as a theology and a church; and they are therefore justly viewed with growing indignation by liberals. Not unreasonably are they looked upon as paving the way to a formidable effort to carry the Christian Amendment to the Constitution; and the liberals are beginning to see that they must extinguish the conflagration in its commencement. I believe all this myself, with more intense conviction every day; and therefore I appeal frankly to the people to begin now to lay the foundations of a great National Party of Freedom. It is not a moment too soon. If the liberals are wise, they will see the facts as they are, and act accordingly. Not with hostility, bitterness, defiance, or anger but rather with love to all men and high faith in the beneficence of consistently republican institutions, do I urge them most earnestly to begin the work at once.'

"He acknowledges that this is a religious nation and wants all men to assist him in eliminating the grand old granite principles from the framework of our national union. Will you do it freeman; will we sell the temple reared at the cost of so much precious blood and treasure? These men would have us turn back the hands on the clock of our national progress, and stay the shadow on the dial plate of our christian civilization; they would have us call a retreat to the soldiers in the army of Christ; the banner of the cross they would have us haul down, and reverse the engines of war against sin and crime; the songs of Zion they would turn into discord, and for the harmony and the melody of the sons of God, they would give us general confusion; they would have us chain the forces of virtue and unloose the elements of vice; they would have the nation loose its moorings from the Lord of truth and experience and commit interest, morally, socially; religiously and politically to the unsafe and unreliable human reason; they would discharge God and his crew and run the ship of State by the light of reason, which has always been but a dim taper in the world, and all the foot-prints it has left are marked with the blood of men, women and children. No nation is safe when left alone with reason.

"But we have no notion of giving up the contest without a struggle or a battle. We are aware that there is a great commotion in the world of thought. Religion and science are at arms length contending with all their forces for the mastery. Faith and unbelief are fighting their old battles over again, everything that can be shaken is shaking. The foundations of belief are assaulted by the army of science and men are changing their opinions. New and starting theories are promulgated to the world; old truths are putting on new garbs. Error is dressing in the latest style, wrong is secured by the unholy alliances, changes in men and things, revolution in church and state, Empires are crumbling, Kingdoms tottering; everywhere the change is seen. In the social circle, in the school house, in the pulpit and in the pews. But amid all the changes are revolutions their are some things that are unchangeable, unmovable and enduring. The forces that underline the vital power of Christianity are the same yesterday, to-day, to-morrow and forever more. They are like their God, who is omnipotent, immovable and eternal, and everywhere truth has marched it has left its moccasin tracks." - (End of Excerpt from "Righteousness Exalteth a Nation, but Sin is a Reproach to Any People")

So said Rev. Benjamin Arnett in 1876. Where is the leader who will declare these things today? Arnett's theme was "Righteousness Exalteth a Nation, but Sin is a Reproach to Any People."Might such outspoken thoughts not enlighten the minds of Americans today as they discuss the topic of this thread?

Cruz is exposing and explaining only one part of the "fundamental transformation" being undertaken by this President and those who support him. Arnett's celebration of the ideas of the Declaration of Independence included a recognition of those who would destroy that concept of individual life, liberty and rights.

3 posted on 11/23/2013 10:17:29 AM PST by loveliberty2
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To: Innovative

BUMP for later...


4 posted on 11/23/2013 10:34:42 AM PST by Diana in Wisconsin (I don't have 'Hobbies.' I'm developing a robust Post-Apocalyptic skill set...)
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To: loveliberty2

Thanks. Agree totally with Dr. Arnett and your analysis of the stealth used to subvert and destroy the American way of thinking. Only wish I could think and write in that coherent a manner.


5 posted on 11/23/2013 10:42:06 AM PST by Foundahardheadedwoman (God don't have a statute of limitations)
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To: Innovative

This IS just the beginning. It’s going to get much worse..,


6 posted on 11/23/2013 10:49:58 AM PST by GOPJ ("Knockout game' - newest reason NO OTHER RACIAL group wants to live near blacks.)
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To: Innovative

“You can’t even keep your ObamaCare plan: The White House and regulators will lean on insurers to block these price hikes, but they can’t deny reality forever. Companies accountable to shareholders will flee unprofitable states as some are already doing, leading to even fewer options.”

So now we have “If you like the plan I forced you to choose for 2014, you’ll really like the one I’m forcing on you for 2015 because it’s your only option.”


7 posted on 11/23/2013 11:21:02 AM PST by ToastedHead
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To: ToastedHead

Do not let anyone forget about the Estate Recovery that is applied to Medicaid in obamacare.

Now that folks can choose (and will be forced onto) Medicaid even tho they have a paid for home, Roths and IRAs and other savings that can add up to quite a potful, Estate Recovery has real meaning.

This means that when a person on medicaid dies, his estate will be taken for all medicaid charges, the ‘premium’ (that will be whatever the IRS decides it wil be), all medical charges incurred and some state charge that is added on, for the covered person between the ages of 55-64.

This means that the remaining spouse, when she tries to sell the house, will find there is a lien on it by the IRS, that the money she and her spouse saved for 40 years for their retirement has been taken by the IRS, and that she is penniless in her old age.

The obama administration has found a way to steal the pot of money that they have coveted for years. Boomers and their parents have been the most ‘saving’ generations, and there is a huge amount of money that the left has drooled over for years and years.

The problem is, if you are able to get into obamacare, and you put in an income below about $15,000, you will be offered a hideously expensive plan, with no subsidy, and when you are told you are eligible for medicaid, apparently you can’t escape being PUT onto medicaid, and I don’t know how you would get off of it. You can’t stop paying your premiums because you aren’t paying any (until you die, that is), and from the sounds of people who have been put onto it, they didn’t have an option to refuse.

These will be folks who have substantial savings and no or very low-paying jobs, who, if they knew the ramifications of being on medicaid (and probably didn’t want to be in the first place, preferring to pay cash for doctor visits) would certainly NOT want to be on it.

People need to be aware of this pitfall.


8 posted on 11/23/2013 12:12:16 PM PST by SusaninOhio
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To: Innovative

First it was known as the Affordable Care Act, then it was called ObamaCare, and now it’s increasingly being referred to as the ObamaCare Disaster — and the program hasn’t even gone into effect yet!

The Wall Street Journal is being too optimistic. Suppose it occurs to growing numbers of healthy Americans under fifty that it would make much more sense for them to put the $500-plus-a-month they’re being forced to pay for ObamaCare into their neighborhood bank instead?

At the end of each year such people would be at least $6,000 richer than they were the year before, able to pay for whatever rare catastrophic illnesses befall young, healthy individuals, and having to worry less and less about saving for retirement.

Only fools and people with pre-existing conditions will sign up for ObamaCare, which means the system will crash, probably sooner rather than later.


9 posted on 11/23/2013 12:12:18 PM PST by Bluestocking
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To: SusaninOhio

I believe, but please tell me if you are sure, that applies to MediCARE as well, right? If I remember, some states currently have the mechanisms to go after estates, and others do but haven’t started enforcing them YET.

Long term care will drain every boomer of the majority of their assets. My parents insist they want to die in their house, and be left alone. That’s their hope, but who knows, and the Obamacare shark is out there circling in the water waiting to chomp down on all the money they’re too stubborn to spend.

God forbid the grandkids are left anything but a picture.


10 posted on 11/23/2013 4:32:30 PM PST by ToastedHead
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