The Unfolding Fiscal Disaster Behind ACA Enrollment Figures (A Must read)

Mercatus Center - George Mason Uninversity ^ | Apr 17, 2014 | Charles Blahous

[skeeter]

Its true the government has gotten good at lying and deflection.

Their patent dishonesty has largely prevented negative repercussions so far, who knows how long they can keep it up.

[FreedomPoster]

Things that can’t go on forever, don’t, at some point.

It won’t be pretty.

[USNA74]

bump

[envisio]

This guy knows his stuff. He uses facts and actual numbers instead smokeandmirrors designed to play on peoples’ feelings.

But of course, even with his extended knowledge and real numbers, the media will not report it because it does not blindly follow the approved dialogue from their masters.

Just say ‘its good’ with no actual evidence. In fact, hide the evidence. Nothing to see here.

[PapaNew]

Political will and economic reality are two entirely different things, although political will is often driven by the perception (not necessarily reality) of economic advantage. I'm talking about the reality of economic alternative to and advantage over socialism.

Without sound economic education, people are left to misleading information from government schools, the deceptive MSM, and their own devices to figure out what is in their economic best interests. Under these circumstances, it is not hard to see why the invisible-hand solution of the wealth-creating free market takes second place to the very-visible hand of law and government.

[upchuck]

Oh, what a great article. Thank you for posting. Deserves wide circulation.

Here's the part I found particularly interesting:

The ACA was enacted when legislators knew, or should have known, that they inhabited a fiscal environment in which such extravagance was unaffordable. Deficits (and debt) are far higher today than when the other major entitlement programs were created; millions of baby boomer retirements are swelling expenditures arising from previously-enacted Social Security and Medicare law. Someday historians will puzzle over the thinking that induced legislators to embark on a vast new spending program at the very moment it could least be afforded.

Damming, to say the least. The pubbies knew better, a fact totally lost to the LSM.

[Cyber Liberty]

Indeed it is a fiscal disaster in the making. In fact, unchecked it will wipe out the health insurance industry as we know it. This is the central purpose of Obastardcare, not an accidental spinoff.

[bigbob]

This makes it very clear why Obamacare will collapse on itself. All that’s missing is the dotcom era meme “we’ll lose money, but make it up in volume”.

Just to be clear - it’s not “ACA”. It is and always must be referred to as “Obamacare”. He won, he owns it.

[kabar]

When new enrollment figures were released last week, the national discussion focused on whether the ACA is fulfilling its coverage expansion goals. The largely unwritten and more important story, however, is that the ACA is rapidly becoming a colossal fiscal disaster as enrollment proceeds heedless of the concurrent collapse of the law’s financing structure.

[kabar]

I wonder if even with education, people would choose to decrease their own benefits.

[kabar]

Exactly. We have created another huge entitlement program we can’t afford. It just hastens our economic collapse.

[kabar]

The health insurance industry is the least of our worries. Even if Obamacare transitions into a single payer system like Medicare and Medicaid, the huge costs to the government (read taxpayers) will bankrupt the country.

I have no sympathy with the health care insurance industry, which went all-in with Obamacare. They liked the idea of mandating people to buy their product and the government providing subsidies so the customers can afford to buy it. It is part of the crony capitalism that results when government (at all levels) controls 40% of the GDP.

[MrB]

When the stated goal could have been accomplished at 1/4 the cost without the undesirable “features”,

then the logical conclusion is that the undesirable “features” were the true goals all along.

[PapaNew]

If they understood 1) the detrimental effects on their lives, freedom, and posterity of government dependency and 2) the benefits of freedom from government coercion and benefits of the freedom of opportunity to build their lives, I think most would choose freedom. History shows us that people die for freedom. Few die for government dependency.

[kabar]

He won, he owns it.

Now we own it and will continue to do so long after Obama leaves office. Hillary will keep it in place along with the Dems who follow her into the WH. Nationally, the Dems have become the permanent majority party.

[Cyber Liberty]

I agree about the greed of the industry, they did jump right in and they deserve every bit of pain that can be meted out to them. But, their demise is what will bring on the rest of what you describe. There is a linkage between the collapse of the insurance industry and the coming of single-payer because it will be demanded by the LIVs that supported O’care in the first place. The ones who didn’t plan for that eventuality upfront were simply useful idiots.

IOW, as much as the insurance companies suck, they’re better than what’s to come.

[kabar]

It is not about health care, but rather, power and control over the electorate. The more people dependent upon government, the bigger government becomes. Does anyone truly believe that SS, Medicare, and Medicaid will be repealed or replaced?

[kabar]

If they understood 1) the detrimental effects on their lives, freedom, and posterity of government dependency and 2) the benefits of freedom from government coercion and benefits of the freedom of opportunity to build their lives, I think most would choose freedom. History shows us that people die for freedom. Few die for government dependency.

If only that were the case. Our electorate is changing. Fewer and fewer people believe in the vision of our founders, especially immigrants and those dependent upon government for survival and security.

[kabar]

We already have single payer health care in the form of Medicare and Medicaid. The world won’t end with the demise of the insurance companies, but the quality of healthcare will decline and the costs and the taxes to pay for it will increase significantly. This will depress the economy and place us in the class of France where government controls 56% of the GDP vice the 40% in the US.

[VRWC For Truth]

FUBAR