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At 10 Years Old, the Affordable Care Act Is Aging Badly
Daily Signal ^ | 12/18/2020 | Chuck Donovan

Posted on 12/20/2020 5:20:26 AM PST by Onthebrink

Another open season has come and gone in which eligible Americans could choose from a narrow array of federally subsidized health care plans under the Affordable Care Act.

Despite the ACA’s manifest gaps and failures, a recent poll from the left-leaning Kaiser Family Foundation found that a solid majority—55%—of respondents have a favorable perception of the law. That result may be due in part to a feature of the law most have heard about and support: its ban on private insurers denying coverage for preexisting conditions.

The ACA is much more than that provision, however. By almost any measure, the law has fallen short of its objectives. It included features that proved unpopular or unsustainable, led to a decade-long court battle with—of all groups—an order of Catholic nuns devoted to the poor, and it subsidized elective abortion without subscribers’ knowledge in violation of what the law plainly requires.

(Excerpt) Read more at dailysignal.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Government; Health/Medicine; Politics
KEYWORDS: aca; government; health; obamacare
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1 posted on 12/20/2020 5:20:26 AM PST by Onthebrink
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To: Onthebrink

“and it subsidized elective abortion without subscribers’ knowledge in violation of what the law plainly requires.”

One of the measures of a corrupt society is when violations of law are only problematic when certain people commit them.


2 posted on 12/20/2020 5:33:08 AM PST by coloradan (They're not the mainstream media, they're the gaslight media. It's what they do. )
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To: Onthebrink
Subsidized health care that is almost free if you don't work. If you work you are unlikely to exceed your deductible. What could go wrong?
3 posted on 12/20/2020 5:33:40 AM PST by MtnClimber (For photos of Colorado scenery and wildlife, click on my screen name for my FR home page.)
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To: Onthebrink

The purpose was to destroy any payment model for health care until a complete socialist takeover was the only option left. Just look at the calls from the left for “Medicare for all”.


4 posted on 12/20/2020 6:39:00 AM PST by KarlInOhio (The greatest threat to world freedom is the Chinese Communist Party and Joe Biden is their puppet.)
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To: MtnClimber; Onthebrink
The subsidy calculations end up hurting a group that can least afford to be without medical insurance:

Those over 55 and 65, before Medicare kicks in.

I see health insurance policies that are quite often over $1000 per month for that age group, with deductibles exceeding $6000. This is at least $18,000 of income, and often over $20,000. Per person.

Whether single or married, then - due to a “cliff rule” - even a single one dollar over the 401% of the poverty line means that the entire ACA subsidy is required to be paid back.

Typically happens over $48,500 if single or $68,000 if married.

Take money out of an IRA or 401k? Get a second job to help pay bills? Start your pension or social security early?

All of these can be enough to require a taxpayer to pay back the entire subsidy - at once, as part of their annual tax return.

I would like to think that the crafters of these laws and rules didn't intend for this massive penalty to continue.

But they Dems have had over a decade to change it - even a little - and have fought tooth and nail to refuse any changes at all.

I know many that have benefited from the subsidies on a personal level, but overall this law has been a disaster, forcing the cost of medicine and premiums to escalate.

And this is the best they can do?

5 posted on 12/20/2020 6:39:30 AM PST by texas booster (Join FreeRepublic's Folding@Home team (Team # 36120) Cure Alzheimer's!)
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To: Onthebrink

6 posted on 12/20/2020 7:03:59 AM PST by BenLurkin (The above is not a statement of fact. It is either opinion, or satire. Or both.)
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To: KarlInOhio
“Medicare for all”

If you talk to people advocating this, they think that Medicare is free. You pay in you whole working career, then you pay premiums every month after you go on the plan.

7 posted on 12/20/2020 7:10:08 AM PST by nascarnation
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To: Onthebrink

Butt, butt, butt..................obxxx and smartness etc.


8 posted on 12/20/2020 7:15:09 AM PST by rktman ( #My2ndAmend! ----- Enlisted in the Navy in '67 to protect folks rights to strip my rights. WTH?)
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To: texas booster

If you knowingly are on the bubble you can choose an HSA plan and that can help with $4500 of income.

I agree there is a problem for that age bracket.

One possible solution for the deductible issue is an alternative health care plan that technically isnt health insurance.

One of the plans from the Christan health sharing programs such as Christian Health Ministries or Good Samaritan.

SInce they arent insurance, and you cant deduct the premiums..it might not violate whatever the clause is about having other “insurance”

I use one of them. Never had a problem with payouts. But I also have not had any large expenditures. Less than 5 grand.


9 posted on 12/20/2020 7:15:33 AM PST by RummyChick (I BLAME KUSHNER)
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To: texas booster
I see health insurance policies that are quite often over $1000 per month for that age group, with deductibles exceeding $6000. This is at least $18,000 of income, and often over $20,000. Per person.

I can back up that claim. My husband started his own business a couple of years ago. IIRC, the cheapest was about 1200 a month, 10K deductible. The only plan even worth purchasing was about 2K a year.

Rather than deal with it, I just went back to work after a long long hiatus. Did a temp job for a year to get some recent "experience" and did the "health sharing" thing.

Thankfully, with the Trump economy I was able to land a decent job after that year with insurance.

10 posted on 12/20/2020 7:20:28 AM PST by riri (Hope is not a strategy at this point- Sam Andrews)
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To: nascarnation

Pretty sure I could get much better coverage with Medicare for less of a cost than the crazy expensive cost of Obamacare.

So I will be happy for Biden to lower the age of Medicare and let the young liberal free for all snowflakes worry about paying for it.


11 posted on 12/20/2020 7:20:35 AM PST by RummyChick (I BLAME KUSHNER)
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To: riri

2K a month, not a year. Oops.


12 posted on 12/20/2020 7:20:51 AM PST by riri (Hope is not a strategy at this point- Sam Andrews)
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To: Onthebrink

it’s really only 6 years old...the 1st 4 years was all take and no give.


13 posted on 12/20/2020 7:30:43 AM PST by stylin19a ( 2016 - Best.Election.Of.All.Times.Ever.In.The.History.Of.Ever)
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To: Onthebrink

Mey dem rep says people love it and want more obamacare.


14 posted on 12/20/2020 7:51:46 AM PST by bigbob (Trust Trump. Trust the Plan.)
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To: MtnClimber

Hubby spent 20 yrs CAREER USN, 20 YRS Jr College Prof, pensions, SS suck, and the add my piddly SS intoit, he exceeds VA care. Medicare went UP $148.00, his SS $20.00. We don’t know yet what Tricare Life co-pays will be. Nor what CUTS BOTH WILL MAKE. Each year it covers less.

There is NO PRICE NEGOTIATIONS ALLOWED, ALL IS SET BY CONGRESS, DoD. As are REGS.


15 posted on 12/20/2020 7:53:08 AM PST by GailA (Constitution vs evil Treasonous political Apparatchiks)
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To: Onthebrink

It was bad to begin with. It did nothing but more than ten-fold costs. What was $112 a month is now $850 a month. The deducible that was $250 a year is now $5,100 a year.

It was the second single largest theft of the people that gave to large corporations.

The first is COVID. IT has single handedly shut down small businesses in favor of large businesses.


16 posted on 12/20/2020 7:59:56 AM PST by CodeToad (Arm Up! They Have!)
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To: Onthebrink

Obviously, the ACA was designed to fail. Making that point is not interesting.

What is interesting is, what do you think comes next, and who benefits?


17 posted on 12/20/2020 8:02:22 AM PST by Jim Noble (Lo there do I see the line of my people, back to the beginning)
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To: KarlInOhio
a complete socialist takeover was the only option left

That's been the only way out since 1965.

Well, not exactly "complete". There will be a free market in boob jobs and eye surgery.

18 posted on 12/20/2020 8:04:36 AM PST by Jim Noble (Lo there do I see the line of my people, back to the beginning)
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To: bigbob
Mey dem rep says people love it and want more obamacare

Your Dem rep is correct.

The only thing people don't like about it is the name.

19 posted on 12/20/2020 8:06:06 AM PST by Jim Noble (Lo there do I see the line of my people, back to the beginning)
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To: GailA

I’m sorry to hear after 20 years of service you guys got rooked.

We were all really shocked when my Dad was denied help from the VA because he and Mom made too much money. For cryin’ out loud, he volunteered for the Army Air Corps, and then had a job and paid taxes forever afterward. You’d think he had done his time and paid his dime. He did use some of the GI Bill money for several semesters of engineering school but did not get a degree. So it wasn’t a total bust, but now when they need a little help there isn’t any. For a veteran. Like you guys.


20 posted on 12/20/2020 8:10:32 AM PST by Cloverfarm (Pray for the peace of Jerusalem ...)
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