Dumb question...but a simple one:
Who pays the subsidy?
The rat websites are full of ‘success stories’...I just read one where a fellow and his wife got a ‘Gold’ plan, which would normally be $750/month for $450/month, after subsidy.
They are all cheering, of course, because Uncle Sugar is helping to pay for part of it. But has anybody explained exactly where this subsidy comes from?
Does it come from the general fund? Are the medical device tax and tanning tax supposed to cover this? Is money being transferred out of Medicaid?
Its a simple question, with a seemingly simple answer - we pay for it. But how, and where in the budget is all this fairy dust subsidy being accounted for?
"From Obama's stash" (Obamavoter on TV in '09)
Theoretically, the young -- who are being over-charged. And those who don't choose to be insured -- and pay the penalty.
In actual fact, since the young won't choose to be insured -- because they are being over-charged -- and will choose the cheaper penalty, it will be the taxpayers who end up paying the subsidy.
Of course...
The GAO now estimates the total net cost of Obamacare to the taxpayers at 2.6 trillion over ten years (vs 0.9 trillion when the bill was passed). But it will end up being over 5 trillion by the time it's all said and done.
If this was all about insuring the uninsured, why, oh why, didn't we just buy them all a policy?
Your great grand kids...
“No....seriously.....the lunch is free. We do have a $10 cover charge, though.”
“What’s the cover charge for?”
“Entertainment.”
“Entertainment? I don’t see any band.”
“No, the entertainment is for me. I get really entertained seeing dumbs**ts like you who think there is such a thing as a free lunch.”