There are three variables with respect to ACA policies which in combination may reduce the demand for medical care by insured middle and lower middle class people and therefore result in lowering medical care costs in aggregate:
1) High deductibles and copays
2) High premiums for those who are not subsidized
3) Very limited provider networks
It is very possible those struggling to stay above water from paycheck to paycheck will quickly realize they cannot afford the high out of pocket costs and will forgo medical care, thereby reducing demand for services and lowering claims costs for the insurance companies. The law of unintended consequences may be the bill touted and giving access to good healthcare for everyone may actually result in less care for the working poor and lower middle class.
Yes, the laws of supply and demand are pretty well established.
You can’t increase demand in the face of decreasing supply and not expect either increased costs or limitations on the good services being provided.
Obamacare involves defacto rationing to keep costs down. But using passive measures. In the spirit of “set deportation”, call it “self rationing.”
I concur and also, how much of this is really a Medicaid expenditure that is not being considered into the total cost of ObamaCare?
The growth of the Medicaid enrollments have got to be adding billions to the cost of the program.