Posted on 07/06/2024 6:40:58 PM PDT by Libloather
It’s the story of every government subsidy: Offer folks handouts if they meet certain requirements, and suddenly a lot of people . . . meet the requirements.
Cover the full cost of something — especially it’s something pricey, like health insurance — and the number zooms off the charts.
That’s what’s happening in the case ObamaCare subsidies President Biden and fellow Democrats generously expanded, with those getting handouts actually exceeding the number entitled to them, a new report from the Paragon Health Institute found.
The improper claims are costing American taxpayers an estimated $15 billion to $26 billion a year, prompting House Republicans to demand a review by the Health and Human Services inspector general and the Government Accountability office to determine “the breadth of improper enrollment and its underlying causes.”
Legislation passed by President Biden and fellow Democrats “resulted in tens of billions of additional taxpayer dollars being spent to prop up ObamaCare plans by increasing subsidies given to insurance companies far above those originally authorized by Congress,” their letters to HHS and GOA officials stated.
That includes expanded eligibility for totally free ObamaCare policies to people making up to 150 percent of the federal poverty level — an incentive, Paragon researchers found, that’s spurred as many as 5 million people to “improperly” claim income below that threshold.
To make matters worse, Team Biden has eliminated “program integrity controls,” which “appears to have created both the incentive and opportunity for individuals and brokers to misstate enrollees’ income.”
The result: Some states are now reporting “hundreds of thousands, and, in one case, millions more individuals enrolled in these plans than are reasonably likely to be eligible.”
“More than half of all enrollees in the federal exchange” claim incomes between 100% and 150% of the poverty level, enabling them to qualify.
(Excerpt) Read more at nypost.com ...
I think that Biden plans to give free health care/health insurance to all the millions of new illegal immigrants. As if they don’t already get free health care, imagine how expensive it will be to the taxpayers, when it is mandated.
From SmartAsset.com:
“In 2024 HHS has set the federal poverty level for all contiguous 48 states, Puerto Rico, the District of Columbia and all U.S. territories, the poverty level is defined as:
Lower 48 States
Household Size of 1: $15,060
Household Size of 2: $20,440
Household Size of 3: $25,820
Household Size of 4: $31,200
Household Size of 5: $36,580
Household Size of 6: $41,960
Household Size of 7: $47,340
Household Size of 8: $52,720
For households with more than eight people, add $5,380 per additional member of the household.”
Here’s what I think:
IF I AM NOT ASKING FOR ANY FINANCIAL HELP FROM THE GOVERNMENT, THEN IT IS NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS HOW MUCH THE HOUSEHOLD INCOME IS.
IF AND WHEN I COME TO THE GOVERNMENT, ...THEN YOU CAN QUESTION ME.
STAY OUT OF MY...BEDROOM, KITCHEN, LIVING ROOM, BATHROOM, GARAGE, AND MAINLY IN ANY PART OF MY LIFE.
Oh, AND, VERY IMPORTANTLY, STAY OUT OF MY AUTOMOBILE.
Here’s what I think:
IF I AM NOT ASKING FOR ANY FINANCIAL HELP FROM THE GOVERNMENT, THEN IT IS NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS HOW MUCH THE HOUSEHOLD INCOME IS.
IF AND WHEN I COME TO THE GOVERNMENT, ...THEN YOU CAN QUESTION ME.
STAY OUT OF MY...BEDROOM, KITCHEN, LIVING ROOM, BATHROOM, GARAGE, AND MAINLY IN ANY PART OF MY LIFE.
Oh, AND, VERY IMPORTANTLY, STAY OUT OF MY AUTOMOBILE.
Once people are enrolled politicians won’t dare to “unenroll” them for fear of being labeled haters or worse.
And once enrolled the people will abuse the privilege to the utmost and become hopelessly dependent.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.