Those that can’t afford insurance will have it provided to them at no cost. Those currently paying into a health care plan and not consuming health care will probably see rates at least double. Private health insurance covers your kids until the age of 26, which is no real out of pocket cost for insurance companies. It is a selling point to get a customer. Government coverage isn’t going to throw in the kids for free up to the age of 26. Net result kids start paying for health insurance at age 18. So if you’re female, unemployed, single and pregnant, guess what you just won the lottery; you become entitled to all sorts of benefits. Otherwise figure $4,000 a year from the age of 18 to 45 for something you will probably not even need; kiss good-by that 100K not spent on pizza, beer and backpack trips--you don't even get the chance to smoke it, but I digress.
Let’s face it, what sort of government produced product offered to the public is better than what the private sector offers? I can’t even think of one thing. If you are in the military, would you use a government made hand grenade? Private producers go out of business if what they are producing is crap, or if its overpriced.
The whole health care program sounds so neo-Nazi. Everyone has to sign up with the government. Of course, “If you like your present health plan, you can keep it.” The real issue here is how long you get to keep it--for.
The thinking that caught my mind the other day was what someone said, “If you can’t afford health insurance now, you certainly won’t be able to when this program takes effect.” We are not talking about people that need medical treatment that they can’t afford to pay for; we are talking about people who want to protect their family from unforeseen health events.
The real issue isn’t health care for you and me; it’s about health care for those that Congress says can’t afford it. It isn’t a new and cheaper plan, rather a plan where those that bought health insurance, now have to pay more for those that couldn’t afford to pay what was billed or to be billed.
The government needs to get out of health care for several reasons, they are inept, incompetent, and wasteful. The concept that it is cheaper to pay for healthcare as a group through government is a flawed concept. The plans to be put into play are “not for profit plans.” So there is no real incentive to hold down costs to manage the health care system, but there is one to hold down the prices doctors charge.
We will see the statistics over the coming months. How many people will enroll in Obamacare? --I think it will be abysmal. It is a little like the gay marriage thing, great press, but how many people took advantage of those rights 50, 100?? (nobody even cared enough to follow up on it) Those who cannot afford their present health care, need money for treatment (that they don't have) and it has nothing to do with insurance. The people who desire insurance as a protection against future loss need to rethink what they can expect to receive from this new government plan. Anybody who thinks a government plan would be cheaper and better than a private plan has rocks in his head. The incentive to save for retirement is gone, when those that spend everything now expect to get more later for having less.
The net result of Obamacare, is that it has poisoned the political arena. Plus its entire infra-structure is geared to determining who doesn't have to pay for it. Maybe we'd better pass that minimum wage of $15 per hour so the people flipping hamburgers can afford to pay the insurance part of Obamacare, not just enjoy the free entitlement part.
The hundred dollar Big Mac with fries and a coke can't be far away.
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