Obama Care - The Affordable Care Act -

[Karl]

The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA), commonly called the Affordable Care Act (ACA) or "Obamacare",[ is a United States federal statute signed into law by President Barack Obama on March 23, 2010. Together with the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act,] it represents the most significant regulatory overhaul of the U.S. healthcare system since the passage of Medicare and Medicaid in 1965.

The ACA was enacted with the goals of increasing the quality and affordability of health insurance, lowering the uninsured rate by expanding public and private insurance coverage, and reducing the costs of healthcare for individuals and the government. It introduced a number of mechanisms—including mandates, subsidies, and insurance exchanges—meant to increase coverage and affordability.

The law also requires insurance companies to cover all applicants within new minimum standards and offer the same rates regardless of pre-existing conditions or sex.[8] Additional reforms aimed to reduce costs and improve healthcare outcomes by shifting the system towards quality over quantity through increased competition, regulation, and incentives to streamline the delivery of healthcare. In 2011 the Congressional Budget Office projected that the ACA would lower both future deficits and Medicare spending.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Obamacare

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Gov't pays 76 percent of premium under health law

Health law report: Average enrollee in federal market pays $82 monthly on premium of $346

WASHINGTON (AP) -- People who signed up for coverage under President Barack Obama's health care law are paying about $80 a month in premiums on average, the administration reported Wednesday.

The new numbers from the Health and Human Services Department cover only the 36 states where the federal government took the lead in setting up new insurance markets, accounting for about 5.4 million of the 8 million people who signed up nationally.

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/govt-p...html?.tsrc=sun

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/govt-p...html?.tsrc=sun

[Islandman]

Wow, the taxpayer is having to subsidize 76 percent of Obamacare premiums.

That is a significant figure. However I suppose they were already subsidizing them anyway via emergency room service.

Hopefully the expected reductions in real premium costs due to more people being insured will start soon. If not this is going to be a VERY expensive program for the already near-bankrupt federal government.

[Karl]

Wow, the taxpayer is having to subsidize 76 percent of Obamacare premiums.

That is a significant figure. However I suppose they were already subsidizing them anyway via emergency room service.

Hopefully the expected reductions in real premium costs due to more people being insured will start soon. If not this is going to be a VERY expensive program for the already near-bankrupt federal government.

I would say another of the good uses to which our taxes are put!!!

[Islandman]

The ideas is all well and good, but if costs are not contained it easily becomes another program where government costs are out of control. Medicare is already teetering on the brink of bankruptcy within 20 years.

Over the long term the ACA is supposed to have a positive impact on health insurance prices by creating a larger and younger insured pool. For it to be successful it must do that.

[Karl]

The ideas is all well and good, but if costs are not contained it easily becomes another program where government costs are out of control. Medicare is already teetering on the brink of bankruptcy within 20 years.

Over the long term the ACA is supposed to have a positive impact on health insurance prices by creating a larger and younger insured pool. For it to be successful it must do that.

Medicare is not self-sustaining program.
Never was!

The ACA is not a self-sustaining program.
Was never intended to be.

Do not make the 'loud irrational voices' mislead you.
They are 'citizen-funded' programs=Taxes.

Paying into Medicare written on your W-2 as just plain "Medicare Tax".
The Supreme Court unlined that funds gathered for The ACA are tax funds.

Both programs could be accurately described as tax-payer funded programs.

...and a big FULL 100 to your call for each to be efficiently run such that fullest bang can be received for our dollars.

[Islandman]

Obviously not SELF-sustaining, they are not income producing. However they are expected to be tax-funded without running the citizens bankrupt!

Medicare is on target for insolvency in 10-15 years because the expected payouts far exceed expected taxes. Nobody wants to address it because it is political Kryptonite, but to save it either Medicare taxes will have to be drastically increased or Medicare benefits will be drastically reduced . It is simple arithmetic.

If the ACA costs spiral out of control it will suffer the same fate.

[Karl]

Obviously not SELF-sustaining, they are not income producing. However they are expected to be tax-funded without running the citizens bankrupt!

Medicare is on target for insolvency in 10-15 years because the expected payouts far exceed expected taxes. Nobody wants to address it because it is political Kryptonite, but to save it either Medicare taxes will have to be drastically increased or Medicare benefits will be drastically reduced . It is simple arithmetic.

If the ACA costs spiral out of control it will suffer the same fate.

Of course you are correct on taxes beinbg increased.
That is how it shall always be.

...as population increases and number of services considered/determined to be essential increase. Tax must and shall always be increased! End of story...all the GOP chat is mere nonsense when put in that context.