Healthcare Drama

Setting: White House Theater
Actors: Barack Obama (Portraying the U.S. President)
            Kathleen Sebelius (Director of Health and Human Services)
Attendees: 700 MTV watching, Prius driving, sandal wearing, tatooed, college students chanting "OBAMA"

Act One:

Pres: "Kathleen, America is on to us. I need your help in getting me a new message to convince the restless that Obamacare is what they need. These are the concerns that have me down":

• The House, with bi-partisan support, voted to repeal our plan 2 weeks ago
• 27 states have joined together to move this case to the Supreme Court
• Real Clear Politics, an aggregate poller, still shows the majority are against our plan
• The former C.B.O. director exposed our budget  gimmicks that we used to get to 'deficit neutral"
• The media just disclosed to the folks that we have granted 'waivers' to 729  organizations (30% are unions) which total 2.2 million enrollees-- I thought Kathleen the media was on our side
• The fact we collect monies for 10 years but only provide 6 years of benefits was revealed
• We were exposed on our bogus research that embellished pre-existing conditions

Kathleen: "Mr. President, I have great news regarding a new research report that just came out Thursday. It shows that using our 2014 health exchanges will save citizens money. Want to hear the details?"

Pres: "Make it simple so I can comprehend".

Kathleen: "The research compared the standard medical benefits plan in a 2009 policy and discovered those same benefits in our 2014 structure will actually cost the insured less!"

Pres: "I knew we were right! Do you think the people will believe us now?"

Kathleen: "Mr. Pres, of course they will, look how easy it was to fool them in 2008."
.

Curtain closes..standing (stumbling) ovation by attendees

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The government propaganda referenced is located here . The conclusion they drew (again, keeping it simple) is with all of the tax credits, subsidies, etc (monies we don't have), a 2009 benefits type plan will cost less when that same plan is purchased in 2014. Wuh-wuh, rroonngggg....

A hat tip to Politico.com (usually an Obama ally) who calls 'bogus' on the research. Here is the sleight of hand--you wont be able to buy a "2009 style plan" in 2014:

• A 2009 plan allowed life time caps on benefits, a 2014 plan will not
• A 2009 plan did not allow you to keep your 26 yr old on your policy, a 2014 will
• A 2009 policy could exclude pre-existing conditions or price accordingly to risk keeping their costs lower for their customers, a 2014 will not
• A 2009 plan could allow for menu-style pricing (applicant could decline maternity coverage,drug alcohol, etc) to keep premiums lower, a 2014 plan will not
• A 2009 plan could charge a nominal fee for traditional screenings (breast, colon, etc), 2014 plans will mandate they be 'free'

  
  

  Bottom line: With the mandate that insurance companies provide significantly different benefits by 2014 thus increasing the costs (my 2011 plan is going up 28%), the ability to buy a 2009 type plan (where consumers were able to design a plan that best met their needs and insurance companies priced accordingly) WILL NOT EXIST.

Apple meet oranges..

Facepalm meet Obama..

Smoke meet mirror...