The Affordable Care Act II - Because Mr. Obama Loves You All

[/dev/null]

And with the 2,000th response in this thread, I'd like to take a moment to express my thoughts on everyone here in the form of a South Park song performed by the one of the most prominent American thinkers of our time

 

Edited July 14, 2015 by /dev/null

[Chef Jim]

 

It's Terri Schiavo and how does that make you lol?

Because people dying is funny to him.

[Nanker]

Aetna just announced its buying Humana for $37 Billion.

[IDBillzFan]

Aetna just announced its buying Humana for $37 Billion.

 

Wow.

 

Or, as Ralph Kramden would say, "A humanahumanahumana...

[Magox]

Humana's Medicare Advantage portfolio is Ginormous.

[B-Man]

NUNS FORCED TO PAY FOR OBAMACARE CONTRACEPTION:

 

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit ruled today that the Little Sisters of the Poor must abide by Obamacare’s contraceptive mandate. You may recall that the Little Sisters took their religious liberty objection to the mandate all the way to the Supreme Court last summer–and won an injunction therefrom, pending disposition on the merits by the Tenth Circuit. But when considering the merits, the Tenth Circuit nonetheless ruled against them:

 

In response to religious concerns, the Departments implementing the ACA— Health and Human Services (“HHS”), Labor, and Treasury—adopted a regulation that exempts religious employers—churches and their integrated auxiliaries—from covering contraceptives. When religious non-profit organizations complained about their omission from this exemption, the Departments adopted a regulation that allows them to opt out of providing, paying for, or facilitating contraceptive coverage. Under this regulation, a religious non-profit organization can opt out by delivering a form to their group health plan’s health insurance issuer or third-party administrator (“TPA”) or by sending a notification to HHS.

 

The Plaintiffs in the cases before us are religious non-profit organizations. They contend that complying with the Mandate or the accommodation scheme imposes a substantial burden on their religious exercise. The Plaintiffs argue the Mandate and the accommodation scheme violate the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (“RFRA”) and the Religion and Speech Clauses of the First Amendment.

 

Although we recognize and respect the sincerity of Plaintiffs’ beliefs and arguments, we conclude the accommodation scheme relieves Plaintiffs of their obligations under the Mandate and does not substantially burden their religious exercise under RFRA or infringe upon their First Amendment rights.

 

 

 

The Tenth Circuit’s contortions to reach this result are remarkable. The court seems to have no recognition of the fact that the Obama Administration’s regulatory “accommodation” is a sleight of hand, allowing the insurer/third party administrator to move the contraceptive coverage “off the books” and “pay” for it themselves. But of course burdening the insurer/administrator in this fashion is merely a shell game, and the cost of contraceptive coverage is ultimately borne by the employer and individual beneficiaries. The coverage is not magically free, no matter how hard the Obama Administration tries to make it “look” free via regulation.

 

So now we have Catholic nuns who religiously object to paying for certain types of contraception being forced to do so anyway (despite the smoke and mirrors), in contradiction to the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA) and the Free Exercise Clause of the First Amendment. The founders would be rolling over in their graves. But hey, what a bunch of dead, old white guys who wrote and ratified the Constitution thought or wanted isn’t relevant anymore anyway, right? We shall see. The Supreme Court may grant review to hear the Little Sisters case again.

[IDBillzFan]

NUNS FORCED TO PAY FOR OBAMACARE CONTRACEPTION:

This surprises me given what we learned today about how the left loves to sell baby body parts for profit.

[B-Man]

REVOLVING DOOR UPDATE:

 

Former Obamacare chief to lead top insurance lobby.

 

“The former chief of Medicare and Medicaid, who was responsible for overseeing the implementation of President Obama’s healthcare law, will lead the insurance industry’s top lobbying group. Marilyn Tavenner, who in February stepped down from her role as chief administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, will become the new head of America’s Health Insurance Plans, which represents dozens of U.S. insurers.”

 

 

With that track record, you know she’s being hired for her connections and not for her skills.

 

 

 

 

 

Report: One-third of vets on pending medical care list already dead

An internal Veterans Affairs Department report states that about one-third of the veterans waiting to receive medical care from the agency have already died.

A review of veteran death records provided to the Huffington Post found that, as of April, 847,822 veterans were awaiting healthcare and that of those, 238,647 were already deceased.

The report was handed over by Scott Davis, a program specialist at the VA's Health Eligibility Center in Atlanta

He also sent copies to the House and Senate VA panels and to the White House.

 

 

More at http://thehill.com/policy/defense/247752-report-one-third-of-vets-waiting-medical-care-already-dead

[Tiberius]

REVOLVING DOOR UPDATE:

 

Former Obamacare chief to lead top insurance lobby.

 

“The former chief of Medicare and Medicaid, who was responsible for overseeing the implementation of President Obama’s healthcare law, will lead the insurance industry’s top lobbying group. Marilyn Tavenner, who in February stepped down from her role as chief administrator of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, will become the new head of America’s Health Insurance Plans, which represents dozens of U.S. insurers.”

 

 

With that track record, you know she’s being hired for her connections and not for her skills.

 

 

 

 

 

 

More at http://thehill.com/policy/defense/247752-report-one-third-of-vets-waiting-medical-care-already-dead

Another good reason not to start another war

[IDBillzFan]

Dear Insurance Companies,

 

I know we put you in a position to have to dramatically raise your rates to cover the costs for all the people who get 'free health care,' but please don't make us look bad.

 

Sincerely,

 

The WH Healthcare.gov stooges.

 

Counihan's unusual missive comes amid concerns that some—if not most—Obamacare customers will be hit with double-digit percentageprice increases being sought by a number of insurers nationwide for 2016. Insurance commissioners will soon approve the final rates that will be charged customers both on government-run Obamacare marketplaces, and those who buy individual plans off those exchanges through brokers or the insurers directly.

Insurance commissioners in nearly all states have the power to adjust health plan rates after price proposals are submitted for a coming year by insurers. The federal government can only review rates of 10 percent or more in just five states and two U.S. territories whose commissioners don't have that authority.

[DC Tom]

Dear Insurance Companies,

 

I know we put you in a position to have to dramatically raise your rates to cover the costs for all the people who get 'free health care,' but please don't make us look bad.

 

Sincerely,

 

The WH Healthcare.gov stooges.

 

 

And read the letter, if you can.

 

 

Further, the increase in the individual shared responsibility fee in 2016 and increased consumer experience with individual shared responsibility should motivate a new segment of uninsured who may not have a high need for health care to enroll for coverage.

 

I mean, that's just beautiful. People will buy **** they don't need because they have more experience with shared responsibility? What sort of pollyanna horseshit is that?

[Magox]

 

And read the letter, if you can.

 

 

 

I mean, that's just beautiful. People will buy **** they don't need because they have more experience with shared responsibility? What sort of pollyanna horseshit is that?

 

I don't have a problem with subsidizing lower income folks so that they can obtain coverage, but as I had noted ad nauseam a few years back regarding the healthcare law and how it was crafted, the way it is written encourages older and sicker people to enroll through their pricing structure however gives huge disincentives for younger healthier folks to obtain coverage. You need the younger and healthier people to enroll at higher numbers to keep premiums in check so that the risk pools are more evenly balanced. Their whole pricing scheme in order to achieve this is so convoluted and illogical specially when you factor in their paternalistic mandates that the government places on the carriers in the additional 'essential benefits' that for many people are wholly unnecessary i.e, maternity, substance abuse, pediatric and rehabilitative coverage.

 

They didn't think this through too well.

[Chef Jim]

 

I don't have a problem with subsidizing lower income folks so that they can obtain coverage, but as I had noted ad nauseam a few years back regarding the healthcare law and how it was crafted, the way it is written encourages older and sicker people to enroll through their pricing structure however gives huge disincentives for younger healthier folks to obtain coverage. You need the younger and healthier people to enroll at higher numbers to keep premiums in check so that the risk pools are more evenly balanced. Their whole pricing scheme in order to achieve this is so convoluted and illogical specially when you factor in their paternalistic mandates that the government places on the carriers in the additional 'essential benefits' that for many people are wholly unnecessary i.e, maternity, substance abuse, pediatric and rehabilitative coverage.

 

They didn't think this through too well.

 

Ya think?

[IDBillzFan]

They didn't think this through too well.

 

If only the people who crafted the law had read "A Tale of Two Cities."

 

Can you imagine how much better this law would be had they only taken the time to read the classics?

[Magox]

 

If only the people who crafted the law had read "A Tale of Two Cities."

 

Can you imagine how much better this law would be had they only taken the time to read the classics?

[DC Tom]

 

If only the people who crafted the law had read "A Tale of Two Cities."

 

Can you imagine how much better this law would be had they only taken the time to read the classics?

 

Although they did read Pride and Prejudice, it seems.

[B-Man]

Troubles plague the state-run ACA exchanges....... Turns out they're not self-sustaining...................... Go figure.

 

 

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_HEALTH_OVERHAUL_STATES?SITE=AP&SECTION

 

.

[Nanker]

I hope every !@#$er who voted for the ACA gets every form of cancer known to man.

[IDBillzFan]

Troubles plague the state-run ACA exchanges....... Turns out they're not self-sustaining...................... Go figure.

 

 

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_HEALTH_OVERHAUL_STATES?SITE=AP&SECTION

 

.

 

Is nobody interested in where all these billions of federal dollars ended up instead of in the state exchanges?

 

Anyone? Billions upon billions of dollars...laundered away into the pockets of progressive lobbyists, friends and campaigns and nothing to show for it except abject progressive redistribution failures.

 

Think of all the infrastructure projects that could have been funded.

 

Think of all the solar panels that could have been installed.

 

Think of all the training for the unemployed that could have been provided.

 

If only progressives truly cared about the items they whine about every day.

[keepthefaith]

 

Is nobody interested in where all these billions of federal dollars ended up instead of in the state exchanges?

 

Anyone? Billions upon billions of dollars...laundered away into the pockets of progressive lobbyists, friends and campaigns and nothing to show for it except abject progressive redistribution failures.

 

Think of all the infrastructure projects that could have been funded.

 

Think of all the solar panels that could have been installed.

 

Think of all the training for the unemployed that could have been provided.

 

If only progressives truly cared about the items they whine about every day.

That's so unfair. Obama and his ilk have to make the painful and difficult decisions on what to fund and what not to fund because there just isn't enough money to go around. On top of that, they have to do this in the shadows in order to avoid being attacked by obstructionist Republicans and put some blame on the Koch brothers while we're at it.