The Slicing and Dicing of U.S. Healthcare

In 2010, when Nancy Pelosi uttered the now memorable words, “We have to pass the bill so that you can find out what is in it,” she was being sincere.  Little did she realize that three years later the system would fail upon its rollout, and that people on individual health plans would have their insurance cancelled.

Furthermore, other people attempting to sign up for healthcare via the government-run Healthcare.gov portal are finding out that they can’t get in.  Or, if they do, cannot access the exchanges with the firm knowledge that they are properly enrolled and insured.

But that’s not all:  The systemic computer and systems design failure which was exposed on October 1, 2013 and which still persists is not the only problem.    

At least one significant sleeper regulation that slipped into the original legislation three months after its passage has now come out of its deep slumber.  It has the look and feel of a bad hangover:

In June, 2009, when President Obama said, “We will keep this promise to the American people. If you like your doctor you will be able to keep your doctor. Period. If you like your healthcare plan, you will be able to keep your healthcare plan. Period.”

Not quite – period.

CNN, FOX News, NBC News, and other TV, radio and print media have begun coalescing around the expectation that as many as 85% of approximately 15 to 19 million Americans with individual, private healthcare plans will get cancellation notices.

At this writing at least 2 million Americans already have been dropped.

NBC NEWS Investigations wrote that the “Obama administration knew millions could not keep their health plans.” It knew this at least three years ago. 

Here is an example of merely one such cancellation result:  A couple with no children was offered a “comparable” replacement plan that bloated the original premium by 430% and added a $5,500 deductible.

That’s the “Affordable” Care Act.