Obamacare News of the Day

The Federalist: No, Obamacare Did Not "Save The Economy" Last Quarter

• GDP growth figures for the fourth quarter of 2013 were released by the federal government, and the numbers were not good. The economy just barely avoided painful contraction, posting annualized growth of only 0.1 percent. But for the Obamacare Truther Brigade, there was a tiny glimmer of hope. It turns out that higher than expected health care spending growth was just enough to keep that quarterly growth number out of the red. According to the BEA data, if that health spending growth had been excluded, the economy would have contracted by 1 percent.
• I’m old enough to remember when one of the major reasons to pass Obamacare was to reduce the percentage of the economy spent on health care, not increase it. In fact, the White House economic team put out a massive paper in June of 2009 — entitled “The Economic Case For Health Reform ” — that focused on how Obamacare would grow the economy by slashing health care cost growth…[from the report]:
• We estimate that slowing the annual growth rate of health care costs...would increase real gross domestic product[.]…
• Slowing the growth rate of health care costs will prevent disastrous increases in the Federal budget deficit.
• The rising share of health expenditures...has dire implications for government budgets.
• As health care spending rises as a share of GDP under the current system, both households and governments will feel pressure on their budgets.
• Why, it’s almost like one of Obamacare’s major stated goals was to reduce health care spending as a percentage of GDP, so that that money could be spent on more productive aspects of the economy! The president’s economists know this, which is why they put so much effort into pushing the meme that Obamacare would reduce health care costs.
• [RELATED] Zero Hedge: If It Wasn't For Obamacare, Q1 GDP Would Be Negative
  • It's curious how the weather impacted (or rather is used as an excuse to explain) everything but government-mandated healthcare spending in the first quarter.
  • And of course, for all those who correctly point out that mandatory spending on healthcare, also known as malinvestment, took away from spending on every other discretionary item possible, well... you are right.

House Energy and Commerce Committee: As of April 15, Only 67 Percent of Enrollees in Federal Marketplace Had Paid First Month's Premium

• On April 17, 2014, President Obama declared the success of his law, claiming that 8 million Americans had signed up for health insurance, but data from the insurance providers reveals that the president’s figure is largely misleading. As of April 15, 2014, insurers informed the committee that only 2.45 million had paid their first month’s premium for coverage obtained through the federally facilitated marketplace.
• Nationwide (as of April 15, 2014), 67 percent of people had completed enrollment and paid their first month’s premium and 33 percent had not. Of those who had paid their first month’s premium:
  • Under 18: six percent;
  • Ages 18 to 25: 10 percent;
  • 26 to 34: 15 percent;
  • 35 to 44: 16 percent;
  • 45 to 54: 23 percent;
  • 55 to 64: 29 percent;
  • 65 and older: 1 percent.

USA Today: Contraception mandate turning into abortion mandate?

• During a recent Supreme Court argument over the Affordable Care Act's contraceptives mandate, Justice Anthony Kennedy cut to the heart of the government's argument. "Under your view," he toldSolicitor General Donald Verrilli, "a for-profit corporation could be forced to pay for abortions." After some verbal fumbling, Verrilli conceded: "you're right." But, he quickly added, there is nothing to fear because there "is no law like that on the books."…Not yet.
• Earlier this year, Washington State tried to be the first. HB 2148, Washington's Reproductive Parity Act, would require any health plan that covers maternity care to cover elective, surgical abortions also. The bill is supported by a majority of the Washington legislature and the governor. It is stalled — for now — in the Senate Health Care Committee.
• Here is what that means for Washington State business owner Jim Mischel. In 1998, Jim launched a company called Electric Mirror in a garage with the help of his parents, brother, and sister — all of whom still work for the company. They never dreamt that they had to separate their faith from their business. So they never did. They drafted a corporate statement of faith that defined how Electric Mirror would make its products, treat its customers, care for its employees and serve the church and community.
• …Today, Electric Mirror employs more than 200 people and must provide health coverage under the ACA. But no law had to compel Jim and Aaron to provide health insurance for their employees. It was already in the company's statement of faith: Electric Mirror would offer its employees both wages and health benefits more generous than the law required.
• At the Supreme Court, the government argued that Jim and Aaron can be forced to provide whatever insurance coverage the government mandates: which means abortifacient contraceptives today and, most likely in Washington State, surgical abortions tomorrow.

Forbes: Obamacare Canceled My Health Plan, And Increased My Premiums By 50 Percent, But At Least I'll Have Maternity Care [the author, Ms. Buckley, is 56 years old]

• But it’s not just about the money. It’s also about personal choice. We personally customized our plan to fit our health needs and our lifestyles. It included dental and vision, something that neither of the replacement plans fully do. The Obamacare plans just don’t give us the coverage we want at a price we can afford—and Obamacare basically makes it illegal for us to tailor a health plan that does.