Tuesday, April 30, 2013

Healtcare Exchanges Are Unworkable : Feds Fail Yet Again

Interesting - what will the states do if the federal government can't establish the exchanges until next year or even later - some are stating that maybe not at all as the government can't make them work.

I wonder if the government is broke has anything to do with the fact ObamaCare is just a plan to bring the entire country under a 'single' payer program where everyone will have no choice as to what kind of health care you might want. You will take what ever the government deems best for you and like it. If you don't like, no one will care. If you refuse to take the plan laid out for you, you will have options, pay a huge fine or go to jail or both.

Are the people of this country ready to accept a life of control by an all powerful government? I wonder why a majority voted for an agenda that states it wants total power over all aspects of our lives? Who are these people?

States Could Push Part-Time Workers Into Exchanges
Source: Mike Baker, "Governments May Push Workers to Health Exchange," Associated Press, April 24, 2013

April 30, 2013

Under the ObamaCare mandate, every American must obtain health insurance and every company must provide its full-time workers with health coverage or pay a fine. Now, Washington state lawmakers have found a creative way of transferring a large chunk of their health care expenses into the health exchanges, says the Associated Press.
  • Washington state's government is planning on pushing a group of employees out of their current state-supported health care plan into the health exchange mandated by the Affordable Care Act.
  • The employees in question are part-time employees who currently receive health coverage through the state.
  • The plan would shift substantial costs to the federal budget while likely adding costs for some part-time workers.
While Washington state appears to be the first considering such a move, it probably will not be the last as state governments struggle to deal with their budget deficits and massive unfunded pension and health care liabilities.
  • The Department of Health and Human Services declined to comment on the proposal and it is unclear whether or not the move was anticipated when ObamaCare was drafted.
  • As of now, there are no federal rules dictating that a state cannot take such an action, only that all employees working over 30 hours must receive coverage.
  • Authors of Washington's plan say it would save the state $120 million over the next two years.
Unlike many others, Washington offers health coverage to employees working as few as 20 hours a week. Under the new proposal, these workers would lose state coverage but then receive higher wages to pay for insurance in the exchanges.
  • Instead of offering to sweeten the deal with higher wages, other states are simply telling their part-time workers that they must work less than 30 hours a week.
  • Under the mandate, employers are not required to provide coverage to workers who work less than 30 hours a week.
  • For workers witnessing a reduction in hours, the change might create substantial financial woes.
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