PPACA at 1

March 23, 2011

It has been a full year since the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act was signed into law. A lot has changed in the last year. Were any of those changes good for you?

In the last twelve months:
* Insurance Rates have increased.
* Changed and new policies now cover preventive care without copays or coinsurance.
* Children, Only policies were taken off the market.
* People who have significant preexisting conditions and who have been uninsured for over six months can purchase coverage.
* The Democrats lost the House of Representatives and a large number of state houses.

Confusion and uncertainty have dominated the last year. Polls show that a majority of Americans dislike the PPACA, but a majority also dislikes the Republican’s plan to repeal the law. Much like Iraq, the public doesn’t want to be here, but is afraid to leave without a plan.

A Plan. The government doesn’t have any idea how to reform the payment and delivery of healthcare. The people in charge do not appear to be up to the task. And, do all of our so-called leaders have clean hands? Are we being provided an accurate view of the problem and the possible solution?

Vice-President Biden sent an email today to me and millions of other Democrats. He was eager to celebrate this anniversary. The bulk of the email was the story of a young child born with significant health problems. According to our VP, the family is no longer worried about the child’s future due to the passage of this legislation.

I am glad this child’s parents are no longer worried. Of course, if the child is really that disabled, he would qualify for SSI benefits and his health would be covered by the government or the parent’s policy. Nothing changed.

Only in government is over-promising and under-delivering a given.

It has been a year. The Doc-Fix and the 1099 Problem are still unresolved. The Individual Mandate might not be constitutional. The Democrats and the President are stalling in the hope that the PPACA will become accepted, if not loved. The Republicans made a faint attempt at repeal and then returned to their #1 focus, abortion. Regulations and rules are now in the hands of the bureaucrats. The final result may be as clean and organized as the tax code.

The PPACA link in today’s blog is the current amended version of the legislation as of December 10, 2010. Millions have been squandered by insurance companies and major employers attempting to comply with the ever-changing regulations. Those costs will be passed along to you in higher prices for insurance, food, and other necessities.

We can only hope that there will be more clarity and an actual plan by this time next year.