The Fifteen Page Term Paper

Some teachers counted pages. Some counted words. If you were assigned five pages, you had to produce at least five pages. A little extra couldn’t hurt. When my teachers asked for 500 words, I tried to deliver between 550 and 600. That’s not to say that we didn’t all use certain well-worn tricks and gimmicks. These papers never contained a single contraction. And we all knew how to stretch out a sentence and  how to end a paragraph.

Who knew these skills would be needed as an adult, and not just by any adult, but by a presidential candidate?

Governor Scott Walker (R-WI) unveiled his plan to repeal and replace The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) this week. I confess that I had no interest in reading this latest entry in the R & R game. After the disappointing and incredibly cynical bill put forth by Senators Richard Burr (R-NC) and Orrin Hatch (R-UT) – The Patient Choice, Affordability, Responsibility, and Empowerment Act – I decided to skip all light fiction reading for the balance of 2015.

Still, the Walker plan had a certain appeal. His campaign is sinking and the Republican base hates anything attached to the current president, especially Obamacare. And unlike the Congressional attempts, a sitting governor might actually create a thoughtful document, a plan that could be implemented in his/her state.

The Wall Street Journal reviewed the Walker plan before I had a chance to read it for myself. I was surprised that the Journal didn’t give it the usual “best thing since sliced bread” 5 star rating these plans tend to receive. No, it was panned. Now I had to read Scott Walker’s contribution to the healthcare debate.

Please click here to access Governor Walker’s plan.

The Walker plan is a fifteen page term paper circa 10^th grade. The page and a half preamble is hidden behind FOUR cover pages. The meat, the depth and breadth of how we manage 20% of our economy, is contained on the 6 ½ pages that follow the one page outline. Then there is a conclusion page and another cover page. Yep, Scott made it. 15 pages. Solid C material.

There aren’t a lot of specifics in the Walker plan. But the details he managed to include are mostly a rehash of some of the previous Republican plans. In an effort to differentiate himself from Obamacare and reality, Walker ties tax credits for the purchase of individual (non-employer sponsored) health insurance policies to age with no mention of income or regional differences. This change alone would price many people out of the market while providing a small bonus for those of us who have enjoyed a bit of financial success.

Yes, the Walker plan gives everyone purchasing a private policy a tax credit. If you are between the ages of 50 – 64, that credit would be $3,000. Governor Walker stresses the lack of infrastructure needed to implement his tax credit. That is because you would pay for your insurance this year and get the credit NEXT year when you file your income tax. What would that look like in the real world?

Test Case – Male, age 60, non-smoker, Cuyahoga County. Medical Mutual of Ohio Silver $3,000 HSA Premium – $661.00 per month or $7,932 over a twelve month period

Walker Plan

If your income was:                                     You would receive this tax credit:

$60,000                                                                   $3,000 Next year

$35,000                                                                   $3,000 Next year

$30,000                                                                   $3,000 Next year

$25,000                                                                   $3,000 Next year

Obamacare

$60,000                                                             $0.00

$35,000                                                             $245 per month now to help pay the premium

$30,000                                                             $316 per month now to help pay the premium

$25,000                                                             $381 per month now to help pay the premium

The sixty year old earning $25,000 while working in a store or small factory gets real help under Obamacare. His premium is reduced to under $300 per month and he qualifies for a lower deductible and out of pocket.

There is more (or less) to the Walker plan. There are the usual homages to crossing state lines, less regulations, and litigation reform. Medicaid reform and high-risk pools reappear under the Walker plan, too. And, of course, the most important cure for what ails us would be to incorporate more state by state control and regulation.

We could continue this, but we are in danger of breaking two important rules. The review should never be longer than the original piece. And, we really shouldn’t put in more time and effort than the author, candidate Walker, bothered to give.