We live
in a country where annually there are 240,000 water main leaks, 8,000 bridges
are severely damaged and in dire need of repair, we can expect an average of
132 dam failures per year, and we are told by Tea Party aficionados that we
need to cut government and reduce spending even on projects like this or on our
failing educational system. This same group tells us that the Affordable Care
Act cannot be fixed and that American medical care needs to return to the world
of private access to the most expensive and inefficient healthcare system on
earth (see my June 29th blog, 18%
and Rising for cost specifics).
And
despite the fact that even seminal legislative game changer that has passed
Congress has needed tweaking and subsequent legislation, the only adjustment
that this Congress will allow here is total repeal. My June 4th
blog, Period of Adjustment, reminds
us: “Sweeping legislative changes almost never work so well that they don’t
require some amendments pretty soon after initial passage. So it was with
Social Security (passed in 1935 and amended in 1939), Medicare (passed in 1965,
amended in 1967 and 1972) and even Ronald Reagan’s 1986 immigration reform
(amended in 1988). It’s just the way the system works… or rather… used to
work.”
These
sabotaging Congressional factions, who have struggled even to consider Presidential appointment to
the point where a war over filibustering almost stopped both houses of
Congress, have told us that implementing the Affordable Care Act will result in
massive price increases for everyone, and that the President’s one year delay
in mandatory employer coverage is an admission of the irreparable nature of the
act. Republican governors in many states are refusing to cooperate with the
federal government to establish the healthcare exchanges that would create a
pool where everyone has access to health insurance at competitive rates.
Sabotagers tell us it will send costs through the roof.
So
let’s look at the one area where sabotaging denial of a litany of inconvenience
truths does not stand for the few people willing to look at the facts. What
happens when a healthcare exchange is actually properly constructed… to the
cost of healthcare insurance? New York is about to unleash its complaint
exchange into the marketplace. And the cost projections are rather interesting:
“Individuals buying health insurance on their own will see their premiums tumble next
year in New York State as changes under the federal health care law take effect,
Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo announced on [July 17th].
“State
insurance regulators say they have approved rates for 2014 that are at least 50
percent lower on average than those currently available in New York. Beginning
in October, individuals in New York City who now pay $1,000 a month or more for
coverage will be able to shop for health insurance for as little as $308
monthly. With federal subsidies, the cost will be even lower.
“Supporters
of the new health care law, the Affordable Care Act, credited the drop in rates
to the online purchasing exchanges the law created, which they say are spurring
competition among insurers that are anticipating an influx of new customers.
The law requires that an exchange be started in every state.” New York Times,
July 17th. But then, you can bet that the Tea Party will ignore
these facts. They really hate facts and seem to prefer to make up statistics or
create unsupportable slogans instead. But then, perhaps the campaign
contributors to their election coffers make much more money when medical costs
are higher, so that is a goal that they find exceptionally desirable.
I’m
Peter Dekom, and denial has become an effect political tool for those that find
facts particularly abhorrent.
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