If Obama Does Not Get Office Again?

[FEproducerKen]

It will change significantly before the election. Obama is already proposing some means of passing it to the states.

As always, the concept and definition of what "Obamacare" actually is is just a free floating idea of what he wants and what congress comes up with. Remember, this is a guy who can bloviate for months and years about Obamacare but was never able to put it to paper and get it sponsored in Congress. Instead he said "I am thinking about something good and I will know it when I see it so I am going to just observe what Congress does." (same approach as the budget but I digress).

So this thing will get butchered considerably before regardless of whether he is elected or not. He would love to pass the whole things to the state with so many strings attached that it is still basically a federal program except they are stuck with more of the headaches and costs. Then he takes credit for being flexible and bipartisan.

And when he does that (happening right as we speak) then you can make a good case that Obamacare was implemented or you can make a good case that Obamacare collapsed because, again, WHO THE HELL KNOWS WHAT OBAMACARE ACTUALLY IS OTHER THAN WHAT IS GOING ON FROM ONE MONTH TO THE NEXT.

Expect mandate to go away but for some incentive program for states that have it or some quasi-block grant program that gives you more bucks based on the per cent of population covered. Expect a bunch of backdoor fiddling with medicaid to tie it in with Obamacare. Expect GI to stay and so on. Expect some incentives for holding premiums and/or costs down. Obama doesnt really give a fig what the end product looks like as long as he goes down in history as the president who implemented a national health plan or a health plan for the nation, whatever.

Obamacare will be all butchered up even before we get to the election. In some ways, the mid terms last november were more crucial to driving changes than the 2012 election, provided that the pubs dont wuss out. But they can hold the entire federal budget hostage if Obama doesn't give a pint of blood on some of this.

Unfortunately, some continue to hope that we will somehow just go back to the pre-Obama days. That is not going to happen. There is nothing going on anywhere to contain costs so we are going to stumble from one crisis to the next and live with whatever bandaid gets put on it. I guess that is how we are going to run the rest of the budget too.

The mandate that was put into Obama care was intially a republican idea back when Clinton was in. Chuck Grassley was the man who came up with the notion. Seemed like a wonderful idea to republicans when THEY considered it.

Why would we want to go back to the pre Obama days? The cost of healthcare was close to collapsing the economy after an average 13.4% rate increase per year for 10 years. What should have happened is congress and the whitehouse both democrat and republican put their personal motives aside and try to reform the system in an effective way.

Are you also a "Birther"?

 

[Kari]

I suspect if the GOP gained both the Senate and the WH and held the House in 2012 they would try to repeal all of it

I'd wager nearly any sum of money that a total repeal would be filibustered in the Senate, and at least a fair amount of money the Republicans wouldn't resort to the "Nuclear Option" to get around that.

Certain provisions could possibly be repealed (e.g. individual mandate), but the entire thing? Highly improbable wishful thinking.


Remember how difficult it was for them to pass the bills in the first place; it will be even harder to repeal them. There would there need to be an epic Republican political wave, and for all the bluster associated with the GOP retaking the House, our divided government is evidence enough that that has not yet happened.

 

[Winter_123]

The mandate that was put into Obama care was intially a republican idea back when Clinton was in. Chuck Grassley was the man who came up with the notion. Seemed like a wonderful idea to republicans when THEY considered it.

"?

You are making the point that politics causes politicians to change positions. Just as you have noted that the republicans found it expedient to change their stance on mandate, I have noted that Obama will as well and this will happen before the election or it will get "modified" or walked-back regardless of whether he is re-elected. Obviously more walking back will occur if a republican is elected but mandate will take a hit either way. Whether it is good or bad or who is better or worse to have changed their position on mandate is irrelevent to the point I am making.

 

[Kari]

The mandate that was put into Obama care was intially a republican idea back when Clinton was in. Chuck Grassley was the man who came up with the notion. Seemed like a wonderful idea to republicans when THEY considered it.

Why would we want to go back to the pre Obama days? The cost of healthcare was close to collapsing the economy after an average 13.4% rate increase per year for 10 years. What should have happened is congress and the whitehouse both democrat and republican put their personal motives aside and try to reform the system in an effective way.

Are you also a "Birther"?

Dude, chill. The above posters are all health producers/agents and feel that PPACA/HCERA threatens their welfare. (And it well may.)

And naturally, when they believe that their own jobs are at stake, they're not going to be thinking totally objectively because objectivity is not self-serving in this case.

Of course, for those whose commission rates have fallen, they probably won't get their previous rates back even if the laws are repealed. But they can certainly hope that they will, even if the insurers they represent will undoubtedly make every effort to ensure that commissions stay at the newly decreased levels.



Speaking bluntly, as a life agent, if Congress started seriously considering taxing death benefits I would be just as pissed about it as they are about health care reform. It's not really rational or sensible... But this is my paycheck and my ability to support my family that we are talking about here.

 

[GreenSky]

Why would we want to go back to the pre Obama days? The cost of healthcare was close to collapsing the economy after an average 13.4% rate increase per year for 10 years. What should have happened is congress and the whitehouse both democrat and republican put their personal motives aside and try to reform the system in an effective way.

You mention the cost of healthcare, which is the underlying reason for increased cost of insurance. Any guess what would happen to the price of insurance if we got rid of many of the government mandates (psych parity) and the cost of care returned to 1999 levels?

Like many people, you are confused.

Rick

 

[Frank Stastny]

I predict Obama will get reelected, when you rob Peter to pay Paul, you will always have Paul's vote. Who knows how Obamacare will end up, some form of it will be in place.

No doubt Paul will be happy but Peter is going to be sore when he finds out that you robbed him to pay Paul. There is nothing worse than having to deal with a sore Peter.

 

[bluemarlin08]

Frank thanks, that made me laugh out loud, thanks.

 

[somarco]

Why would we want to go back to the pre Obama days? The cost of healthcare was close to collapsing the economy after an average 13.4% rate increase per year for 10 years.

You sounds like those folks who have no clue what Obamacrap will do to premiums. The people who actually believe you can cover everyone for everything and expect premiums to drop 30%.

What color is your world?

 

[VolAgent]

Blaming health insurers for the high cost of health care is like blaming the gas retailer for the high price of gas. It looks nice and leads well on the evening news, but it is completely missing the point. I've read the average mark-up on a gallon of gas at the pump is maybe 5-10 cents. Sure, some stations will mark it up more, just like some health insurers will make a higher profit. Eventually the market punishes the greedy.

 

[YouGotMyMoney]

I am praying for the rapture to come right after he gets re-elected, or I will have to test the whole "sucide= going to hell" theory.