I'm sorry, but it's too early to declare the ACA a success.

[cali]

Go ahead, jump all over me, snarl as the very suggestion, howl in indignation, perish the damnable thought.

DU heresy.

That thought has been flashing in and out of my head for a while now, but there's such a push at DU against any criticism whatsoever of the ACA, that I haven't really wanted to post much about it.

I really hope that eventually it works and by works I mean, covers far more people than before it was enacted, covers them well, is affordable and accessible.

You can't honestly state that now. I have my doubts. And yes, of course I want it to work out.


Another part of the Affordable Care Act delayed for a year

The Obama administration Monday announced another delay in the implementation of the requirement that employers provide health insurance for their employees.

Businesses with more than 50 employees but fewer than 100 will have an extra year to phase in health care coverage of employees who work more than 30 hours a week, Treasury Department officials said.

Employers with more than 100 employers will be subject to employee-coverage rules under the Affordable Care Act beginning in January 2015. The mandate to provide insurance had already been delayed one year.

Republicans, many of whom co-sponsored a bill asking that the employer mandate be delayed until 2015, immediately denounced the move and called for the delay to be extended to individuals. Anyone who does not sign up for health insurance in 2014 is subject to a fee at tax time. In 2014, that fee is 1% of annual household income or $95 per person, and $47.50 per child. It increases every year.

<snip>

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2014/02/10/aca-no-longer-applies-to-50-employees-and-under-in-2015/5370055/

[democratisphere]

1. Agreed! The ACA has a long way to go before it will be successful.

Until the perpetrators of the Highest Priced Health Care in the World are removed as the delivery system, costs will continue to escalate and health care will become less and less affordable. Cali, don't be sorry, the truth usually hurts.

[BKH70041]

2. I was told there were 40 million people w/out insurance just chomping at the bit to sign up.

Where the hell are they?

[LWolf]

3. I've never had any confidence

that it could ever BE a success. I define success as CARE that is TRULY affordable and accessible to ALL.

For-profit insurance with its premiums, deductibles, and copays automatically ensures that success won't happen.

[Bandit]

4. fifteen million people are now covered by some form of health insurance that weren't covered

before this went into effect. I would call that a success. It hasn't achieved the total goal of thirty million yet but America is Way Way Way better off now than four years ago.

[cali]

6. you provide no evidence of your claims.

It's just ridiculous that anyone is actually claiming this as a success when it's just started.

[FSogol]

5. Wrong. Even if the only change was ending "pre-existing condition" it would be a success.

Instead we also got child can stay on their parents policy until they are 25 (or is it 26?) and an end to lifetime limits.

[bullwinkle428]

7. It's certainly not confidence-inspiring when those behind it decide to start

to start making exemption after exemption, and for the most part, those exemptions don't directly benefit those most in need of insurance. The most recent one gave me one of those "death by a thousand cuts" vibes, and we're the ones holding the knife.

[JaneyVee]

8. The reforms and consumer protections are successful.

The thought of pre-existing condition discrimination seems so archaic at this point. As for the number of sign-ups: http://acasignups.net/graph

[MineralMan]

9. I'm sorry, but it's too early to declare the ACA a failure.

But I'm sure you'll continue to do so. Too bad, really...

[Holly_Hobby]

10. The ACA sure didn't work for us

Our cost would go down by $150/month, but deductibles would increase from $400 each to $6,350 each, and we would lose our vision and dental unless we bought additional policies. Not a savings and a dumb decision considering our ages of 58 & 60. If we got sick, we'd lose everything to deductibles and co-pays with the ACA. We're staying with our current health insurance at $785 per month, which is a whopping 23% of our income. To say I'm disappointed is an understatement. Something should have also been done about the actual cost of healthcare.

[Autumn]

11. It's a way to buy private health insurance, if you fall into a certain level

to qualify for subsidies that does not mean you can still afford to pay for it and use it.

[Puzzledtraveller]

12. Spot on

I think desire and need were conflated with ability to purchase. We all want and need healthcare, the ability to spare an extra dime does not equate.