Obamacare repeal's doomsday scenario

[Jimbo101]

http://www.politico.com/story/2017/01/obamacare-repeal-doomsday-233335

Shocks to the $3 trillion-a-year health system could send ripples through the entire economy.

Hospital and health plan leaders talk in almost apocalyptic terms about what might lie ahead if Republicans abolish Obamacare without a blueprint for its replacement.

Their doomsday scenario: Millions of people could lose their health care coverage, hospitals could hemorrhage cash and shocks to the $3 trillion-a-year health system could send ripples through the entire economy.

“That transition period is going to be like that slow-moving tsunami that we know is coming, and we can watch it and try to prepare for it — but in the aftermath of the tsunami, there’s devastating loss that we never could have planned for,” said Heidi Gartland, vice president for community affairs and government relations at Cleveland-based University Hospitals Health System.

Hospitals estimate that repealing Obamacare could cost them $165 billion by the middle of the next decade and trigger “an unprecedented public health crisis" if sick people are unable to get care. Even before that happens, though, uncertainty about what might replace the law and how it could affect the bottom lines of hospitals, in particular, has spurred CEOs to cut spending.

“Everybody is going to continue to belt tighten and take action fearing the worst is going to happen,” said William Conway, CEO of Detroit’s 1,300-physician Henry Ford Medical Group.

[no_hypocrisy]

1. How about this scenario?

Your kid comes home with the flu virus. You catch it too.

You have no insurance. The pediatrician and the primary care physician have no choice but to demand cash payment up front. You don't have the money. Or if you do, you don't have the money for pharmaceutical prescriptions to treat your illnesses.

Aside from the expected misery of succumbing to the influenza, you also come down with pneumonia. You could die. You should be hospitalized. But the hospital wants a retainer or some kind of cash payment like the doctor's offices. You could go to the emergency room, except your hospital had to close because of bankruptcy.

Even if you just have the flu, you miss work. Job security at risk if you don't show up.

Losing your insurance is more than an inconvenience. Your future could be dependent upon it.

[world wide wally]

4. And their ONLY rationale is for spite because Obama did it.

The current ACA is modeled after a Republican model put forth in the 90's.

It is becoming more and more apparent that this is a plan to destroy America from the inside out. I wonder how many more Republicans are also influenced by Putin.

[Girard442]

3. ...and all the while Putin rubs his hands with glee.

Why wouldn't the R's kneecap the American economy? They don't work for us.

[SammyWinstonJack]

5. Weren't we told by our side that Obamacare would either be fixed

down the road or lead to single payer? Seems we couldn't be further from either, then we are righr now.

[treestar]

7. told by our side?

We are "our side." We should have gotten out in 2010 - obviously nothing was going to happen with a Republican Congress.

[Proud Liberal Dem]

8. Tweaking and expanding PPACA has been impossible since its passage

Democrats got turned out of control of the House in 2010 and out of control of the Senate in 2014. Republicans at the Congressional and State levels have also been voting to repeal, obstruct, sabotage, and otherwise undermine PPACA ever since. Now, they hit the Trifecta in 2016 and can now actually make good on their pledge to finally kill it.

[treestar]

6. If things went back to how they were before ACA

people recall those days, so a lot of people might say it would be the same for them. Especially those with employer plans.

[haele]

9. Employer plans will become too expensive for employees if the GOP does what is planned.

To replace the taxes lost to the ACA under medical deductions, they've been talking about making the employer portion of Health Insurance to be treated as income to the employee across the board - not just on the so-called Cadillac plans, but on every plan.

So, $8K to $15K in employer-paid 1/2 or 1/2 premiums for all working families is now added as their "income" at the end of the year, instead of the annual $24K - $30K average seen as part of the annual income by only those working families whose employers provide the few Cadillac plans where everything - both premium and deductible - is paid for.
Of course, those employers who provide such plans also have been adjusting employee's wages accordingly so that it's not a serious issue come tax time. (i.e., the employee will be hired for $65K or $70K instead of the market $80K wage with the inclusion of "free" health care for the employee and dependents)
And of course, if it's a federal income, most state will typically want their cut of the income, too. States like California might be on top of this and not count employer health care premium payments as income, but Missouri or Kansas?

So now, Joe Cable Technician in OK with an adjusted household of 6 income of $48K a year, which is typically below the cut-off line for EIC benefits, now has to put down a federal income of $58K - $60K a year because that's how much premium Cox Cable pays for the health care they provide, which puts them over the minimum for EIC, as well as other state, local, and utility service benefits that are linked to lower income families to help get basic needs met.

Want cash assistance/rebates replacing old furnaces and water heaters, or old drafty windows from your local utility? - sorry, you make too much.
Want that state child care assistance? - sorry, you make too much.
Want EIC tax credit? - sorry, you make too much.

Next up - taxing the employer's portion of Social Security, FICA, and Worker's Comp. - anything you would have to pay out of pocket if you were an independent contractor - as federal income.

Haele