The Obamacare Dog

Obamacare aka the Affordable Care Act (ACA) is an incredibly complex piece of legislation involving every state, millions of dollars, and millions of Americans. It was passed without even being read..

Many oppose the ACA, most recently the unions who once supported it. The concerns are that the employer mandate incentivizes smaller companies to shift their workers to part-time status because employers are not required to provide health coverage to part-time workers.

A study by the Association of American Medical Colleges, predicts the US to have a shortage of 91,500 doctors by the year 2020 due in part to an overwhelming negative view that many of them have on ACA. In fact, a survey completed by The Doctors Company, found that 60% of doctors feel that the pressure to reduce costs, increase volume, and improve quality will have a negative effect on patient care, causing 43% of physicians to also contemplate early retirement.

Obamacare is really happening and here are some creepy statistics: According to a Kaiser Family Foundation Health Tracking Poll, 42% of Americans in general are unaware that the law is being implemented, while 51% of Americans ages 18-29 are unaware that the bill was signed into law in March 2010. The most commonly cited sources of information about the law were from friends and family (named by 40%), “newspapers, radio or other online news” (36%), and cable news (30%). About 10% of Americans report getting any information from a health insurance company, their doctor, an employer, or a non-profit, and few name any of these as their most important source of information about the law or how the exchanges will affect their health plans. The public remains divided on how they view the overall goals of Obamacare, with 35% reporting a favorable view, 40% an unfavorable view, and a full 24% reporting they have no opinion on the law.

I suspect the 35% with a favorable view and the 24% with no opinion are those who have no skin in the game; it won't cost them a dime either way.

Nancy Pelosi was right. Congress did have to pass the law in order to see what was in it, but many are wondering at what expense. What legislator would pass a law without reading it? It’s becoming clearer every day that this dog ain’t gonna hunt.