ObamaCare mandate may be “mandate plus”
Here’s the catch: The individual mandate penalties will be pretty weak as they are phased in over two years — only $95 when they start in 2014, much less than it costs to buy insurance. And yet, everyone with pre-existing conditions will have to be accepted for coverage right away.
That’s why insurance companies are telling the administration the mandate won’t be enough for the first two years. They want more incentives — such as a late enrollment fee — to get healthy people to sign up quickly. Without getting the healthy folks in, the fear is that everyone’s health insurance premiums could shoot through the roof when all those sick people get their coverage.
The idea is being called “mandate plus” — because some of the ideas were floated by health experts last year as replacements, in case the Supreme Court struck the mandate down. Now that the mandate is here to stay, insurance companies and some policy experts say the other ideas should go hand in hand with the coverage requirement to make the whole system work — and be affordable.
Blowback
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Boy, this just gets better every day!
Chuck Schick on January 14, 2013 at 3:24 PM
awesome!
rob verdi on January 14, 2013 at 3:25 PM
Great! We can pay for it with a Trillion Dollar coin.
Rocks on January 14, 2013 at 3:26 PM
Anyone else remember a world where to change a statutory requirement you had to actually … you know … amend the statute? How did we get to the point that the Executive can just make it up as they go along without any kind of amendment? (I know, rhetorical question).
toby11 on January 14, 2013 at 3:28 PM
See, wingnuts, because somebody else is sick who wants free health insurance, that’s a claim on your money, property and your livelihood.
Obamacrats!
Good Lt on January 14, 2013 at 3:29 PM
The best part about this abomination will be watching liberal youths who voted for Obama twice being forced to pay up try to whine about it.
You can then proceed to slap an O sticker over their flapping pie holes and inform them that they were warned repeatedly about it.
Good Lt on January 14, 2013 at 3:31 PM
Not really, because Romney did almost no campaigning on the issue, because he loves Romneycare.
He also did not buy ads where young people would have been exposed to the tiny amount he did discuss it.
We are still waiting for the Romney Death Star to be unleashed…
Thank god we picked the ONLY person in the field that would have refused to attack Obama!
astonerii on January 14, 2013 at 3:40 PM
Of course they have to come up with something to prevent people from freeloading off of the guaranteed coverage mandate. I sure wouldn’t buy insurance ahead of time if I knew I could get it at the same price precisely when I need it.
Nor will anyone else when they find out what the premiums are going to look like. Whatever.
Xasprtr on January 14, 2013 at 3:42 PM
The ACA was passed in 2010 by the Pelosi-Reid-Obama axis of stupid.
It’s the Democrats’ law, and they own it. Romney had nothing to do with it. Anybody who voted for Obama again voted to have it implemented with haste and in full.
They deserve what they get.
Good Lt on January 14, 2013 at 3:44 PM
I’m thinking of a Beatles song on the White Album. What’s the name of that tune again?????
Rixon on January 14, 2013 at 3:46 PM
I’ll answer anyway.
Since we became a dictatorship.
Dr. Frank Enstine on January 14, 2013 at 3:46 PM
I am aging. Poor, poor youth. Saddled with all this. For what?
Bmore on January 14, 2013 at 3:48 PM
Yeah, you missed the part of your quote I picked? That they were warned?
Yeah, they deserve it, but unfortunately we never actually took the message to them, instead we just expected them to be smart all on their own while going to indoctrination classes. Not a smart move.
astonerii on January 14, 2013 at 3:48 PM
That would be because they care.
chemman on January 14, 2013 at 4:08 PM
Total red herring. The problem that astonerii correctly pointed out is that Romney did practically nothing to campaign against ACA. Especially in the last month or so. Instead, if his campaign mentioned anything about health care in the last month or so, it was to talk about how great Romneycare was (which people, correctly or incorrectly – correctly, in my opinion, consider as similar to and a precursor to Obamacare).
besser tot als rot on January 14, 2013 at 4:14 PM
They best get busy caring an awful lot then. Cause its gonna take a lot to care for this mess.
Bmore on January 14, 2013 at 4:15 PM
By whom?
besser tot als rot on January 14, 2013 at 4:16 PM
Obama is paid for by the insurance companies…do not be fooled.
They and Obama will be very rich.
Obama’care’ will never be care, nor affordable. It’s all a ploy.
Schadenfreude on January 14, 2013 at 4:22 PM
They are children riding on the backs of their parents policy until 26. Woo Hoo!!….pass the doobie and forgive my student loan!!
Mimzey on January 14, 2013 at 4:34 PM
Next thing you know, for insurance purposes, people up to age 30 (35, even?) will be classified as “children”.
Bitter Clinger on January 14, 2013 at 4:46 PM
Here is the key quote:
Got that, younger people? You voted for me in droves and as your reward, bend over.
Marxism is for dummies on January 14, 2013 at 5:12 PM