With all the hoopla about Obamacare (PPACA is its real acronym), one would think that it would be a total failure.  But, even as a certain party keeps sniping at it, cutting funding, it’s making a difference in our health care.

Let’s start with a simple change.  Implementation has barely begun and there are now two more years of ample funding for Medicare.  Limitations on Medicare Advantage proved more effective than opponents believed.  Yes, the recession helped- but the seriousness of the approach to cut waste and improve health is doing wonders.

On top of that, California reported that the plans being offered by the nineteen firms that agreed to participate in the exchange are reasonably priced.  Which means that folks will be able to have affordable health care.  (Yes, there are those who dispute this- claiming costs are higher- but they compare the new plans- that cover everyone- with plans that cover at best 25% of the applicants and have exhorbitantly high deductibles.  It will be two more years before we have real data to compare, unfortunately.   For example, in the DC are, where CareFirst owns 75% of the market, new competitors are preparing to get their piece of the pie by offering bronze and silver plans- at very competitive rates.)

As a matter of fact, some 120 insurance companies have agreed to participate in the 19 state insurance exchanges.  (Yes, that means that a whole bunch of states have elected to have the Federal government handle their health care. By the way, aren’t many of these states the ones claiming that the Feds should not meddle in state affairs?)  The exchanges will be the marketplace where we can compare plans for our needs- ranging from bronze to silver to gold to platinum  (in ascending order of coverage).  [By the way, being able to simply compare health care plan benefits is something  else Obamacare has made possible.]

Thankfully, the first drafts of the health care application have been scrapped as way too complicated.  With its 21 pages, it was clear that it was not going to be clear or simple.  But, now the program has cut it back dramatically- but, we better get cracking since October is just around the corner.

And, there are still hitches.  Like small businesses.  They were supposed to be able to participate in the exchanges come this October.  But, now, those 50 person or less firms will only have one plan to choose; I guess that means yes or no.  🙂  The full range of options will be in play until 2015, unfortunately.

I am still worried that these systems will work, without a series of glitches.  We only have 120 days before they are to be fully operational.   Let’s keep our fingers crossed.

Share this: