Unanticipated Effects of Obamacare, Part 9

I know I just posted on this topic, but there are two more pieces of information that have just become available.

First, the state of Arizona, like North Carolina, provides health insurance for state employees and university employees.  It has announced that, because of Obamacare, premiums under this plan will increase as much as 37%.

Second, the Congressional Research Service has made an important finding.  It appears the new high-risk pools set up under Obamacare at the state level would be able to pay for abortions with taxpayer dollars.

It appears there will be no shortage of items to be reported in this "series" I have initiated here.

Comments

[Bubba]

But....but......but....but everyone knows it's those EEEEEEEEEEVIL insurance companies that caused this to happen!

[Roch101]

I think what you meant to say was "Health care reform results in smaller increases."

From your link: "Yet, even as Gov. Jan Brewer's administration cited health reform as the chief reason for cost increases, the state's health-insurance premiums for employees have increased at even faster clips in the past. In fact, employee premiums for five of eight plans next year will increase at a lower rate than they did this year."

[Joe Guarino]

"Alan Ecker, Department of Administration spokesman, said health reform is 'responsible for all increases for employee premiums' next year.

"He noted that federal health reform passed after the Legislature approved funding for next year's state's health plan, so with no money left in the state coffers to cover the mandated changes to health insurance plans, the state opted to shift costs to employees."

The two provisions blamed in particular for this plan are the extension of family coverage to those up to age 26; and the raising of lifetime caps. It is a fantasy to suggest that Obamacare's increased coverage requirements will not increase costs-- when no means have been enacted to control costs as of yet. If certain plans are not increasing in cost at the same rate, it is in spite of Obamacare, not because of it.

[Bubba]

"I think what you meant to say was 'Health care reform results in smaller increases.'"

Ah Roch!

The Master of the Non Sequitur, re-enforcing the Big Lie that is central to the Obamacare "reform" meme!

He neglects to mention that the increase in costs and premiums under health care "reform" has not yet been felt in full, and in the majority of cases, "reform" will increase costs and premiums MORE than would been the case if this monstrosity had died the death it deserved.

Educate yourself, Roch:

http://www.cato.org/pubs/wtpapers/BadMedicineWP.pdf

....particularly this, on pg 33:

"But the millions of Americans who purchase
insurance on their own through the nongroup market
will actually be worse off as a result of this law.

According to CBO, their premiums will increase
10–13 percent faster than if the bill had not passed.
That is, an individual premium would increase from
$2,985 today to $5,800, compared to $5,500
if the bill had never passed. A family policy
will increase from today’s $6,328 to $15,200.
If the bill hadn’t passed, it would only have
increased to $13,100.299 Thus, this bill will
cost a family buying their own health insurance
an additional $2,100 per year in higher
premiums."