Sam Stein at the Huffington Post reports that President is considering a remedy for those Americans who have lost their insurance and now face sticker shock. No one should be surprised that the president’s “fix” involves spending other people’s money to help his own political fortunes.
According to the administration source, the White House is “looking at an administrative fix for the population of people in the individual market who may have an increase in premiums, but don’t get subsidies.”
Such a fix would address the issue of “sticker shock” that has been popping up across the country, as individuals are losing their coverage and finding only higher-cost alternatives. Under the ACA, there are tax subsidies to help individuals and families with income between 133 percent and 400 percent above the poverty level purchase insurance. Those with incomes higher than 400 percent above poverty get no such assistance. The proposed administrative fix would address this group.
This is a terrible idea, so of course Barack Obama is receptive to it.
Increasing the level at which subsidies kick in means — obviously — more people will qualify for subsidies. That means more money going out to more people, who will become at least temporarily dependent on the subsidy to pay for their healthcare. Someone has to pay for all this. They have to be taxed. Higher taxes will kill jobs.
Obama’s “fix” to his awful, dishonest policy is just welfare by another name.
Howard Dean is already warning that the next Obamacare crisis to come concerns the program’s cost. That’s before this subsidy would kick in.
And it’s worth pointing out again, Obama could change the regulation that is forcing some of these cancellations. It wasn’t part of the original law. Regulators who work for him wrote it, and he could order them to change it.
Instead of doing that, and keeping his promise, he is considering ramping up the welfare and spending even more of other people’s money. As usual.
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