Category Archives: Healthcare

On Health Care & ‘Homo Economicus,’ And The Spoils Of Entrapment & Political Predation

Economy, Government, Healthcare, Media, Politics, Propaganda, Regulation, Terrorism

Health Care & ‘Homo Economicus. Even the pro-Obama socialist youth of America act as “Homo Economicus”: they know they are young and healthy and unlikely to fall ill. Why should they partake in a scheme that financially punishes them for this natural advantage? Millennials want us to pay for them, not the reverse.

“Federal Health Care Enrollees: Older Outnumber Younger”:

.. more than 2 million people who have signed up for private [it’s not private: “A healthcare cauldron of Obama’s creation, government-run exchanges constitute a planned economy, not a market economy”] health insurance through the exchanges set up by the federal government. … Of those who signed up in the first three months, 55 percent are age 45 to 64, officials said. Only 24 percent of those choosing a health insurance plan are 18 to 34, a group that is usually healthier and needs fewer costly medical services. People 55 to 64 – just below the age at which people qualify for Medicare — represented the largest group, at 33 percent.”

Speaking of the Dah Factor, or of the news newsmen were not anticipating (but you were):

“Review Of Terrorism Cases Finds NSA Spying Helped Very Little”:

Surveillance programs run by the National Security Agency helped very little when it came to cases brought against individuals the United States says were linked to al-Qaida. …

A great deal of efforts of our spymaster “protectors” go into entrapment; concocting elaborate traps to ensnare potential “evil doers”; “setting swarthy simpletons up and then nabbing them in a so-called terrorism sting.”

More non-news:

“Majority In Congress Are Millionaires”: Of course, the reporter doesn’t tell us how the predatory political class has acquired wealth, for he doesn’t think that it’s important, nevertheless:

For the first time in history, more than half the members of Congress are millionaires, according to a new analysis of financial disclosure reports conducted by the non-partisan .
Of the 534 current members of the House and Senate, 268 had an average net worth of $1 million or more in 2012 – up from 257 members in 2011. The median net worth for members of the House and Senate was $1,008,767.

Rep. Darrell Issa notwithstanding—he made his fortune, if I am not mistaken, in business, before joining the parasites in Congress—“The political class and its sycophants utilize the political means to earn their keep. As libertarian economist Murray Rothbard reminded, these ‘are two mutually exclusive ways of acquiring wealth”—the economic means is honest and productive, the political means is dishonest and predatory…but oh so very effective.'”

UPDATED: ‘Mixed-Race’ Santa Brings More Money Woes

Barack Obama, Economy, Healthcare, Taxation

As analysts have expected all along, the Obamacare wrecking ball will keep gathering momentum in 2014 and beyond. Reports Gerri Willis:

…the coverage of people under corporate plans will likely change late next year as companies get ready for more changes under Obamacare. Taxes on so-called Cadillac plans will likely result in higher costs for workers and less extensive coverage. We may see even more companies opt to put employees into part-time roles to get around Obamacare requirements.

As one of the tremendously stupid Americans who ushered in ZeroCare with his vote said, “I like ObamaCare. I voted for it—I just didn’t realize I’d be paying for it.”

Yes, the economics of a free lunch for me but not for thee …

As to the additional tax changes, in 2014 those will follow Zerocare as night follows day:

High earners and people with large portfolios will find their taxes rising dramatically next year. Experts say that high earners will find their taxes tipping 50 percent of their earnings in many parts of the country, not just the big cities on the coasts. If you earn more than $200,000 filing singly or $250,000 married, filing jointly, you’ll pay a new additional tax on earned income of 0.9 percent. If you earn above $400,000 as a single filer or $450,000 married filing jointly, you’ll find yourself subject to a new income tax bracket of 39.6 percent. A new Medicare tax on investment income of 3.8 percent will also sting investors.

Courtesy of Joseph Farah comes “the ugly truth about the mixed-race Santa”:

A controversy was ignited by Megyn Kelly at Fox News when she refuted a blogger who found the legend of Santa Claus offensive because he was a fat, old white man.

I’ve got a bulletin for Megyn Kelly at Fox: You are dead wrong.

Santa Claus is not white – nor is he a mythical figure, as you claimed in your clarification of your original comment.

He’s real, and he is of mixed race.

He does, however, currently live in a white house, at taxpayer’s expense. …

MORE.

UPDATE: This is an astounding shift toward a welfariat. Sixty two percent of Americans are said to be eligible for subsidies under ZeroCare.

UPDATED: The President’s Nose-Growth Problem

Barack Obama, Healthcare

The president’s proboscis grew a bit more today. Michelle Obama must be glad “Barack,” as she calls him, has a “Cadillac” health-care plan,” unlike his subjects, who are, shall we say, between plans. This allergy he suffers can develop into a serious condition. I’m talking about Obama’s allergy to truth.

In his December 20 news conference, President Obama said that “Since October 1st, more than 1 million Americans have selected new health insurance plans through the federal and state marketplaces, so all told, millions of Americans, despite the problems with the website, are now poised to be covered by quality affordable health insurance come New Year’s Day. …”

US media is so crappy, a correction is hard to come by, other than on FoxNews.com:

In claiming “millions” would be covered on Jan. 1, [Obama] was also likely factoring in the estimated 3.9 million people who the administration says have qualified for coverage under expanded Medicaid.
An estimated 4 million people, however, have seen their policies canceled. …

… In response to people losing their insurance plans due to ObamaCare’s new standards, the administration announced Thursday that those who lost their coverage could skirt the law’s individual mandate — and could opt to purchase bare-bones policies if they want. Those so-called “catastrophic” coverage plans were previously available only to people under 30, but the administration is now opening them up to people who got cancellation notices. …

…”The health law is like a Jenga game — the administration keeps yanking out pieces, and ultimately nothing can keep it from collapsing,” House Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Fred Upton, R-Mich., said in response. As Republican lawmakers jeered at the news, insurance industry representatives warned that the latest decision could further disrupt the market. …

MORE.

UPDATE (12/21): HE CAN NO LONGER FAKE SUCCESS. “Mr. Obama is doing through executive fiat what Republicans shut down the government to get him to do.” Good article at the Wall Street Journal:

… the White House keeps treating the Affordable Care Act’s text as a mere suggestion subject to day-to-day revision. Its latest political retrofit is the most brazen: President Obama is partly suspending the individual mandate.
Individuals whose health plans were canceled will now automatically qualify for a “hardship exemption” from the mandate. If they can’t or don’t sign up for a new plan, they don’t have to pay the tax. They can also get a special category of ObamaCare insurance designed for people under age 30.
***

So merry Christmas. If ObamaCare’s benefit and income redistribution requirements made your old, cheaper, better health plan illegal, you now have the option of going without coverage without the government taking your money as punishment. You can also claim the tautological consolation of an ObamaCare hardship exemption due to ObamaCare itself. …

… What an incredible political turnabout. Mr. Obama and HHS used to insist that the new plans are better and less expensive after subsidies than the old “substandard” insurance. Now they’re conceding that at least some people should be free to choose less costly plans if they prefer—or no plan—and ObamaCare’s all-you-can-eat benefits rules aren’t necessary for quality health coverage after all.

… the exemptions … belong to [BHO’s] larger pattern of suspending the law on his own administrative whim. Earlier this month he ordered insurers to backdate policies to compensate for the federal exchange meltdown, and before that HHS declared that it would not enforce for a year the mandates responsible for policy cancellations. Mr. Obama’s team has also by fiat abandoned the small-business exchanges, delayed the employer mandate and scaled back income verification.

“The basic structure of that law is working, despite all the problems,” Mr. Obama added. His make-it-up-as-he-goes improvisation will continue, because the law is failing.

MORE.

For Wanton Destruction (& Deaths That’ll Follow) Democrats Deserve Kim-Jong-Un Justice

Conservatism, Democrats, Healthcare, Justice, Left-Liberalism And Progressivisim, Media, Republicans

They may pose as adversaries on TV, but they all hang together: Conservatives love banal-brain Juan Williams, boorish Bob Beckel and the weak-minded Lanny Davis. Sean Hannity even advertized the other day that Beckel has they keys to the Hannity home.

FOX AND IMBECILE FRIEND LANNY DAVIS
How else would chattering class detritus such as Lanny Davis get away with twice admitting—and with no intelligent cross examination—on Fox News, that he supported Zero Care, because he and his Democratic ilk did not comprehend that the price of premiums would rise [when you pile on the coverage mandates], and that policy holders would lose coverage [when you legislate their “sub-standard” policies out of existence].

Oops.

The only point Megyn Kelly’s stand-in should have made during the Davis segment is this: So you’re an imbecile, Lanny (what sort of name is that, for a man?). You can’t see a few moves ahead. Fine. We get it. But there were legions of people who spoke eloquently and endlessly about the outcome of Zero Care central planning for the country.

The main crime for which these “despicable human scum,” the words of North Korea’s Kim Jong-un about his uncle, is to implement this wrecking ball of a health-care law without consulting and heeding the clever people in the room.

For this wanton destruction, Democrats deserve Kim-Jong-Un style justice.