FYI.
– Here are 152 reasons why hypocrite politicians and unions that support Obamacare want exemptions for themselves (Dan from Squirrel Hill’s Blog, Updated Nov 1, 2013):
As the author of this blog post, I place it into the public domain. Anyone may freely copy it in any part or in its entirely, without asking my permission, and without paying any money. I do ask you please cite a link to http://danfromsquirrelhill.wordpress.com/2013/09/24/obamacare-59/
I ask you to please show this list to as many people as possible. Sunshine really is the best disinfectant. I can’t stop Obama from doing any of these horrible things to our health care system, but I can tell people about what he is doing. So please share this list with others on Facebook, Twitter, etc. Thank you. The short link for this is http://tinyurl.com/m8tfd7q
And now, on with the list:
1) After Obamcare was passed, unions that supported its passage requested and received special exemptions
Within months after Obamacare was passed, Obama gave some organizations an exemption from some of the requirements of Obamacare. As time went on, more than 1,300 organizations received these exemptions.
More than half of the people who are covered by insurance plans that received these exemptions are in union insurance plans. These unions supported the passage of Obamacare. But immediately after Obamacare was passed, these unions wanted exemptions from the very same law that they wanted to force everyone else to obey. This reveals an extreme level of hypocrisy among many of the supporters of Obamacare.
In addition, these exemptions are illegal for two reasons – because Obama granted the exemptions without approval from Congress, and because the Constitution requires the law to treat everyone the same.
The Washington Times wrote of this:
“Selective enforcement of the law is the first sign of tyranny. A government empowered to determine arbitrarily who may operate outside the rule of law invariably embraces favoritism as friends, allies and those with the best-funded lobbyists are rewarded. Favoritism inevitably leads to corruption, and corruption invites extortion. Ultimately, the rule of law ceases to exist in any recognizable form, and what is left is tyranny.”
“The now-familiar monthly trickling down of new waivers is, at best, a tacit admission that Obamacare is a failure. So far, seven entire states and 1,372 businesses, unions and other institutions have received waivers from the law. The list includes the administration’s friends and allies and, of course, those who have the best lobbyists.”
“More than 50 percent of the Obamacare waiver beneficiaries are union members, which is striking because union members account for less than 12 percent of the American work force. The same unions that provided more than $120 million to Democrats in the last two elections and, in many cases, openly campaigned in favor of the government takeover of your health care, now celebrate that Obamacare is not their problem.”
2) After Obamacare was passed, politicians who voted for it asked for a special exemption for their own districts
Even the politicians who voted for Obamacare want exemptions for their own districts.
In response to the medical device tax that is part of Obamacare, some medical device manufacturers have announced plans to layoff employees, including Welch Allyn (275 planned layoffs), Stryker (1,170 planned layoffs), and Medtronic (1,000 planned layoffs).
In December 2012, Al Franken, Elizabeth Warren, John Kerry, and 15 other Democrats who supported the passage of Obamacare wrote a letter to Harry Reid, asking him to delay the tax on medical devices, claiming that the tax would hurt job creation in their districts.
3 ) Politicians who voted for Obamacare wanted an additional exemption for themselves and their staff after it was passed
This is another example of how the politicians who voted for Obamacare want exemptions for themselves.
In 2010, Obamacare was passed by the House and Senate, and signed by President Obama.
Three years later, members of Congress and their staff complained that Obamacare was going to cost them a lot of money, and said that this would likely cause a brain drain among their staff. In response to this, Obama made changes to Obamacare so that these things would not happen. However, Obama’s actions were illegal, because he made these changes without Congress voting on them first.
The New York Times wrote of this:
… the language of the health care law requires Congressional employees to obtain health insurance through an exchange created by the law, but other parts of the federal legal code restrict the ability of the federal government to pay the usual employer share for group insurance programs approved by the Office of Personnel Management.
A straightforward reading of the law thus means that Congressional staff members, starting in January 2014, will have to obtain insurance through the Affordable Care Act but pay for it on their own without the normal contribution from their employer — Congress. This would be a multi-thousand-dollar income hit for those affected… many… would potentially feel the pain, giving rise to concerns over a potential brain drain of Congressional staff members finding other employment.
… the federal personnel office initially ruled that Congressional staff members would not be eligible for the subsidies, and then changed this decision under pressure from the White House…
4) An entire state that supported Obamacare asked for an exemption
The people of Massachusetts were huge supporters of Obamacare when it was passed, and they voted for Obama in both elections. But even they eventually ended up asking for their own special exemption from Obamacare.
In August 2013, Obama gave an Obamacare waiver to Massachusetts.
This waiver was illegal for two reasons. First, the waiver was not approved by the U.S. Congress. Second, the U.S. Constitution requires that the federal government treat all states the same.
5) Obamacare supporters at Democratic Underground later complained about it
For some really hilarious displays of shock and outrage by supporters of Obamacare at how it’s harming people, check out these threads at Democratic Underground: one, two, three, four, five, and six.
6) Union members quit their union because of Obamacare
The AFL-CIO was a big supporter of the passaage of Obamacare in 2010, and supported Obama in both elections.
In September 2013, it was reported that 40,000 longshoremen had quit the AFL-CIO, and that they had cited Obamacare as one of their reasons for doing so.
7) Obama broke his own deadline for creating healthcare exchanges
Even Obama himself seems to be an opponent of Obamacare.
Three years after Obama signed Obamacare, the New York Times reported that Obama would miss his own deadline for creating some of the insurance exchanges for small businesses.
8) Obama waited until after the 2012 election to release unpopular Obamacare rules
Obama himself is so much against Obamacare that he waited until after the 2012 election to release some of its rules.
In April 2013, the New York Times reported:
… even fervent supporters of the law admit that things are going worse than expected.
… the Obama administration didn’t want to release unpopular rules before the election.
Everything is turning out to be more complicated than originally envisioned.
A law that was very confusing has become mind-boggling… Americans are just going to be overwhelmed and befuddled. Many are just going to stay away, even if they are eligible for benefits.
9) Obama illegally bypassed Congress to delay Obamacare’s employer mandate
Here’s another example of how even Obama is against Obamacare.
As the Obamacare law was written, the employer mandate was to begin in January 2014. This is what the law said when it was passed by the House and Senate, and signed by President Obama in 2010.
However, in July 2013, Obama delayed the employer mandate part of Obamacare until January 2015. Obama did this without approval from Congress.
For Obama to change a law that was passed by Congress, without first getting approval from Congress, is a violation of the Presidential oath that Obama took to uphold and defend the Constitution.
What Obama did here is an action of a dictator, not an action of a President whose power is limited by a written constitution.
If Obama can get away with this, then it sets a horribly dangerous precedent, and means that the President can arbitrarily make any change to any law that has been passed by Congress, without first getting approval from Congress.
10) Obama illegally avoided enforcing the required income verification of people who receive subsidies for Obamacare exchanges
Here is yet another example of how Obama is against Obamacare.
Even though Obamacare requires the government to verify the income of people who receive subsidies for Obamacare exchanges, in August 2013 it was reported that Obama would not be verifying their incomes.
11) Obama illegally delayed the caps on out of pocket payments without Congressional approval
And here is yet one more example of how Obama is against Obamacare.
As it was passed by the House and Senate and signed by Obama in 2010, Obamacare sets caps on the out of pocket payments that people pay for health care, and these caps were legally required to take effect in January 2014.
However, in August 2013, Obama delayed these caps until January 2015.
Because Obama imposed this delay without it first being approved by Congress, Obama’s action was illegal. The President does not have the legal authority to change an Act that was passed by Congress, without that change first being approved by Congress. What Obama did here is not the act of a President whose power is limited by a written constitution, but is, instead, the action of a dictator.
12) Obama illegally prevented individual employees of small businesses from choosing their own plan during the first year of Obamacare
Here’s another example of how Obama is against Obamacare.
Obamacare requires that individual employees of small businesses be allowed to choose their own insurance plan during the first year of Obamacare. However, in March 2013, the Obama administration announced that it would not be allowing them to make this choice during the first year.
13) Unions that supported the passage of Obamacare in 2010 wanted new special exempetions in 2013
Here’s more hypocrisy from the unions that helped to get Obamacare passed.
In January 2013, the Wall Street Journal reported:
Some Unions Grow Wary of Health Law They Backed
Labor unions enthusiastically backed the Obama administration’s health-care overhaul when it was up for debate. Now that the law is rolling out, some are turning sour.
Union leaders say many of the law’s requirements will drive up the costs for their health-care plans and make unionized workers less competitive. Among other things, the law eliminates the caps on medical benefits and prescription drugs used as cost-containment measures in many health-care plans. It also allows children to stay on their parents’ plans until they turn 26.
Some 20 million Americans are covered by the health-care plans at issue
Top officers at the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, the AFL-CIO and other large labor groups plan to keep pressing the Obama administration to expand the federal subsidies to these jointly run plans, warning that unionized employers may otherwise drop coverage. A handful of unions say they already have examined whether it makes sense to shift workers off their current plans
“We are going back to the administration to say that this is not acceptable,” said Ken Hall, general secretary-treasurer for the Teamsters, which has 1.6 million members and dependents in health-care plans. Other unions involved in the push include the United Food and Commercial Workers International Union and Unite Here
Sheet Metal Workers Local 85 in Atlanta, which has about 1,900 members. Next year it must lift the $250,000 annual cap on the amount it will pay for medical claims. The law’s requirements will add between 50 cents to $1 an hour to the cost of members’ compensation package
14) Obama lied about putting health care negotiations on C-SPAN
Although Obama had made a campaign promise to have all of the health care reform negotiations broadcast on C-SPAN, he broke that promise after he was elected.
The secrecy of these negotiations was so strong that U.S. Congresswoman and Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-California) said, “We have to pass the bill so that you can find out what is in it.”
15) Obama lied about letting people keep their health insurance
Before Obamacare was passed, Obama said:
“No matter how we reform health care, we will keep this promise to the American people… If you like your health care plan, you’ll be able to keep your health care plan, period. No one will take it away, no matter what.”
Also before Obamacare was passed, Obama said:
“Here is a guarantee that I’ve made. If you have insurance that you like, then you will be able to keep that insurance.”
However, after Obamacare was passed, the Congressional Budget Office said that the law would cause seven million people to lose their employer provided insurance.
After Obamacare was passed, 1199SEIU United Healthcare Workers East announced that it would drop health insurance for the children of more than 30,000 low-wage home attendants. Mitra Behroozi, executive director of benefit and pension funds for 1199SEIU stated
“… new federal health-care reform legislation requires plans with dependent coverage to expand that coverage up to age 26… meeting this new requirement would be financially impossible.”
Also, after Obamacare was passed, the Franciscan University of Steubenville dropped its coverage in response to the law.
Universal Orlando dropped its coverage for part time employees in response to Obamacare.
In addition, after Obamacare was passed, Forbes reported
“The House Ways and Means Committee has released a new report that sheds light onto how Obamacare incentivizes companies to dump their workers onto the new law’s subsidized exchanges.”
Also after Obamacare was passed, MSN reported
“The Affordable Care Act mandate most commonly known as Obamacare has some tight stipulations that, CNN says, are forcing health care companies to rip up most of their current plans and draft new ones that comply. According to a University of Chicago study, just about half of the individual health care plans currently on the market won’t cut it once key provisions of the Affordable Care Act kick in next year.”
Furthermore, it was reported that Obamacare would cause 58,000 Aetna and UnitedHealth Group customers in California to lose their insurance.
In response to Obamacare, some employers have dropped coverage for their employees’ spouses. In August 2013, it was reported that UPS had announced that it would be dropping 15,000 spouses of its employees from its health insurance, and that it had cited Obamacare as the reason it was doing this.
The chain of Wegmans supermarkets cancelled the policies of its part time employees in response to Obamacare.
In July 2013, leaders of the Teamsters, UFCW, and UNITE-HERE sent a letter to Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi which said that Obamacare
“will shatter not only our hard-earned health benefits… these restrictions will make non-profit plans like ours unsustainable… we can no longer stand silent in the face of elements of the Affordable Care Act that will destroy the very health and well being of our members along with millions of other hardworking Americans”
In August 2013, it was reported that 106,000 New Jersey citizens would lose their health insurance because of Obamacare.
In September 2013, IBM announced that it would be switching 110,000 of its retirees from their current IBM-provided health insurance to the Obamacare exchanges.
In September 2013, Trader Joe’s announced that, in response to Obamacare, it would stop providing insurance to its part time employees.
In October 2013, it was reported that at least 146,000 people in Michigan would be losing their insurance because of Obamacare.
In October 2013, it was reported that Florida Blue would be dropping 300,000 customers because of Obamacare.
In October 2013, it was reported that 491,977 individual insurance plans in California would be canceled because of Obamacare.
In October 2013, it was reported that, in response to Obamacare, Home Depot would stop providing insurance to its part time employees.
In October 2013, it was reported that Obamacare was forcing CareFirst BlueCross BlueShield to cancel the insurance of 76,000 people in Virginia, Maryland, and Washington, D.C., because their policies did not meet the minimum requirements of Obamacare.
In October 2013, it was reported that hundreds of thousands of people in Washington state would be losing their insurance because of Obamacare.
16) Obama lied about the cost of Obamacare
Before Obamacare was passed, Obama promised
“I will not sign a plan that adds one dime to our deficits – either now or in the future. I will not sign it if it adds one dime to the deficit, now or in the future, period. And to prove that I’m serious, there will be a provision in this plan that requires us to come forward with more spending cuts if the savings we promised don’t materialize.”
However, after Obama signed it, the Washington Post reported that it would add more than $340 billion to the budget deficit over the next decade.
In March 2012, the Congressional Budget Office said that over the next decade, Obamacare would cost twice as much as what Obama had promised.
In May 2013, it was reported that Obamacare’s program for high risk patients was more expensive than what Obama had promised.
17) Obama falsely claimed that the U.S. Supreme Court had never overturned any laws that had been passed by Congress
Despite having taught constitutional law at one of the most prestigious law schools in the country, in April 2012 Obama falsely claimed that the U.S. Supreme Court had never overturned any laws that had been passed by Congress.
18) Obama said the health insurance mandate was not a tax, but later told the Supreme Court that it was
Before Obama’s health care reform was passed, he said that the mandate was not a tax. However, after it was passed, the Obama administration argued in front of the Supreme Court that the mandate really was a tax.
19) Obamacare punishes hospitals for saving the lives of patients with heart disease
Obama’s health care reform contains a provision that reduces Medicare payments to hospitals with high 30-day readmission rates. Sunil Kripalani, MD, a professor with Vanderbilt University Medical Center, said of this, “Among patients with heart failure, hospitals that have higher readmission rates actually have lower mortality rates. So, which would we rather have — a hospital readmission or a death?”
20) Obamacare encourages employers to switch their employees from full time to part time
The New York Times reported that Obamacare
“sharply penalizes full-time employment in favor of part-time employment.”
In response to the employer mandate of Obamacare, some restaurants have announced plans to switch some of their employees from full time to part time, including some franchises of Olive Garden, Red Lobster, Wendy’s, Taco Bell, White Castle, and Fatburger.
Community College of Allegheny County switched 200 professors and 200 other employees from full time to part time in response to Obamacare. Clint Benjamin, an English professor at Community College of Allegheny County, said that this would reduce his own monthly pay by $600.
Also in response to the employer mandate of Obamacare, other colleges have announced plans to switch some of their employees from full time to part time, including Florida’s Palm Beach State College, Ohio’s Youngstown State University, and New Jersey’s Kean University.
In Virginia, thousands of government employees had their hours reduced because of Obamacare.
The Carnegie Museum of Pittsburgh reduced the hours of 48 of its employees in response to Obamacare.
Regal Entertainment Group, the largest chain of movie theaters in the country, announced that it would be switching thousands of its employees from full time to part time in response to the Obamacare mandate.
Utah’s Granite School District reduced the hours of 1,200 of its employees in response to Obamacare.
In response to Obamacare, many Wal-Mart stores have stopped hiring full time workers.
In July 2013, leaders of the Teamsters, UFCW, and UNITE-HERE sent a letter to Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi which said that Obamacare will
“destroy the foundation of the 40 hour work week that is the backbone of the American middle class… the law creates an incentive for employers to keep employees’ work hours below 30 hours a week. Numerous employers have begun to cut workers’ hours to avoid this obligation.”
In response to Obamacare, Forever 21 reduced its employees’ hours.
As of September 2013, more than 200 public-sector employers had reduced their employees’ hours in response to Obamacare.
Sea World reduced the weekly hours of its part time employees from 32 to 28 in response to Obamacare.
Lands’ End limited its part time employees to 29 hours per week in response to Obamacare.
As of September 2013, at least 34 universities and colleges had reduced some of their employees’ hours in response to Obamacare.
On October 23, 2013, Investor’s Business Daily wrote:
IBD has a running list that now includes 351 employers that have opted to cut work hours below 30 per week or take related steps to limit liability under ObamaCare’s employer mandate. Each entry is documented with links to news sources and public records.
About 275 entries on IBD’s list come from the public sector, including more than 100 school districts.
21) Obama falsely said that switching to electronic medical records would make health care cheaper
Although Obama claimed that switching to electronic record keeping as part of Obamacare would make health care cheaper, it actually made it more expensive.
22) Obama falsely said that surgeons get paid between $30,000 and $50,000 for amputating a leg
In August 2009, while trying to justify the passage of Obamacare, Obama stated
“Let’s take the example of something like diabetes, one of — a disease that’s skyrocketing, partly because of obesity, partly because it’s not treated as effectively as it could be. Right now if we paid a family — if a family care physician works with his or her patient to help them lose weight, modify diet, monitors whether they’re taking their medications in a timely fashion, they might get reimbursed a pittance. But if that same diabetic ends up getting their foot amputated, that’s $30,000, $40,000, $50,000 — immediately the surgeon is reimbursed. Well, why not make sure that we’re also reimbursing the care that prevents the amputation, right? That will save us money.”
The American College of Surgeons responded to this by saying
“President Obama got his facts completely wrong. He stated that a surgeon gets paid $50,000 for a leg amputation when, in fact, Medicare pays a surgeon between $740 and $1,140 for a leg amputation. This payment also includes the evaluation of the patient on the day of the operation plus patient follow-up care that is provided for 90 days after the operation. Private insurers pay some variation of the Medicare reimbursement for this service.”
23) Obama falsely said that doctors perform unnecessary tonsillectomies to make more money
In July 2009, Obama said“Right now, doctors, a lot of times, are forced to make decisions based on the fee payment schedule that’s out there. So if … your child has a bad sore throat, or has repeated sore throats, the doctor may look at the reimbursement system and say to himself, ‘You know what? I make a lot more money if I take this kid’s tonsils out.’”
“Now, that may be the right thing to do. But I’d rather have that doctor making those decisions just based on whether you really need your kid’s tonsils out or whether it might make more sense just to change — maybe they have allergies. Maybe they have something else that would make a difference.”
The American Academy of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery responded by saying
“The AAO-HNS is disappointed by the President’s portrayal of the decision making processes by the physicians who perform these surgeries. In many cases, tonsillectomy may be a more effective treatment, and less costly, than prolonged or repeated treatments for an infected throat.”
24) Obama illegally added 20,000 extra pages to Obamacare without Congressional approval
After Obamacare was passed, Obama added 20,000 extra pages to it, even though those extra 20,000 pages had not been voted on by Congress.
25) Obamacare’s own authors admitted that it was a “huge train wreck” that was “beyond comprehension”
U.S. Senator Max Baucus (D-Montana), one of the authors of Obamacare, said of it, “I just see a huge train wreck coming down.”
U.S. Senator Jay Rockefeller (D-West Virginia), another author of the law, said it was “beyond comprehension.”
26) Obama used Obamacare to illegally give the IRS additional powers without approval from Congress
In May 2013 the Washington Post wrote:
The law allows the Department of Health and Human Services to set up federal health exchanges in the holdout states. But the statute makes no mention of the IRS providing credits and subsidies through federal exchanges.
The IRS resolved this conundrum by denying its existence. In a May 2012 regulatory ruling, it asserted its own right to provide credits outside the state exchanges as the reasonable interpretation of an ambiguous law. But the language of the law is not ambiguous. And health scholars Jonathan Adler and Michael Cannon, in an exhaustive recent analysis, find no justification for the IRS’s ruling in the legislative history of Obamacare. “The statute,” they argue, “and the lack of any support for the IRS rule in the legislative record put defenders of the IRS rule in the awkward position of arguing that it was so obviously Congress’ intent to offer tax credits in federal exchanges that despite a year of debate over the PPACA, it never occurred to anyone to express that intent out loud. A better explanation is that the PPACA’s authors miscalculated when they assumed states would establish exchanges.”
So: The IRS seized the authority to spend about $800 billion over 10 years on benefits that were not authorized by Congress. And the current IRS scandal puts this decision in a new light. What was the role of politics in shaping this regulatory decision? What pressure was applied?
27) The Obama administration illegally solicited donations from health insurers
In May 2013, Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius solicited donations from health insurers to help pay for Obamacare. Such soliciting is illegal.
28) Obamacare pressures unions to reduce the amount of health insurance coverage for their employees
Still more hypocrisy from the unions that helped to pass Obamacare.
In May 2013, the New York Times reported:
Say goodbye to that $500 deductible insurance plan and the $20 co-payment for a doctor’s office visit. They are likely to become luxuries of the past.
Expect to have your blood pressure checked or a prescription filled at a clinic at your office, rather than by your private doctor.
Then blame the so-called Cadillac tax, which penalizes companies that offer high-end health care plans to their employees.
Although the tax does not start until 2018, employers say they have to start now to meet the deadline and they are doing whatever they can to bring down the cost of their plans. Under the law, an employer or health insurer offering a plan that costs more than $10,200 for an individual and $27,500 for a family would typically pay a 40 percent excise tax on the amount exceeding the threshold.
Tom Leibfried, a legislative director for the A.F.L.-C.I.O., one of the unions whose plans are vulnerable to the tax, says the demands that workers pay more for their care is a perennial aspect of labor negotiations. “We’re very concerned about the hollowing out of benefits in general,” he said. “What the excise tax will do is just fuel that.”
29) Obama betrayed the people of the city that helped him launch his political career
As part of his effort to get Obamacare passed, Obama repeatedly promised that people could keep their current health insurance if they liked it.
More than any other city, the people of Chicago helped to get Obamacare passed. Chicago is where Obama chose to live when he first got into politics. The people there launched his political career and voted him into office.
And this is how Obama repays them. In May 2013, the Chicago Tribune reported:
Mayor Rahm Emanuel plans to start reducing health insurance coverage next year for more than 30,000 retired city workers and begin shifting them to President Barack Obama’s new federal system.
The move is aimed at saving the city money
Once the phaseout is complete, those retired workers would have to pay for their own health insurance or get subsidies under the Affordable Care Act. The city-subsidized coverage is particularly important to retired workers who aren’t yet eligible for Medicare
Henry Bayer, executive director of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Council 31, said the uncertainties of the Affordable Care Act and the state insurance exchanges they would create make the city’s plan hard to assess.
“This uncertainty will cause anxiety and fear for tens of thousands of seniors who gave their working lives to public service — men and women whose retirement savings are already under attack in the name of ‘pension reform.’” Bayer said.
30) Obamacare raised the interest rate on student loans to pay for Obamacare
Obamacare raised the interest rate on students loans from 5.3% to 6.8%. The money is used to fund Obamacare.
31) Obama refused to fire or prosecute 15 IRS agents who illegally seized the medical records of 10 million people
In March 2011, 15 IRS agents illegally seized the medical records of 10 million people without a warrant. Obama refused to fire or prosecute them.
32) Obama hired 16,500 new IRS agents to run Obamacare
In June 2013, it was reported that Obama had hired 16,500 new IRS agents to run Obamacare.
33) Obamacare makes it too hard for some doctors to continue their practices
In July 2013, ABC News reported that some doctors were shutting down their practices in response to Obamacare.
Dr. Robert WcWilliams, an obstetrician/gynecologist with more than 5,000 patients, said:
“It’s going to be run by bureaucrats – and it’s going to be run by politicians – who have no idea what is in your best interests, then I’m getting out.”
34) Obama falsely guaranteed that people could keep their doctor
Before Obamacare was passed, Obama said:
“Here is a guarantee that I’ve made… If you’ve got a doctor that you like, you will be able to keep your doctor.”
However, in July 2013, the Obama administration said that people “may” be able to keep their doctor.
35) Obama broke his promise to have real time verifiability of Obamacare subsidies
In July 2013, Investor’s Business Daily wrote:
Meanwhile, the administration tacitly admitted last week that its promise of real-time verification of a consumer’s eligibility to buy subsidized coverage at an ObamaCare exchange wasn’t exactly panning out.
Under ObamaCare, only those who don’t have access to “affordable” insurance at work can buy coverage in an exchange, and only those below certain income levels are eligible for tax subsidies.
Rather than a high-tech instant check, the administration told states they could simply take the applicants’ word for it when it comes to their employer-provided coverage, as well as their “projected annual household income,” without the need for “further verification.”
36) Obamacare contradicts itself
Obamacare allows insurance companies to charge higher premiums for smokers. At the same time, it prohibits insurance companies from charging more than three times as much for older people as it does for younger people. In June 2013, Obama’s computer programmers said that they had been unable to write a computer program that simultaneously agreed with both of these rules.
37) Obamacare is so horrible that even the IRS agents who run it don’t want to participate in it
Obama hired 16,500 new IRS agents to run Obamacare.
But Obamacare is so awful that even the IRS agents who run it don’t want to participate in it.
In July 2013, the National Treasury Employees Union, which represents the IRS employees who will be running Obamacare, provided a form letter to its members to send to their Congressmen. The letter stated:
“I am very concerned about legislation that has been introduced by Congressman Dave Camp to push federal employees out of the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program and into the insurance exchanges established under the Affordable Care Act.”
When asked about this, IRS chief Daniel Werfel responded by saying:
“I don’t want to speak for the NTEU, but I’ll offer a perspective as a federal employee myself and a federal employee at the IRS. And that is, we have right now as employees of the government, of the IRS, affordable health care coverage. I think the ACA was designed to provide an option or an alternative for individuals that do not. And all else being equal, I think if you’re an individual who is satisfied with your health care coverage, you’re probably in a better position to stick with that coverage than go through the change of moving into a different environment and going through that process. So I think for a federal employee, I think more likely, and I would — can speak for myself, I would prefer to stay with the current policy that I’m pleased with rather than go through a change if I don’t need to go through that change.”
38) Obama falsely said that Obamacare had not hurt jobs
In July 2013, the Obama administration said that Obamacare had not hurt jobs.
However, in the real world, in response to the medical device tax that is part of Obamacare, some medical device manufacturers have announced plans to layoff employees, including Welch Allyn (275 planned layoffs), Stryker (1,170 planned layoffs), and Medtronic (1,000 planned layoffs). In December 2012, Al Franken, Elizabeth Warren, John Kerry, and 15 other Democrats who supported the passage of Obamacare wrote a letter to Harry Reid, asking him to delay the tax on medical devices, claiming that the tax would hurt job creation in their districts. The New York Times reported that Obamacare “sharply penalizes full-time employment in favor of part-time employment.” In response to the employer mandate of Obamacare, some restaurants have announced plans to switch some of their employees from full time to part time, including some franchises of Olive Garden, Red Lobster, Wendy’s, Taco Bell, White Castle, and Fatburger. Community College of Allegheny County switched 200 professors and 200 other employees from full time to part time in response to Obamacare. Clint Benjamin, an English professor at Community College of Allegheny County, said that this would reduce his own monthly pay by $600. Also in response to the employer mandate of Obamacare, other colleges have announced plans to switch some of their employees from full time to part time, including Florida’s Palm Beach State College, Ohio’s Youngstown State University, and New Jersey’s Kean University. In Virginia, thousands of government employees had their hours reduced because of Obamacare. The Carnegie Museum of Pittsburgh reduced the hours of 48 of its employees in response to Obamacare. Regal Entertainment Group, the largest chain of movie theaters in the country, announced that it would be switching thousands of its employees from full time to part time in response to the Obamacare mandate. Utah’s Granite School District reduced the hours of 1,200 of its employees in response to Obamacare. In response to Obamacare, many Wal-Mart stores have stopped hiring full time workers. In response to Obamacare, Forever 21 reduced its employees’ hours. As of September 2013, more than 200 public-sector employers had reduced their employees’ hours in response to Obamacare. Sea World reduced the weekly hours of its part time employees from 32 to 28 in response to Obamacare. Lands’ End limited its part time employees to 29 hours per week in response to Obamacare. As of September 2013, at least 34 universities and colleges had reduced some of their employees’ hours in response to Obamacare. In September 2013, it was reported that in response to Obamacare, Indiana University would be laying off 50 of its employees and switching them to a temp agency. In July 2013, leaders of the Teamsters, UFCW, and UNITE-HERE sent a letter to Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi which said that Obamacare will “destroy the foundation of the 40 hour work week that is the backbone of the American middle class… the law creates an incentive for employers to keep employees’ work hours below 30 hours a week. Numerous employers have begun to cut workers’ hours to avoid this obligation.”
39) Obama falsely said that health insurance premiums would be reduced by $2,500 per family by the end of his first term
In February 2008, Obama said:
“We are going to work with you to lower your premiums by $2,500. We will not wait 20 years from now to do it, or 10 years from now to do it. We will do it by the end of my first term as president.”
However, by the time his first term was over, family premiums had gotten bigger, not smaller. The increase was $3,065 per family.
40) Obamacare places a 40% tax on so-called “Cadillac” insurance plans
Obamacare includes a 40% tax on so-called “Cadillac” insurance plans. In August 2013, unions that supported the passage of Obamacare complained about this tax.
41) Obamacare makes medical care for special needs children more expensive
In August 2013, it was reported that Obamacare would make it more expensive for the parents of special needs children to pay for their children’s medical equipment and specialized private schools that cater to their medical needs.
42) Obamacare outlawed the low-premium, high-deductible health insurance that some people prefer
Obamacare bans the low-premium, high-deductible health insurance that some people prefer.
43) Obamacare creates new fines for charitable hospitals that give treatment to uninsured people
In August 2013, it was reported that Obamacare creates new fines for charitable hospitals that give treatment to uninsured people.
44) Obama paid $67 million to so-called “volunteers”
In August 2013, it was reported that Obama has paid $67 million to so-called “volunteers” to teach people about Obamacare.
45) Obama illegally used Obamacare to fund pre-K education without approval from Congress
In August 2013, it was reported that Obama had illegally used Obamacare to fund pre-K education without approval from Congress.
46) Obamacare is so terrible that less than 3% of federal employees want to join it
In August 2013, it was reported that less than 3% of federal employees wanted to participate in Obamacare.
47) Obama avoided doing background checks on Obamacare “navigators”
In August 2013, it was reported that the Obama administration would not be doing background checks on Obamacare “navigators,” despite the fact that these “navigators” would have access to people’s personal, private, and financial information.
48) Obama illegally missed half of Obamacare’s deadlines
In August 2013, it was reported that Obama had illegally missed 41 of Obamacare’s 82 deadlines.
49) Obama tried to give illegal Obamacare subsidies to unions without Congressional approval
In August 2013, it was reported that Obama was trying to give illegal Obamacare subsidies to unions, without approval from Congress.
50) Obamacare makes it harder for writers, actors, artists, and musicians to obtain health insurance
In September 2013, the Weekly Standard reported:
Nancy Pelosi waxed rhapsodic in 2010 as she imagined the benefits of Obamacare: “Think of an economy where people could be an artist or a photographer or a writer without worrying about keeping their day job in order to have health insurance.”
But as Obamacare begins to kick in, artists, photographers, writers, and other members of the “creative class” who have access to health insurance programs through numerous professional organizations will lose that coverage.
Up until now professional organizations have worked with insurance providers to craft reduced-rate plans for their members. But thanks to the fine print in the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA), on January 1, 2014, many of these plans will fail to pass legal muster.
The College Art Association website posted a notice this month: “The New York Life Insurance Company recently informed CAA that it will no longer offer catastrophic healthcare coverage previously available to CAA members.”
The Entertainment Industry Group Insurance Trust (TEIGIT) website posts the following notice: “All individual and/or Sole Proprietor Health Insurance will terminate January 1, 2014. This includes plans acquired as Members of our Affiliated Associations & their groups.” Those affiliated associations include the American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, the Dramatists Guild, the Graphic Arts Guild, NY Women in Film and Television, and many others.
This will affect huge numbers of freelance artists, musicians, disc jockeys, and so forth.
freelance artists, designers, and musicians forced to enter the state-run exchanges are far more likely to see their rates go up
Pelosi’s vision of a world full of carefree artists, musicians, and writers is a mirage and becoming fainter the closer we get to January 1.
51) Obamacare encourages employers to use temp agencies
In September 2013, it was reported that in response to Obamacare, Indiana University would be laying off 50 of its employees and switching them to a temp agency.
In June 2013, Time magazine wrote:
Temp Agencies Are Learning to Love the Affordable Care Act
Staffing companies like Robert Half International and On Assignment have seen their stock prices soar since President Obama’s reelection in November, as the election made it nearly certain that the implementation of the law would continue as planned. “In general [Obamacare] is viewed as something that will lead to increases in the penetration rate of temporary workers,” says Tobey Sommer, an analyst with SunTrust Robinson Humphrey. Firms like Robert Half International are especially well positioned to benefit from the law, Sommer says, because they specialize in small and medium-sized companies, the very sort that may be using temporary workers to help them stay below that all-important 50-worker mark.
There’s also an opening for staffing companies to present themselves as experts in the labor rules of the Obamacare law, and as a resource that other businesses can turn to for help with its many rules and regulations. “The increasing burden of these regulations will cause some clients to throw up their hands and say, ‘I can’t deal with all of this,” says Sommer. And when that happens, a full-service staffing company could be the perfect place to seek help navigating the unknown waters of Obamacare.
52) Obamacare encourages layoffs of health care workers
In September 2013, it was reported that in response to Obamacare, Emory Healthcare, which is in Georgia, would be laying off more than 100 of its employees.
In September 2013, it was reported that in response to Obamacare, the Cleveland Clinic would be laying off some of its employees.
53) Obamacare encourages insurance companies to reduce their customers’ choices of doctors and hospitals
In September 2013, the Los Angeles Times reported:
The doctor can’t see you now.
Consumers may hear that a lot more often after getting health insurance under President Obama’s Affordable Care Act.
To hold down premiums, major insurers in California have sharply limited the number of doctors and hospitals available to patients in the state’s new health insurance market opening Oct. 1.
New data reveal the extent of those cuts in California, a crucial test bed for the federal healthcare law.
These diminished medical networks are fueling growing concerns that many patients will still struggle to get care despite the nation’s biggest healthcare expansion in half a century.
Consumers could see long wait times, a scarcity of specialists and loss of a longtime doctor.
In September 2013, the New York Times reported:
… under President Obama’s health care law… many insurers are significantly limiting the choices of doctors and hospitals available to consumers.
From California to Illinois to New Hampshire, and in many states in between, insurers are… restricting the number of providers who will treat patients in their new health plans.
… insurers… have created smaller networks of doctors and hospitals than are typically found in commercial insurance.
Consumers should be prepared for “much tighter, narrower networks” of doctors and hospitals, said Adam M. Linker, a health policy analyst at the North Carolina Justice Center, a statewide advocacy group.
In a new study, the Health Research Institute of PricewaterhouseCoopers, the consulting company, says that “insurers passed over major medical centers” when selecting providers in California, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky and Tennessee, among other states.
Juan Carlos Davila, an executive vice president of Blue Shield of California, said the network for its exchange plans… did not include the five medical centers of the University of California.
Daniel R. Hawkins Jr., a senior vice president of the National Association of Community Health Centers, which represents 9,000 clinics around the country, said “… insurers have shown little interest in including us in their provider networks.”
Dr. Bruce Siegel, the president of America’s Essential Hospitals, formerly known as the National Association of Public Hospitals and Health Systems, said insurers were telling his members “We don’t want you in our network. We are worried about having your patients, who are sick and have complicated conditions.”
In New Hampshire, Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield, a unit of WellPoint, one of the nation’s largest insurers, has touched off a furor by excluding 10 of the state’s 26 hospitals from the health plans that it will sell through the insurance exchange.
54) Obamacare encourages hospitals to close
In September 2013, WCYB reported:
Jonesville, Va. – A local hospital is closing its doors.
Wellmont Health System is citing unprecedented changes in health care as the reason for closing Lee Regional Medical Center.
Company officials say three reasons led to the decision reimbursement cuts associated with the Affordable Care Act, extremely low community use of the hospital and a lack of consistent physician coverage.
Lee Regional will cease all operations on October 1.
55) Obamacare requires doctors to ask patients sexual questions and put their answers in an electronic database
In September 2013, it was reported that Obamacare requires doctors to ask patients personal questions about their sex lives, and to put their answers into an electronic database. Doctors who avoid doing this will be penalized.
Dr. Adam Budzikowski, a New York cardiologist, said these sex question were “insensitive, stupid and very intrusive,” and that he could not think of any reason why a cardiologist would need such information.
Dr. Richard Amerling, an associate professor of medicine at Albert Einstein Medical College, said that a patient’s medical record should be “a story created by you and your doctor solely for your treatment and benefit,” and that Obamacare turns doctor appointments “into an interrogation, and the data will not be confidential.”
The New York Civil Liberties Union said that these requirements were a violation of patients’ privacy.
The Obama administration said that patients who wished to keep their information out of the electronic database should pay in cash.
56) Obamacare websites listed wrong prices for Obamacare
On September 20, 2013, just 10 days before the Obamacare exchanges were legally required to be ready, it was reported that they had the wrong prices.
57) Obama made it easier for people to commit health care fraud
In September 2013, CNBC reported:
Deep staff cuts are hitting a federal agency responsible for investigating health-care fraud just as Obamacare is due to kick in, leaving less people to investigate an ever-growing crime that costs taxpayers billions of dollars.
And in a perverse twist, the funding cuts at the Health and Human Services Department’s Inspector General’s Office might save money in the short term for the U.S. taxpayer. But over the long run, more money that could have been recouped from the fraud cases now going unpursued, is being left on the table, the agency said.
For every $1 spent on health-care fraud probes, nearly $8 is recouped in fines, restitution or settlements, according to HHS.
58) Obamacare includes a so-called “family glitch”
In September 2013, USA Today reported:
A so-called “family glitch” in the 2010 health care law threatens to cost some families thousands of dollars in health insurance costs and leave up to 500,000 children without coverage, insurance and health care analysts say.
That’s unless Congress fixes the problem, which seems unlikely given the House’s latest move Friday to strip funding from the law, which is also called the Affordable Care Act.
Congress defined “affordable” as 9.5% or less of an employee’s household income, mostly to make sure people did not leave their workplace plans for subsidized coverage through the exchanges. But the “error” was that it only applies to the employee — and not his or her family. So, if an employer offers a woman affordable insurance, but doesn’t provide it for her family, they cannot get subsidized help through the state health exchanges.
That can make a huge difference; the Kaiser Family Foundation said an average plan for an individual is about $5,600, but it goes up to $15,700 for families.
59) Obamacare makes it harder for Canadian politicians to get health care
Canada has had so-called “universal health care” for a long time.
However, when Robert Bourassa, the premier of Quebec, Canada, needed cancer treatment, he came to the United States and paid for his health care with his own money.
And when Canadian Liberal MP Belinda Stronach needed cancer treatment, she also came to the United States and paid for her health care with her own money.
And when Newfoundland and Labrador Premier Danny Williams needed heart surgery, he, too, came to the United States and paid for his health care with his own money.
Now that Obama has given the U.S. so-called “universal health care,” where will Canadian politicians go when they get sick?
60) Obamacare gives married couples an annual tax of up to $11,028 for being married instead of single
In front of the U.S. Supreme Court, the Obama administration argued that Obamacare is a tax.
According to the Obamacare calulator, Obamacare places an annual tax on married couples for being married instead of single. The amount of this tax depends upon the ages, incomes, and parental status of the married couple.
According to the Obamacare calculator, the extreme case of this tax occurs with a 60-year-old married couple with no children, where the two spouses have identical incomes totaling $62,041 per year. Under this scenario, according to the Obamacare calculator, Obamacare gives them an annual tax of $11, 028 for being married instead of single.
61) Obamacare gives people an annual tax increase of up to $12,214 for earning one more dollar of income
In front of the U.S. Supreme Court, the Obama administration argued that Obamacare is a tax.
Obamacare gives some people a tax increase if they increase their income by one dollar. The amount of this tax increase depends upon the person’s age, income, and marital status.
According to the Obamacare calculator, the extreme case of this occurs with a 64-year-old married couple with a combined income of $62,041. Under this scenario, according to the Obamacare calulator, Obamacare gives them an annual tax increase of $12,214 when their income increases by one dollar, in the case of their income going from $62,040 to $62,041.
This amounts to a marginal tax rate of 1,221,400%. That’s not a typo – the marginal tax rate on that one dollar of additional income is more than one million per cent.
62) Obama refused to fire IRS employees who “lost” $67 million from “slush fund”
In September 2013, it was reported that IRS employees had “lost” $67 million from a “slush fund.” Obama refused to fire those employees. Obama had created the “slush fund” as part of Obamacare.
63) Obama falsely said his mother’s insurance company had refused to pay for her cancer treatment
During the 2008 election campaign, Obama falsely said that his mother’s health insurance company had refused to pay for her cancer treatment.
64) Obama illegally delayed online registration of Obamacare for small businesses
Obamacare requires that the online registration for small businesses be ready by October 1, 2013. However, five days before that date, Associated Press reported that this deadline would not be met.
65) Obamacare encouraged 30,000 Puget Sound grocery workers to vote in favor of authorizing a strike
In September 2013, a union representing 30,000 employees at Safeway, Fred Meyer, QFC, and Albertson’s in the Puget Sound area of Washington state voted in favor of authorizing a strike. Union members said that one of their reasons for voting in favor of the strike was that their employers were trying to switch their part time employees form employer provided insurance to the Obamacare exchanges.
66) Obamacare caused a family’s monthly insurance premium to increase from $333 to $965
Andy and Amy Mangione and their two sons live in Louisville, Kentucky. In September 2013, they received a letter from Humana, their insurance company, which said that Obamacare would be causing their monthly premium to increase from $333 to $965.
67) Obamacare caused Michelle Malkin’s family to lose their health insurance policy
In September 2013, conservative writer Michelle Malkin, who has always opposed Obamacare, wrote
Like an estimated 22 million other Americans, I am a self-employed small-business owner who buys health insurance for my family directly on the individual market. We have a high-deductible PPO plan that allows us to choose from a wide range of doctors.
Or rather, we had such a plan.
Last week, our family received notice from Anthem BlueCross BlueShield of Colorado that we can no longer keep the plan we like because of “changes from health care reform (also called the Affordable Care Act or ACA).” The letter informed us that “(t)o meet the requirements of the new laws, your current plan can no longer be continued beyond your 2014 renewal date.”
This isn’t just partisan business. It’s personal. Our cancellation letter states that Anthem is “not going to be selling new individual PPO plans.” When we asked whether we could keep our children’s doctors, an agent for Anthem told my husband and me she didn’t know.
68) Obama tried to force Little Sisters of the Poor and other Catholic organizations to violate their religious principles
In September 2013, Becket Fund for Religious Liberty sued the Obama administration on behalf of Little Sisters of the Poor, a Catholic charity. Other Catholic organizations were also represented in the lawsuit.
Sister Loraine Marie said of this lawsuit:
“We cannot violate our vows by participating in the government’s program to provide access to abortion-inducing drugs.”
Mark Rienzi, one of the lawyers representing these Catholic organizations, said:
“These women just want to take care of the elderly poor without being forced to violate the faith that animates their work. The money they collect should be used to care for the poor like it always has — and not to pay the IRS.”
69) By signing Obamacare, Obama broke his promise not to increase taxes on families making less than $250,000 a year
On September 12, 2008, Obama promised:
“I can make a firm pledge. Under my plan, no family making less than $250,000 a year will see any form of tax increase. Not your income tax, not your payroll tax, not your capital gains taxes, not any of your taxes.”
In 2010, Obama signed Obamacare.
In 2012, in front of the U.S. Supreme Court, the Obama administration argued that Obamacare is a tax.
70) Obamacare pushes millions of working people “into a regulatory health coverage no man’s land”
In February 2013, U.S. Senator Ron Wyden (Democrat-Oregon) said:
“We’ve got millions of people — working-class, middle-class people — who are going to be pushed into a regulatory health coverage no man’s land. They are unable to afford the family coverage through their employer and ineligible for the subsidy that could be used by dependents on the exchange.”
71) It’s “not fair” to force federal lawmakers and their aides to participate in the same health care reform as everyone else
In June 2013, U.S. Congressman John Larson (Democrat-Connecticut) said that it is “not fair” to force federal lawmakers and their aides to participate in the same health care reform as everyone else.
72) SEIU union went on strike over Obamacare
The Service Employees International Union supported Obama in both elections, and also supported the passage of Obamacare.
However, in September 2013, member of the Chicago chapter of the SEIU went on strike over jobs cuts that were caused by Obamacare.
73) Obamacare website removed its promise of “free” health care
In September 2013, the Obamacare website removed its promise of “free” health care.
74) MSNBC host Ed Schultz supports Obamacare but wants unions to be exempt from it
After Obamacare was passed, MSNBC host Ed Schultz praised it almost every day for three years. However, on Sepotember 26, 2013, just five days before the Obamacare exchanges were to begin, Schultz said that unions should be exempt from it.
75) Obamacare punishes people who are unable to accurately predict their income a year in advance
Obamacare requires people to predict their income a year in advance. If their prediction is wrong, they can be punished by the IRS.
76) Less than 1% of the people who visited the Obamacare website on its first day actually registered for Obamacare
U.S. Congressman Congressman Jim Himes (Democrat-Connecticut) said that out of the 28,000 people from Connecticut who had visited the Obamacare website on its first day, only 167 had actually signed up for Obamacare.
77) Obama administration falsely said it did not know how many people had enrolled in Obamacare
On October 3, 2013, the third day that the Obamacare website was in operation, White House spokesman Jay Carney said that “7 million” people had visited the Obamacare website so far. However, when asked how many of those people had actually enrolled in Obamacare, he said, “We don’t have that data.”
Carney was lying. Of course the Obama administration had that data. CBS News was able to get a copy of that data, and reported that during the first 24 hours after the Obamacare website went online, only six people had used the website to enroll in Obamacare.
78) The Obama administration broke its promise that Obamacare “navigators” would not go door to door
On October 1, 2013, the very first day that Obamacare registration was taking place, the Obama administration broke its promise that Obamacare “navigators” would not go door to door.
79) Reporters from various news agencies were unable to register at the Obamacare website
On October 1, 2013, a CNN reporter was unable to register at the Obamacare website.
On October 1, 2013, an MSNBC reporter was unable to register at the Obamacare website.
On October 1, 2013, a reporter from the Tennessean was unable to register at the Obamacare website.
80) The Obamacare phone line was answered by “navigators” who had no training
President Obama signed Obamacare in March 2010. The Obama administration had three and a half years to hire and train the “navigators” who answer the Obamacare phone line.
However, on October 1, 2013, one of the “navigators” who answered the Obamacare phone line said “We have not been trained yet.”
81) The Obamacare website can’t handle as much traffic as a website which is run by one guy in his pajamas from his apartment
drudgereport.com is run by Matt Drudge, who runs the website in his pajamas from his apartment. I’ve visited his website just about every day since the late 20th century. It runs very well. His website has gotten as many as 45 million hits per day.
On the first day of the Obamacare website, it had 5 million visitors. It could not handle that amount of traffic.
82) Obamacare “navigators” who answered the Obamacare phone line told people to go to a building that turned out to be empty
Obamacare “navigators” who answered the Obamacare phone line told people to go to a building that turned out to be empty.
83) When spelled out, the Obamacare phone number is “F*** YO”
When spelled out, the Obamacare phone number is “F*** YO.”
This is not a complaint on my part. On the contrary, I consider this to be truth in advertising. For once, the Obama administration is telling us the truth about Obamacare.
84) A “lead navigator” for Obamacare falsely said that applicants must provide their credit score
In October 2013, Anne Packham, a “lead navigator” for Obamacare, falsely told applicants that they had to provide their credit score.
85) Obamacare website “looks like nobody tested it”
President Obama signed Obamacare in March 2010. He had three and a half years to create and test the Obamacare website.
However, in October 2013, CBS News quoted Luke Chung, an online database programmer who supports Obamacare, as saying the following about the Obamacare website:
“It wasn’t designed well, it wasn’t implemented well, and it looks like nobody tested it… It’s not even close. It’s not even ready for beta testing for my book. I would be ashamed and embarrassed if my organization delivered something like that.”
86) Obamacare’s first publicized “enrollee” turned out to be a Democratic activist who had not actually enrolled in Obamacare
After the Obamacare website went online, the media tried and tried to find someone who had actually enrolled, but could not find anyone, because the website was so badly designed.
After much searching, they finally reported that they had found someone – a 21-year-old guy from Georgia named Chad Henderson.
On October 3, 2013, the Washington Post reported:
Meet Chad Henderson, the Obamacare enrollee tons of reporters are calling
Ask and, apparently, you shall receive.
Just moments after writing a blog post Thursday morning, about the lack of information on Obamacare enrollees, Enroll America reached out with contact information for Chad Henderson, a 21-year-old in Georgia who had successfully enrolled in coverage on the federal marketplace.
It was a little difficult to reach Henderson, mostly because so many other reporters wanted to talk to him. “I’m supposed to talk to the Chattanooga Times Free Press in a half hour,” Henderson said. “And The Wall Street Journal is supposed to call.”
Luckily, Henderson managed to squeeze me in for a few minutes. He’s a student at Chattanooga State University who lives across the state border in Flintstone, Ga.
Politico reported:
Rare health exchange enrollee gets 15 minutes of Obamacare fame
Chad Henderson, a college student who is one of the few people to have signed up for health insurance on a federal exchange, is having his 15 minutes of Obamacare fame.
But wait.
It turns out that Henderson had not actually enrolled in Obamcare.
In addition, Henderson is actually a member of Organizing for Action, the organization that ran Obama’s election campaign.
87) Said it’s “unfair” to ask for Obamacare enrollment numbers just one week after Obamacare website went online
U.S. Congressional reperestentative Debbie Wasserman Schultz (Democrat-Florida) is the chairperson for the Democratic National Committee. When a reporter asked her how many people had enrolled in Obamacare during its first week, she said it was “unfair” to ask that question so early.
When a new movie comes out, we know how many people bought tickets in the first week. When a new video game, or a new CD, or a new book comes out, we know how many people bought it in the first week.
But when a news reporter asks “the most transparent administration in history” how many people signed up for its new health care program during its first week, we are told that such a question is “unfair.”
88) Declined to idenifty the private contractors who screwed up the Obamacare website
When the New York Times asked the Obama administration to identify the private contractors who had screwed up the Obamacare website, the Obama administration refused to answer.
89) Refused to answer why businesses, but not individuals, were able to delay the Obamacare mandate for a year
When Jon Stewart asked Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius why businesses, but not individuals, were able to delay the Obamacare mandate for a year, Sebelius refused to answer.
90) Gave people Obamacare “rate shock”
Many news sources, including the Washington Post, the Christian Science Monitor, Investor’s Business Daily, the Daily Caller, CBS News, Forbes, CNN, the San Jose Mercury News, and the San Francisco Chronicle, have been reporting on something called Obamacare “rate shock.”
For example, Tom Waschura, a self employed engineer who lives in Portola Valley, California, said that he supports Obamacare, and that he voted for Obama in both elections.
However, on October 5, 2013, Waschura said:
“I was laughing at Boehner — until the mail came today.”
“I really don’t like the Republican tactics, but at least now I can understand why they are so pissed about this. When you take $10,000 out of my family’s pocket each year, that’s otherwise disposable income or retirement savings that will not be going into our local economy.”
This next quote is one of the funniest things that I’ve heard anyone say about Obamacare so far. It comes from Cindy Vinson, a retired teacher from San Jose, California, who said that she supports Obamacare, and that she voted for Obama in both elections. This is what she said in October 2013, after she found out that Obamacare would be causing her insurance premium to increase:
“Of course, I want people to have health care. I just didn’t realize I would be the one who was going to pay for it personally.”
CNN reported:
One North Carolina reader was upset to learn her current $267 a month plan was being canceled and the cheapest option on the exchange would cost her family $750 a month. They don’t qualify for a subsidy.
“Obamacare is a nightmare for my family,” she wrote.
91) Made sure that Obamacare “rate shock” did not happen until after the 2012 election
Obamacare was deliberately written so that Obamacare “rate shock” would not occur until after the 2012 election.
On October 9, 2013, Obama’s approval rating was only 37%. Obamacare “rate shock” was a significant factor in this low approval rating. If Obamacare “rate shock” had happened in October 2012 instead of in October 2013, it’s highly unlikley that Obama would have won the 2012 election.
92) Obama had the Obamacare website built by cronies instead of by qualified programmers
Obama had the Obamacare website built by cronies instead of by qualified programmers.
93) Obama used 55 different contractors to build the Obamacare website
Instead of choosing just one contractor or a few contractors who could properly build the Obamacare website, Obama decided to spread the work out over 55 different contractors, which made it much harder to get all the parts to run together properly.
94) Obama waited until after the 2012 election to issue major rules for the Obamacare website
Obama signed the Obamacare law in March 2010. The law requires the online exchanges to be up and running by October 2013. So Obama had three and a half years to get the website ready.
However, Obama waited until after the 2012 election to release some of the major rules for how the website was supposed to be designed. So instead of having three and a half years to get the website ready, Obama made sure the programmers had less than one year.
95) New York Times reporter was never able to log in to Obamamacare website during more than 40 attempts over 11 days
During more than 40 attempts to log in to the Obamacare website over a period of 11 days beginning on October 1, 2013, a New York Times reported was never able to log in.
96) Obama hired an illegal immigrant to work as an Obamacare “navigator”
Obama hired an illegal immigrant to work as an Obamacare “navigator.”
97) Obama hired someone with an outstanding arrest warrant to work as an Obamacare “navigator”
Obama hired someone with an outstanding arrest warrant to work as an Obamacare “navigator.”
98) Obama spent more than $500 million to build unusable Obamacare website
Obama spent more than $500 million of taxpayers’ money to build the unusable Obamacare website.
99) Obama refused to fire Kathleen Sebelius, even after the failure of the Obamacare website
Even after the Obamacare website failed, Obama still refused to fire Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius.
100) There is “no reasonable expectation of privacy” at Obamacare website
The source code for the Obamacare website states:
“You have no reasonable expectation of privacy regarding any communication or data transiting or stored on this information system. At any time, and for any lawful Government purpose, the government may monitor, intercept, and search and seize any communication or data transiting or stored on this information system. Any communication or data transiting or stored on this information system may be disclosed or used for any lawful Government purpose.”
101) Obamacare website requires users to reveal private info before shopping
Legitimate shopping websites such as amazon.com allow users to browse merchandise without having to enter their personal information. However, the Obamacare website requires users to enter their name, social security number, and other personal information before they are allowed to look at the insurance plans.
102) Obamacare website is “a hacker’s wet dream”
John McAfee, the computer programmer who founded McAfee, Inc., said the Obamacare website is “a hacker’s wet dream.”
103) Obamacare caused a leukemia patient to lose his insurance
Michael Cerpok lives in Fountain Hills, Arizona. He has leukemia.
In 2012, his health care cost more than $350,000. But because he had insurance, he only had to pay $4,500 of that amount.
However, in October 2013, his insurance company sent him a letter which said that because of Obamacare, his insurance policy would be canceled on January 1, 2014.
104) Obama added 11 million words of regulations to Obamacare, which is 30 times as many words as the law itself
The regulations that Obama addded to Obamacare after he signed it are 11 million words long. That’s 30 times as many words as the actual Obamacare law that Obama signed in March 2010. Because Obama added these 11 million words without approval from Congress, his actions are illegal.
105) Obama changed the Obamacare registration deadline at the last minute
For three and a half years, the Obama administration repeatedly said that people had to register for Obamacare by March 31, 2014.
However, in October 2013, the Obama administration changed that deadline to February 14, 2014.
106) Obama ignored the successful methods of eHealthInsurance.com
The website eHealthInsurance.com has been successfully selling health insurance since 1998. The website is simple and easy to use.
However, when Obama created the Obamacare website, he chose to ignore the successful methods that are used by eHealthInsurance.com.
107) For two weeks, CNN reporter was never able to log in to Obamacare website
During the first two weeks of October 2013, a reporter from CNN repeatedly tried to log in to the Obamacare website, and was never able to log in.
108) Referred people to uncertified Obamacare “navigagtors” and “assisters”
In October 2013, the Obamacare website referred people to uncertified “navigagtors” and “assisters.”
109) While the Obamacare website was not working, 700 counterfeit Obamacare websites were working
It’s not Obama’s fault that criminals created 700 counterfeit Obamacare websites. However, it is interesting to note that while the Obamacare website was not working, those 700 counterfeit websites were working.
110) Asked Blue Cross Blue Shield not to release Obamacare exchange numbers
On October 22, 2013, three weeks after the failed Obamacare website went online, the Obama administration asked Blue Cross Blue Shield not to release information on the number of people who had signed up for their policies through the Obamacare website.
111) 100% of Senate Democrats up for reelection planned to support a delay in Obamacare’s individual mandate
On October 23, 2013, CNN’s Dana Bash tweeted:
“new: senior dem source tells me to expect every sen dem running in 2014 to back @JeanneShaheen proposal to delay #ACA enrollment deadline”
112) Obamacare website gave wrong prices
In October 2013, CBS News reported:
A new online feature can dramatically underestimate the cost of insurance.
In some cases, people could end up paying double of what they see on the website.
Industry executives CBS News spoke with could not believe the government is providing these estimates, which they said were useless and could easily mislead consumers. They also said that the website repeatedly states the actual prices could be lower, but it makes no mention that they could be higher.
113) Obamacare website sent false information to insurance companies
In October 2013, it was reported that the Obamacare website was sending false information to insurance companies
114) Threatened to punish people for not buying health insurance from a website that wasn’t even working
The Obama administration threatened to impose tax penalties on people who did not buy health insurance from the Obamacare website, even though the website was not working.
115) In the first two weeks of the Obamacare website, “no more than 5,000? enrollees had successfully completed the enrollment process
Two weeks after the Obamacare website went online, it was reported that “no more than 5,000? enrollees had successfully completed the enrollment process.
116) Falsely said “No one is more frustrated than I am” regarding the Obamacare website
On October 21, 2013, regarding the failure of the Obamacare website, Obama said:
“No one is more frustrated than I am.”
Obama has absolutely no right to be “frustrated” about any of the Obamacare webstie’s problems, because he is the person who chose to cause those problems in the first place.
It was Obama who signed a 2,600 page law that he hadn’t read.
It was Obama who added an additional 20,000 pages of regulations that he hadn’t read to Obamacare without Congressional approval.
It was Obama who chose to hire cronies instead of competent programmers to create the Obamacare website.
It was Obama who waited until after the 2012 election to issue some of the main rules for the Obamacare website, which gave the programmers less than one year to comply with those rules, instead of the three and half years they would have had if Obama hadn’t waited.
It was Obama who falsely said that the price of annual family insurance premiums would fall by $2,500.
It was Obama who falsely told people that they could keep their insurance if they were happy with it.
It was Obama who gave employers a huge financial incentive to switch their full time employees to a part time, 29 hour week.
It was Obama who refused to fire Secretary of Health and Human Services Kathleen Sebelius after the Obamacare website failed.
Every thing that’s bad about the Obamacare website is the direct result of choices that Obama made.
Obama has no right to be “frustrated” at the website’s failure.
You want to know the people who really do have the right to be “frustrated” at Obamacare’s problems? It’s the people who have opposed Obamacare from the start. It’s the people who predicted that these problems would happen. It’s the people who called the bluff from the very start on Obama’s many lies about Obamacare. These are the people who have the right to be “frustrated” at Obamacare’s problems.
And yet somehow, not only does Obama falsely say that he is “frustrated,” but he also falsely says that he is more frustrated than anyone else.
The people who are truly “frustrated” are the millions of people who were against Obamacare but are now being forced to participate in it.
Obama owns this – he created it. He has no right to be “frustrated” about it.
117) Obamacare website was built using 10-year-old technology
The Obamacare website was built using 10-year-old technology.
118) Obamacare website violates copyright laws
The Obamacare website violates copyright laws.
119) Repeatedly promised that the Obamacare website would be ready on October 1, 2013
This video shows Kathleen Sebelius, Obama’s Secretary of Health and Human Services, repeatedly promising that the Obamacare website would be ready on October 1, 2013.
120) Called the Obamacare website “the easiest, most consumer friendly website to use”
Beginnging at 0:44 in this video, Kathleen Sebelius, Obama’s Secretary of Health and Human Services, calls the Obamacare website “the easiest, most consumer friendly website to use.”
121) Obamacare website had between 10 and 20 times as many lines of code as it should have had
The Obamacare website has 500 million lines of code.
Dave Kennedy, the CEO of information-security company Trusted Sec, said that a website for a project on the scale of Obamacare should actually have between 25 million and 50 million lines of code.
122) Jared Polis opposes delaying Obamacare’s individual mandate for the entire country, but favors such a delay for his own district
U.S. Congressional representative Jared Polis (Democrat-Colorado) voted against delaying Obamacare’s individual mandate for the entire country, but later requested such a delay for his own district.
When Polis requested a special delay for his own district, he said:
“We will be encouraging a waiver. It will be difficult for Summit County residents to become insured. For the vast majority, it’s too high a price to pay.”
123) Gave a no-bid contract to CGI Federal to build the Obamacare website
Obama gave a no-bid contract to CGI Federal to build the Obamacare website.
124) Broke promise to have Spanish version of Obamacare website up and running on October 1, 2013
Obama broke his promise to have a Spanish version of the Obamacare website up and running by October 1, 2013.
125) Broke promise that Spanish version of Obamacare website would be up and running by “mid October” 2013
After Obama broke his promise to have the Spanish version of the Obamacare website up running by October 1, 2013, his administration made a new promise to have it up and running by “mid-October.” However, Obama broke that promise too – as of October 25, 2013, the Spanish version of the website was still not up and running.
126) Fired an Obamcare phone operator for truthfully answering a caller’s question
In October 2013, a caller to the Obama phone line asked:
“Have you ever gotten anyone who really likes it yet?”
The phone operator, a woman named Earline Davis, answered:
“Um, not really.”
Davis was fired for her answer.
127) Gave contract for Obamacare website to Michelle Obama’s college classmate
Instead of having the Obamacare website built by someone who was qualified, Obama had it built by CGI Federal, a company that was run by Toni Townes-Whitley, who attended Princeton University with Michelle Obama.
128) Spent $634 million for Obamacare website as of October 1, 2013, even though it was only supposed to cost $94 million
The Obamacare website was originally supposed to cost $94 million. However, when it went online on October 1, 2013, it had already cost $634 million.
129) New York Times writer gave Obama a grade of ‘F’ for rollout of Obamacare website
On October 25, 2013, New York Times writer Uwe E. Reinhardt wrote:
“… who exactly should be assigned the F for the troubled rollout of HealthCare.gov?”
“Once elected, a president becomes chief executive of a giant federal enterprise. Anyone familiar with corporate management would have thought that for as ambitious and technically a complex project as the initial rollout of HealthCare.gov – so important to many uninsured Americans and so politically important to the White House – the chief executive would have remained in very close touch with the management team overseeing the project and thus would have been briefed daily or at least weekly on the progress of the project and especially on any problems with it.”
“… the blame for the disastrous rollout of HealthCare.gov goes to its entire management team, to be sure, but primarily to the chief executive on top of that project. In my view, not only the proverbial buck stops on the chief executive’s desk, but, for the management of this particular project, the grade of F goes there as well.”
130) Said “Don’t believe what you’ve heard” regarding criticism of Obamacare
On October 25, 2013, regarding the various criticisms of Obamacare, Health and Human Services secretary Kathleen Sebelius said:
“Don’t believe what you’ve heard.”
In other words, the Obama administration says we shouldn’t believe the Washington Post, the New York Times, the San Francisco Chronicle, Associated Press, Reuters, CNN, MSNBC, ABC, CBS, NBC, PBS, NPR, Politico, the Wall St. Journal, the Christian Science Monitor, Investor’s Business Daily, Forbes, the BBC, Huffington Post, the Nation, Mother Jones, or New Republic.
131) Obamacare requires law abiding citizens to purchase coverage for treatment for heroin addiction
Obamacare requires law abiding citizens to purchase coverage for treatment for heroin addiction.
132) Obamacare requires men to purchase coverage for maternity care
Obamacare requires men to purchase coverage for maternity care.
133) Obamacare website could not even handle “just a few hundred people” at the same time
The Washington Post reported that during testing, the Obamacare website could not even handle “just a few hundred people” at the same time.
134) Obama administration falsely blamed the Obamacare webstie’s problems on too much traffic
The Obama administration blamed the problems of the Obamacare website on too much traffic.
However, the Washington Post reported that during testing, the Obamacare website could not even handle “just a few hundred people” at the same time.
In addition, CBS News quoted Luke Chung, an online database programmer who supports Obamacare, as saying the following about the Obamacare website:
“It wasn’t designed well, it wasn’t implemented well, and it looks like nobody tested it… It’s not even close. It’s not even ready for beta testing for my book. I would be ashamed and embarrassed if my organization delivered something like that.”
135) “Health insurance cancellation notices soar above Obamacare enrollment rates”
On October 24, 2013, the Daily Caller reported:
Health insurance cancellation notices soar above Obamacare enrollment rates
Hundreds of thousands of Americans who purchase their own health insurance have received cancellation notices since August because the plans do not meet Obamacare’s requirements.
The number of cancellation notices greatly exceed the number of Obamacare enrollees.
136) On October 28, 2013, the Obama administration was still falsely claiming that people could keep their insurance
Even as late as October 28, 2013, the Obama administration was still falsely claiming that people could keep their insurance if they liked it.
137) Kathleen Sebelius falsely said that Obama did not know about the Obamacare website’s problems before October 1, 2013
On October 22, 2013, Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius said that Obama did not know about the Obamacare website’s problem’s before October 1, 2013.
However, on October 30, 2013, CNN reported that Obama had known about the defective Obamacare website a month before it went online.
138) Before Kathleen Sebelius ran Obamacare website, she had long track record of failure at running websites in Kansas
In October 2013, the Daily Caller reported that before Obama hired Kathleen Sebelius to run the Obamacare website, she had had a long track record of failure at running websites when she was governor of Kansas.
Kansas state representative Scott Schwab said of this:
“We pretty much expected HealthCare.gov to fail, because she has a pattern of failing on these big initiatives.”
139) Federal employees who tested Obamacare website gave it their approval
Federal employees who had tested the Obamacare website before October 1, 2013, gave it their approval.
140) Obama said he was “mad” over botched Obamacare website, but refused to fire anyone
Obama said he was “mad” over the botched Obamacare website, but refused to actually fire anyone over it.
141) Kathleen Sebelius said “I don’t work for” the people whose taxes pay her salary
On October 24, 2013, Health and Human Services secretary Kathleen Sebelius said:
“The majority of people calling for me to resign I would say are people who I don’t work for.”
142) Obamacare website had only six enrollments in the first 24 hours
During the first 24 hours after the Obamacare website went online, only six people used the website to enroll in Obamacare.
143) Obama falsely blamed insurance companies for canceling policies that did not meet Obamacare’s minimum requirements
Obamacare requires all insurance policies to cover pre-existing conditions, maternity care, treatment for heroin addiction, and certain other things.
Therefore, based on simple logic, any policies that do not cover these things are rendered illegal by Obamacare, and must be canceled.
However, after insurance companies canceled these policies, Obama blamed the cancellations on the insurance companies instead of on Obamacare.
144) Obama administration told insurance company executives not to criticize Obamacare
On October 30, 2013, CNN reported that the Obama administration had told insurance company executives not to criticize Obamacare.
145) In July 2010, Obama knew that Obamacare would cause millions of people to lose their insurance, but he continued to falsely say they could keep it
On October 28, 2013, NBC reported that in July 2010, Obama had known that Obamacare would cause millions of people to lose their insurance, but that he continued to falsely say that they could keep it.
146) Obamacare covers “a narrow network of doctors and hospitals”
On October 29, 2013, CNN reported that Obamacare covers “a narrow network of doctors and hospitals.”
147) Obama knew about the defective Obamacare website a month before it went online, but he let it go online anyway
On October 30, 2013, CNN reported that Obama had known about the defective Obamacare website a month before it went online.
148) Valerie Jarrett falsely said “Nothing in Obamacare forces people out of their health plans”
On October 28, 2013, Valerie Jarrett, Obama’s senior advisor, tweeted:
“Nothing in Obamacare forces people out of their health plans.”
However, the very next day, CBS News reported:
CBS News has learned more than two million Americans have been told they cannot renew their current insurance policies — more than triple the number of people said to be buying insurance under the new Affordable Care Act, commonly known as Obamacare.
149) Kathleen Sebelius said the Obamacare website “has never crashed” at the exact same time that it was crashing
On October 30, 2013, while giving federal testimony on the Obamacare website, Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius said that the Obamacare website
“has never crashed.”
However, at the exact same time that Sebelius was making her statement, the Obamacare website said:
“The system is down at the moment.”
“We are experiencing technical difficulties and hope to have them resolved soon. Please try again later.”
150) “Top Hospitals Opt Out of Obamacare”
On October 30, 2013, U.S. News and World Report reported that “Top Hospitals Opt Out of Obamacare”
151) Obama falsely said that using the Obamacare website would be like shopping at amazon.com
Before the Obamacare website went online, Obama falsely said that using it would be like shopping at amazon.com.
152) Obama said Obamacare could cause premiums to “fall by as much as 3,000%”
At 1:17 in this video, Obama says:
“your employer, it’s estimated, would see premiums fall by as much as 3,000%”