Written By: Don C. Brunell
President Obama’s national health care law was passed with lofty promises but no details. Few lawmakers read the 2,000+ page bill before voting on it, but supporters promised it would expand access to health care, cut health care costs and — most importantly — allow people to keep their coverage and their doctors if they wished.
Those have turned out to be broken promises.
First broken promise: You can keep your health plan and doctor if you like.
President Obama repeatedly assured Americans that, if they liked their health plan and their doctor, they could keep them. That’s not the case.
The law defines what the government considers an acceptable insurance policy. If yours doesn’t qualify, it’s gone. It expressly eliminates popular high-deductible health plans for small employers. In addition, the law pressures employers to drop coverage for their employees and shift those people into government health exchanges.
And if you have excellent insurance coverage, you will be punished. The law imposes a 40 percent tax on so-called “Cadillac” insurance policies. So, if you have good insurance coverage, you can keep it — but it will cost you.
Can’t afford good insurance coverage? The law may not help you as promised.
