by Ken Vincent, Featured Contributor
FOR MONTHS now we have been hearing the government spin on the ACA touting all of the good features, balanced with a lot of dialog about what is wrong with it from 
the naysayers. So, I thought it may be timely to review the reality of the good news away from politics. Try to step back from the clutter and static if you will.
The ACA requires all uninsured Americans (with some noted exceptions) to purchase some form of health care insurance. Failure to do so will cause the government to fine you, or as the Supreme Court ruled, apply a new tax (which almost all elected officials have sworn not to do).
The law expects to add some 10 million people to the insured ranks while providing for no new doctors. In fact causing a large number of doctors to stop practicing medicine due to the mandated cuts in their fees. It also prohibits hospitals from expanding without a special permit, though it is very unclear as to what the criteria is for getting such a permit.
- It was written by a committee whose chairman says he doesn’t understand it.
- It was passed by a legislature that hadn’t read it and was told by the then speaker of the house that they had to pass it to see what was in it. They also conveniently (and prudently) exempted themselves of course.
- It was signed into law by a president that smokes and has admittedly done drugs.
- It is to be administered by a treasury chief that hasn’t paid his taxes.
- It is overseen by a surgeon general that is overweight.
- It will be supported by young people that are willing and able to pay higher premiums than they could have gotten before the law was passed.
Failing that it will be underwritten by a government that is broke and has already bankrupted SS and Medicare, and passed regulations creating a housing and banking crisis throwing us into an 8 year recession.
The mechanics of creating the needed software was farmed out to some 50 companies, some foreign, with many having economic ties to those that awarded the contracts, or passed the bill.
Those companies were to be overseen by some dozen + government agencies none of which knew what the others were doing. (Not surprisingly that has created some significant glitches with the enrollment process.)
So, now that we have summarized the major good aspects of the ACA, whatever surfaces hereafter will likely be bad news.
I wonder why I feel like a sheep being herded to the shearing pen? Do you know how to say Baa?
What could possibly go wrong?
