The idea was to introduce several of ObamaCare’s benefits earlier than scheduled in hopes that the voters would start to support the new federal health plan before the midterm elections. With a little luck the tide would change and Democrats could hold the House. Having health insurance companies insure all children no matter their health was one of these benefits. Setting up a high risk pool for the uninsured was another, charging premiums similar to other policies. Adult children up to the age of 26 could stay on their parents plan too.
The downside to moving up these benefits have been severe. The majority of health insurance companies that sell child-only policies have now discontinued those policies, limiting choice for the buying public. The high risk policies available to the non-insurable through the new federal high-risk pool program has been a complete failure, with less than 10,000 enrolled to date. And lastly, the cost of these new programs are now being felt in higher premiums right before the midterm elections. Worse yet, these premium hikes will be higher for individuals and small businesses, click here , the exact folks that ObamaCare was to supposedly help the most.
It’s odd that the administration didn’t realize that there would be costs involved with these new mandates. If they were free they would not have to mandate such coverage. Moving up the benefits right before the election season simply doesn’t make sense from a political point of view, right in line with much of ObamaCare.
Michael Higgins
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