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2014

by mark Spurlock
obamacare:

T

o sail on the wind of emotional anecdote in politics
risks being left with a dead albatross around your neck.

on october 21, 2013, in a 3,500-word speech at the Rose garden,

President barack obama was shoring up his signature accomplish-
ment of office, the Affordable Care Act—or obamacare—which was

foundering along with its $677 million-budgeted Web site. As was
this President’s oratorical gift, he touted the moving story of Jessica

Sanford, a single mother who had not had health insurance for 15

years because of the cost, and her son, whose Adhd medication each year. Eventually, it was expected
alone was bleeding her for $250 a month. The President cited San- the existing individual market would

ford as, “what the Affordable Care Act is all about.” wither and die.
Less than a month later, Sanford herself appeared on CNN to say More than 187,000 Tennesseans had

the ACA had not helped her as she had hoped. her cost per month policies that White house spokesman

had jumped from the quoted $169 to $280, then $390. The Washing- Jay Carney called “junk” because, for
ton state exchange also informed her that she did not qualify for a example, like mine, they did not pro-

federal subsidy, translating in her words to, “You guys really screwed vide me (a male) with maternity care.
me over.” Sanford said she still supported the ACA, but her story was foregoing what the ACA considers this

not what the obama administration needed during the first two months of health- “essential health benefit” causes a poli-
care exchange availability. cy to be treated as no insurance at all. If

Even so, at least Sanford’s son would qualify for the Medicaid expansion, so no I sign up in the marketplace, however, I

one could argue that she was worse off under the legislation than she had been. In can qualify for a tax subsidy to help pay
Tennessee, however, the haslam administration has thus far opted not to expand the resulting higher premium for those

Medicaid (more on that below).
unwanted and unneeded coverages.
In short, the ACA pushes me to use

taxpayer dollars to buy more expensive The Individual Market
Not really. Tennesseans who self-

insurance I will be less happy with.
The bad news worsened through insure on the individual market could
october and November, when many keep policies that had not changed
The Employer Mandate
Americans with existing policies began since before the ACA’s initial passage
The 80 percent of working Ten- receiving cancellation notices—a re- in 2010. Insurance plans, however,

nesseans who have health insurance vocation of a promise that obama and undergo constant modification, causing

through their employer are yet to feel numerous other democratic leaders the obama administration to estimate
the full impact of the ACA. Neverthe- had made repeatedly for the previous when the law passed that 40 to 67

less, some effects of the so-called em- four years: “If you like your plan, you percent of individual-market poli-
ployer mandate—unilaterally delayed
can keep it.”
cies would lose their protected status

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cityviewmag.com maRcH aPRiL 2014