Page 109 - Cityview_Jan_Feb_2014

in-depth

by obama for a year—have begun rip- do not qualify for subsidies, premiums

pling through Tennessee, and, ironi- under the ACA may take as much as 20
cally, one employer who has been most percent of income—twice the accepted

affected is government itself. before 10 percent definition of “affordable.”

the ACA, government workers in rural 18-month-old. The combined monthly Increased rates are one thing, can-
counties did not consistently receive cost went up by $400: “It’s hard for a celed coverage is another. The em-

health insurance through their jobs.
middle class family to have to pay that ployee mandate will, in the administra-
To pay for its $1.2 million share of this and then have money for anything,”
tion’s mid-range estimate, result in “66

new unfunded mandate and provide he says. “I’m probably going to have
percent of small employer plans and

insurance for its 700 employees, White to add a part-time job just to cover the 45 percent of large employer plans”
County in Middle Tennessee passed a difference.” Cutting their coverage is relinquishing their grandfather status.

wheel tax. The county’s total discretion- not a feasible option, as the garners are Forbes Magazine calculates that 93
ary general fund had previously been currently expecting a second child.
million Americans will eventually lose

only about $10 million. other rural The situation for Tennessee’s private their current health-care plans.
counties in the upper Cumberland employers is hardly better. Paul bailey, how did legislation designed to

region face similar budget shortfalls at a Vice President of operations for Cb reduce the more than 40 million

time when high property-tax delinquen- Trucking, employs 90 Tennesseans and uninsured Americans result in almost
cy rates and unemployment are already says his company has had its employee twice as many having their insurance

hurting tax revenues.
plan with blueCross blueShield of disrupted and their care uncertain?
In Knox County, Jason garner, who Tennessee for 15 years, but saw pre-

works as a liaison between East Ten- miums jump 41 percent as of January
The Problem

nessee schools and Rush’s Musical Ser- 1. he blames the rate gouge on the for many years before the 2010
vices, was blindsided when the State
ACA: “These insurance companies are ACA, both Republicans and democrats

of Tennessee dropped its share of his positioning themselves to be forced to agreed that the American health-care
premiums in anticipation of different take on those who do not qualify for system needed an overhaul. Too many

ACA changes affecting small business- insurance and hedging themselves with Americans had no health insurance,

es. Whereas garner had paid only $50 increases across the board to pay for and the cost of health care was growing
per month for coverage, his best option that coverage.”
at a much higher rate than inflation,

now was to add himself to his wife’s Nationally, a New York Times analysis especially as a share of government
insurance, which also covered his
concluded that, for some of those who
spending. fifty years ago, health-care

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