Gitzo Loc: Indiana

Latest Obamacare Challenge for Dems: Where's My $2,500 Savings?

Sunday, 27 Apr 2014 07:29 PM / By Greg Richter


As the midterm election approaches, vulnerable Democrats have a new worry that may be difficult to spin: Where did the promised $2,500 savings in health insurance premiums go?

As a candidate in 2008, Barack Obama repeatedly said his healthcare plan would reduce the typical family's annual premiums by up to $2,500 per year. Often, he did not include the caveat "up to," simply saying the "typical" family would save about $2,500 a year on premiums.

But now, a month past the signup deadline for coverage, comparisons for the typical family's then and now premium costs are difficult to come by. The Obama administration isn't issuing such numbers. At best, it has said the costs are "lower than projected," reported most recently by the Los Angeles Times.

But those lower-than-projected numbers refer to expectations when the Affordable Care Act was passed in 2010, not when Obama made the promises of reduced premiums in 2008.

Websites such as WebMD note that costs are reduced for some people, but that's because younger, healthier people are actually having to pay higher premiums.

"There are literally no comparisons to current rates. That is, [the Department of Health and Human Services] has chosen to dodge the question of whose rates are going up, and how much. Instead they try to distract with a comparison to a hypothetical number that has nothing to do with the actual experience of real people," former Congressional Budget Office Director Douglas Holtz-Eakin, told Forbes.

In reality, premiums are "skyrocketing,' according to a Forbes report, and those increases are blamed on implementation of the Affordable Care Act. At the same time, consumers also are facing higher deductibles under Obamacare plans.

This presents a problem to Democrats on the midterm campaign trail. Already, two Democrats were left speechless, then laughed when asked by a constituent where his $2,500 in savings went. Sen. Amy Klobuchar and Rep. Tim Walz, both of Minnesota, both turned to each other in hope of an answer to that town hall question in February.

With the continued unpopularity of the law, the "Where's my $2,500?" question may become a millstone around the necks of Democrats in tough re-election bids.
End of Article


Comments;

Hey libs........got your $2,500 "savings" yet?

bcheary Loc: Jacksonville, FL

Anna M-W Loc: New York City

My monthly premium went from $875.24 to $624.53 per month and lower co pay and this is in the city with the most expensive insurance in the country.

But I am sure that the facts won't persuade the right thinking members of the group.

Gitzo Loc: Indiana

You haven't presented any "facts" yet, annie; you're still oblivious to the FACT that it's putting a million people out of a job, and that FEWER people than before are going to end up being insured. Not to mention the FACT that it's about to put quite a few demoCRAP members of Congress "out of work" come November; nice try annie, but it's gonna take a lot more then ONE member of an online forum to convince the whole country that Obammyscare is a "great thing"

Anna M-W Loc: New York City

If you want to emphasize a word in a text you can uses Tags: there is a list of these on the left hand side of the reply with preview page, you may wish to uses the preview button to check you work.

Polite behavior would include using peoples correct names
and referring to political parties by the real name i.e. Democrats not demoCRAP demoRATs or demoFAGs or the G.O.P. not Grimy Old Perverts.

Best Regards Anna M-W
P.S I assumed that you know that using all caps is regarded as shouting.

Gitzo Loc: Indiana

Annie; Have you ever heard the old adage about "how difficult it is to "teach old dogs new tricks"?

I think that's what you're attempting to do......trying to teach an old dog some new tricks.

Quote; If you want to emphasize a word in a text you can uses Tags: there is a list of these on the left hand side of the reply with preview page, you may wish to uses the preview button to check you work.

I suppose I could if I wanted to, but I really don't want to.

Tags? Who needs 'em? I have one on Peabody; (my wife's rat terrier ) preview button? Completely superfluous! I just say what I need to say, and click "send"! (Works every time! )
All of this nonsense about "shouting"; that's only when people type in ALL caps; I don't;

BTW.......speaking of "polite behavior"........this is a "forum" Annie! where libs and cons duke it out; (they think )

democRATS? That's accurate; it's what most of them act like; demoCRAPS? it's what most of them smell like;
demoFAGS? that's a new one on me......never used that one yet.

G.O.P.? I usually don't don't use it much....sounds too much like, "GOP" (rhymes with "TOP" ) (I'm more in the "middle" )

BTW......You know how they let "handy-capped" people park "up front"? they let me take a few "short-cuts" because I use to have a "croc"; know how you have 8 fingers & 2 thumbs?

I only have 7 1/3, and 1 1/2; (croc got 'em )

Anna M-W Loc: New York City

Sorry about the fingers have you considered using voice recognition software it has a great feature that you can get it to read back what you said. That way you would hear how idiotic you are and that might save you some time.