The Affordable Obama Care Act – Government Funded Groups Use Campaign Model – Failure to enroll targeted groups in significant numbers – Enrollees still not paying premiums – Are they enrolled?

The New York Times attempt at writing a glowing piece on enrollment campaigns for Obama Care (which is the Affordable Health Care Act) is somewhat disingenuous, although the title “Obama’s Vote-Getting Tactics Struggle to Find the Uninsured”, may suggest otherwise. The story speaks to the difficulty canvassers using the Presidents’ campaign model (and prior campaign staff members) is having difficulty:

The hunt for the uninsured in Broward County got underway one recent afternoon when 41 canvassers, armed with electronic maps on Samsung tablets, set off through working-class neighborhoods to peddle the Affordable Care Act door to door. Four hours later, they had made contact with 2,623 residents and signed up exactly 25 people (New York Times)

They are using targeting, to find those individuals that most likely would “benefit’ from enrolling in the mandated plan. Many of their targets, people identified on sophisticated computer lists generated in Washington as unlikely to have health insurance, had moved away. Some were not home. Many said they already had insurance through Medicare, their parents or a job. A few were hostile at the mere mention of President Obama’s health care law. “We’re going to repeal that,” one man said gruffly as he shut the door in the face of a canvasser, Nancy Morwin, 58, a retired social worker.

New York Times

Who is running the campaign – and to what end?

The campaign is staffed by organizations deploying thousands of paid and volunteer canvassers across the country. Planned Parenthood, one of the most aggressive groups, has raised millions of dollars for the effort. It is paying about 400 workers like Ms. Morwin $12 an hour. They are knocking on an average of 18,000 doors a day in eight states: Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Georgia, New Mexico, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Texas.

Enroll America, a nonprofit group that is trying to expand the health care rolls, has hired 266 people and recruited 14,000 volunteers to not only canvass neighborhoods but also make calls at phone banks and host events at community colleges in 11 states. The group has also spent $7 million to advertise on the Internet.(New York Times)

Therefore what we have is government funded groups paying volunteers to knock on doors in the hopes that they will increase the enrollment of a government funded plan – to date the New York Times estimates there are 3.3 million insured under the Affordable Obama Care Plan. The article continues in a hopeful vein, suggesting that the numbers will increase, yet does not mention that fact that those enrolled may have difficulty proving they have coverage at all, nor the impact on the taxpayer, many of whom have seen drastic increases in premiums or have lost their insurance altogether due to the mandates under the Affordable Obama Care Plan.

One of the difficulties in tracking enrollees is that the the plan fails to bill enrollees, simply because they never built the system (computer)to bill those that had signed up on the site to begin with! (Kaiser Health News). Therefore if one hasn’t paid a premium, is one truly insured? That seems to be the question for those attempting to receive health care.

Additionally, those most likely to benefit would be the insurance carriers themselves, due to the fact that Obama care reimburses insurance companies for any losses due to many claims as the young and healthy aren’t signing up in droves (even though one would not be able to actually be confident one was insured) – the New York Post considers this arrangement a Bailout -or another example of government – corporate collusion that has a hefty price tag that must be paid for by –the taxpayer. – More on that note from Insurance Networking News article “Obama care’s Outrageous Bailout for the Insurers -Obamacare has always depended, both operationally and politically, on an alliance between the administration and insurance companies. But that alliance is vulnerable.”worth the read.

Given the above scenario –that government funded groups, are having difficulty increasing the numbers of enrollees in a government mandated and funded plan, which said enrollees are not billed for and technically not insured, while promising the insurance companies who must pay claims once these individuals are treated, suggests a system that is beyond the pale – incompetent and costly. Which is why, there are some who believe that bigger government or government involvement into the private sector (Healthcare) is a really bad idea. The simplest fix: Those that are not able to buy insurance due to income levels should be able to enroll in Medicaid – the ridiculous limit on insurance carriers in states in general, should be removed, and a federal law (commerce clause here), instituted that allows all insurance carriers to compete nationwide – thus dropping the premiums due to an increased pool, and the laws of competition. Remove the mandates with one exception, mandatory physical exams yearly at no cost, thereby allowing insurance companies to offer “a-la-carte options for plans” that would vary in price and fit the individual consumer. There would be no need for mandated coverage, thus removing the IRS and any penalties to consumers, saving the taxpayer further and with more money in their pockets, further enhancing the economy.

That’s simplistic of course, and would work of cause, which is why it is not even remotely on the table.

There is always 2014 and 2016 – yet, in the meantime, the level of incompetence is stunning while the odds of a failing system are increasing.

Black Friday – President on the Stump – Democrats for Reelection Running in Opposition Direction – Child with Cancer looses Health Insurance - Affordable Health Care Act (Obama Care) the Remake of 2006.

It is the shopping day known as Black Friday – as one might expect, in an economy with a reduced workforce, retailers have suffered and millions are heading to stores earlier (With Massachusetts one of the few exceptions to the Thursday sale start due to blue laws.) The days have become darker, less optimist for a political party whose leadership has followed a familiar path, one that was doomed to fail before they set foot on their ideological path. The primary cause of the disaster – arrogance and an unwillingness to bend on the side of the Democrats, have caused the health care reform act, known first as Obama Care and now as the Affordable Health Care Act, to bring the party to its knees, reminiscent of the Iraq War under George W. Bush.

The Washington Post speaks to the the President as turning introspective as he campaigns across the country –presumably for the Democrats who are up for reelection in 2014 – all Congressional Representatives as well as a rather serious chunk of the Senate. His focus – blame the Republicans.

The constantly used tactic by the President to play partisan and blame the “other guy” so to speak (not that the other guy is blameless in some cases), when the Health Care Reform Act (Obama Care – Affordable Health Care), is, in a word, causing a disaster in the economy, and in the homes where millions of people are being adversely affected. One recent situation was reported out of Texas, where a family with two children with a rare form of cancer, happy with previous insurance, were told they were out of luck – one child is in serious need of immediate care –

Krista says an insurance agent told her that Hunter's information got lost when they made changes under the new Affordable Care Act. Now, Krista is on a mission to re-gain that insurance, but they're running out of time before his next chemo treatment, and the agent says they can't expedite. "The lady's like, the only way we can expedite is if your son was pregnant and in labor, or if he was an illegal," Krista said.

(KXII – Gainesville, TX)

This is not an isolated case, as millions have lost their coverage, and think tanks suggest up to 90 million insured will be forced into these exchanges, which are, at best inept. – The administration was well aware this would happen, so were the Congressmen and Senators on both sides of the aisle who read the bill.

As much as one might not care for Senator Ted Cruz or Mike Lee, (especially the Republican side of the aisle) as they desperately tried to stop Obama care from being funded and shutting down the government to do so ), they deserve credit for trying to save millions of Americans heartache and frustration.

As a strategy for the Republican’s however, allowing Obama Care to go on as usual was, in a word, Machiavellian. They knew what was in the law, so did the Administration, and they knew loss of coverage was going to mean huge drops in poll numbers for the President and by extension the Presidents party. – Formerly known as the Democrats.

It’s to the point, where there is so much fallout from this legislation that Democrats running for reelection are trying to distance themselves from the President (Denver Post) – Shades of George W. Bush – and if one recalls, that mid-term saw the return of the Democrats – Nancy Pelosi took the reigns as Speaker of the House and Harry Reid, become the Senate Majority Leader. – It was a political route, and one can anticipate another.

If the President could see the forest through his ideological trees, and wish to help out those in his party, and the rest of the nation (if this were remotely possible), the following would have to happen – it would upend the Republicans to boot.

The President would call an emergency session of both congresses – He would use the national bully pulpit and make an immediate announcement that there would need to be changes made immediately to insure the nation was back on track both economically and medically. Obama Care was going to be more than fixed; it would be new – before the next Congress convened.

He would look at the auto insurance industry in Massachusetts, and equate that with the Romney Care fiasco – and use the Auto Insurance option as a model for the Health Care Mandate. In brief.

Open all borders to all insurers, all types of coverage, make mandatory coverage for all carriers basic – preventative services, excluding $3.00 monthly birth control – plans could be al-la-carte, allowing individuals and families to purchase those “riders “allowing them to choose coverage that might be applicable or give peace of mind. – It would be personable responsibility. Those who could not afford insurance at all would be offered either Medicaid or the same coverage that Federal Employees have, again with multiple options.

That website would be turned into an information center, listing what was available to whom. The employer mandates would be gone, and so would the wind from the sails of the opposition.

His bounce among independents and grateful American of all parties would be significant and those Democrats would be begging him to help them campaign.

Totally unlikely but, if one considers the course of Carter’s presidency, and one is a student of history and has access to the information, one would understand that there is still time to turn it around.

One last thing – the President would have to suggest that perhaps the Republican’s were right on the health care option, and reach out publicly to that Party as well as in person, to seal the deal. Blaming the other guy is akin to crying wolf – after a while, the Wolf looks mighty attractive.

The Government Shutdown – Why It Matters – In a Nutshell – Why it doesn’t matter at all

The House and the Senate have failed to agree of a CR or Continuing Resolution to Fund Discretionary programs – the word discretionary as defined by means: Available to be used when and how you decide.

Therefore, this was not the standard budget but monies for operations that were sort of up in the air, this does not include entitlement programs, it does include park services, (Federal), as well as others, but non-essential services. The Social Security Payments will continue. The problem arises that the nation wishes to borrow more money and without this CR’s passage, that won’t take place – and that means, there will be little credit left for spending.

At the crux of the matter is the political divide over the way the Affordable Health Care Act has been structured. Some believe it needs to be readjusted as certain parts are clearly not working – other feel it must be passed, along with provisions to protect the Senate and Congress and their staffs, – especially when it comes to the affordable health care law. Some believe that for moral and religious reasons, the contraceptives and abortion coverage written in the bill should stay; others believe it needs to remain (Democrats). Neither side is willing to move, one side is more bent of being in charge (Democrats) while the other side is concerned about the effect of the law on the people, and on the economy. That would be some of the Republican’s – not all of them.

What one needs to know about Washington is that there is a political ruling class and then the rest of us. If they would learn the art of compromise as suggested by Senator Cruz, Senator Paul and Senator Lee, among others, then that would make government work for the people. As of now government is more concerned with its own egos, and looking out for their own class – never mind the masses (otherwise, most of the 3rd, 4th and 5th estates).

The question is Howe does this affect one individually – much at all? – That is how the “rest of the nation outside of the political class will view this latest circus. One can cry wolf so many times that it begins to mean – nothing at all. – Next week or the week after, the House and the Congress, with pressure brought to bear by the media (never mind the American Public, they listen to few of them), and each other, they’ll figure out a way to increase our taxes, and live happily ever after until the next big “Crisis” –

Simple things to do with Obama Care that would fix it today:

No individual mandate and fees from working class Americans

Mandates for employers to offer coverage to employees part time and full time

This- would be up the employee to take advantage of the employer plan.

State run health exchanges – to replace Medicaid, where one would be offered insurance based on income

There would be no borders when it came to insurance carriers, all carries would be allowed to sell insurance in all 50 states – which – would do the following:

Spread the risk of insurance so broadly that it would drop the cost of the premiums – also competition would drive premiums down – this would leave the exchanges in the state basically Medicaid only. Finally, the child on medical plan to age 26 stays, along with pre-existing conditions

The IRS would not be involved in the nation’s health care plan.

Employers would begin to hire over part time work – under the current law, they can exempt employees under full time, and avoid penalties imposed under the current law.

This is what should have been written.

A simple one page legible, readable, understandable bill for the people to navigate easily. – Everyone would be Happy.

In 2014, make the choice a personal choice, of which individual – not party – you wish to elect – and let your voice be heard –if you like the way government is running now – keep your Senator or Congressional Representative, if not, then shop around – even if it means crossing party lines one way or another – or voting for a non-major party candidate.

For more on the nonsense taking place in the capital – excellent article on the Hill Blog at thehill.com/homenews/senate/325647 senate quickly rejects house latest funding measure