sAsociated Press: [...] Economic experts at the Health and Human Services Department concluded in a report issued Thursday that the health care remake will achieve Obama's aim of expanding health insurance — adding 34 million to the coverage rolls.
But the analysis also found that the law falls short of the president's twin goal of controlling runaway costs, raising projected spending by about 1 percent over 10 years. That increase could get bigger, since Medicare cuts in the law may be unrealistic and unsustainable, the report warned.[…]
In particular, concerns about Medicare could become a major political liability in the midterm elections. The report projected that Medicare cuts could drive about 15 percent of hospitals and other institutional providers into the red, "possibly jeopardizing access" to care for seniors.[…]
The report acknowledged that some of the cost-control measures in the bill — Medicare cuts, a tax on high-cost insurance and a commission to seek ongoing Medicare savings — could help reduce the rate of cost increases beyond 2020. But it held out little hope for progress in the first decade.
"During 2010-2019, however, these effects would be outweighed by the increased costs associated with the expansions of health insurance coverage," wrote Richard S. Foster, Medicare's chief actuary. "Also, the longer-term viability of the Medicare ... reductions is doubtful." Foster's office is responsible for long-range costs estimates.[…]
In addition to flagging provider cuts as potentially unsustainable, the report projected that reductions in payments to private Medicare Advantage plans would trigger an exodus from the popular alternative. Enrollment would plummet by about 50 percent. Seniors leaving the private plans would still have health insurance under traditional Medicare, but many might face higher out-of-pocket costs.
In another flashing yellow light, the report warned that a new voluntary long-term care insurance program created under the law faces "a very serious risk" of insolvency. We told you so. Now we have a health care/student loan takeover bill into effect that doesn't control or cut costs like they said it would. This is the kind of stupid crap we get when the Democrats put their heads together and cost us our future. Where are the JOBS stupid??? That goes for Obama and Congress. Since Obama and the Democratic Socialist party took over nothing has worked the way they said it would. And yet the Republicans and Conservatives have called it right every time. Heck Obama is following Bush to the T with Gitmo,the wars,spending+++,partisanship and the way the world views us. But the Democrat's have been having fun borrowing our future away on some of the dumbest things imaginable. I can't tell you if they are doing it all wrong on purpose(Clowerd-Piven) or is Obama and the Democratic Congress that stupid? I'd love to know what you all think about these new facts coming to light about obamacare?
