I applaud the ACA "fix"

[cthulu2016]

I do not applaud it because it is Obama. I favored this general approach before it was cool... back when it made me a Cylon troll.

I posted at length a while back about the need for mandated government information inserts for cancellation letters, and an even longer post about how a one-year delay in *government mandating* cancellation of non-compliant plans would make the roll-out better. Let insurers take the PR hit if they want to cancel these plans.


The reason Obama is doing this is because it is, in the big picture, less damaging to Obamcare than the alternatives.

Obamacare is fighting for survival, and survival is the key consideration.


Putting the full onus for canceling plans on insurers (and states —a lot of this is state level stuff for states with their own exchanges) for one more year is correct. Such cancellations should not be required by the government until the mechanism for moving to different plans is flawless.

And insurers are blaming voluntary moves on the ACA. This should take that away. Insurers want to cancel a lot of these non-compliant plans and there is no reason for the government to take the fall for what insurers want to do anyway.

Also, mandating that insurers provide ACA information when sending a cancellation letter is a no-brainer. That is very valuable.


I agree with what he is doing as the best thing, given the totality of circumstances in the real world today, for the survival and eventual entrenchment of Obamcare.


So yea Obama.

[cali]

1. Agreed. And I also believe that you're correct when you

state that the ACA is fighting for survival. That is not the fault of the President or even of the legislation itself.

[cthulu2016]

3. I think this increases the % liklihood of the ACA existing in 2020

That is my moral bottom line.

[FarCenter]

2. Obama is permitting the extension of policies, while Landrieu/Manchin would require their extension

Obama even alluded to the fact that the extension of policies would be up to the state insurance commissions.

Thus, Obama's administrative step will accomplish exactly nothing, since it is too late for the insurance companies to reapply to sell their former products in 2014, get approvals from their state commissions for the policies and rates for 2014, and then to contact customers to rescind the cancellation notices.

On the other hand, a Federal law to require that policies be reinstated and extended for another year is probably an unconstitutional interference with intrastate commerce.

[cthulu2016]

5. I edited OP to remove controversy on that point

[Whisp]

4. Obama is doing the right thing.

As usual he handles tough circumstances in the rational and adult way.

People should get their wipies out and clean up their hysteria hersey squirt dribbles. jayzus.

[nashville_brook]

6. surprised that ACA was willing to take the heat for the cancellations in the first place.

there should have been stronger language in the first place. hopefully this will put the issue to bed.

[PoliticAverse]

7. Will they be fixing the 'family glitch' also?... n/t

[badtoworse]

8. Seems more like a political move to me.

Getting the toothpaste back in the tube is actually pretty hard.

[cthulu2016]

12. It is almost entirely political, but all public policy relies on politics

A key part of Obamacare working is Obamacare not being eliminated. It cannot work if it isn't there.

Losing the Senate would be a spectacular functional blow to Obamacare

[B Calm]

9. K&R

[TwilightGardener]

10. I am too, seeing as how reports are coming out of how PISSED insurers are about it.

Anything that sticks it to them just makes my day. I live for when they are phased out of most average people's lives for good. Had they been more helpful and less greedy in implementing the ACA, maybe Obama wouldn't have had to punch them in the face.

[leftynyc]

11. I agree completely

If the insurance companies are pissed, he did something right.