What Will Happen When (and If) HealthCare.gov Actually Works

by Amy Payne, Heritage Foundation, December 3, 2013

That seems to be the clearest assessment after the Obama Administration has flubbed two deadlines to get the Obamacare website working.

The disaster has spawned countless news stories and updates about the website’s progress. But here’s the most important story: HealthCare.gov can’t fix anything that’s wrong with Obamacare.

Even if it worked perfectly from Day 1, that would do Americans little good. A slick, smoothly functioning website couldn’t undo all the damage Obamacare has done and is doing.

Here are just six of the things HealthCare.gov couldn’t begin to fix.

1. All of Obama’s broken promises. “You can keep your plan.” “You can keep your doctor.” “Premiums will go down by $2,500 per family.” All of these ring hollow for so many Americans now.

2. The lack of options for insurers on the Obamacare exchanges. Obamacare has reduced competition and choice nationally. Just check out this map to see its effects.

3. Dumping millions of Americans onto an already broken Medicaid program. Access to care and health outcomes are both worse under Medicaid than private insurance. Expanding the program to “cover” more people isn’t giving them quality coverage.

4. Penalties for getting married—and success at work. Obamacare’s financial incentives discourage marriage and for some workers, they will even discourage working harder and getting a raise. Why should a health care law be punishing these positive behaviors?

5. Obamacare’s trampling on religious liberty. Because of its coercive mandates, Obamacare forces many employers to purchase government-approved health insurance that covers abortion-inducing drugs—and that runs counter to a lot of Americans’ beliefs. Religious beliefs and the freedom to operate a private business based on those beliefs are in danger.

6. The jobs Obamacare has killed. Even though the Administration delayed the employer mandate, that hasn’t stopped jobs from being cut, workers’ hours from being cut, and employers struggling with the law’s new costs.

Fixing the problems facing the U.S. health care system requires an alternative to Obamacare. Learn more about our ideas to take health care out of the government’s hands and put it back in yours.

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Quick Hits:

• Did you hear about the 85-year-old American veteran being held in North Korea?
• Here’s what’s REALLY at stake in the Supreme Court’s examination of the contraception mandate.
• There’s talk of raising the minimum wage again—but here’s how Obamacare has already hiked it.
• If you haven’t heard Daniel Hannan speak about individual liberty, you’ll want to see this.
• Don’t forget to check out Heritage’s new fleece jackets and travel mugs when you’re doing your Christmas shopping!