ObamaCare's Troubles Are Only Beginning

NCPA December 19, 2013

ObamaCare is only going to get worse, says Michael Boskin, a senior fellow at the Hoover Institution.

• As we move into 2014, the increased costs from ObamaCare are going to become even more apparent as individuals begin paying higher deductibles and copays.
• People have already begun to see premiums increase by 30 percent and more, but if too few healthy people sign up for insurance, premiums will have to rise even more to subsidize the sick.
• The insurance market will begin to unravel.

On top of this, more people are going to begin to see that they cannot keep their doctors or see the doctor that they want.

• In order to keep prices low, insurance companies are offering very restrictive health plans that give patients access only to certain doctors and hospitals.
• Often, these plans do not include the best hospitals in the area.
• If an individual wants to see someone outside of his network, he will have to pay more.

Moreover, people outside of the individual market (those covered by employer plans, union plans, or Medicare and Medicaid) are also going to begin to feel the effects of ObamaCare, and the time it takes before they can see a doctor is going to increase. Even more workers are going to see their work reduced to part-time, and small businesses will be hesitant to hire more than 50 employees full time.

More broadly, fewer young people are going to seek careers in medicine. Practicing doctors, rather than accept lower incomes, will retire early or restrict their practices. And with higher taxes, the pace of innovation in drug and medical device development will slow down.

Source: Michael J. Boskin, "ObamaCare's Troubles Are Only Beginning," Wall Street Journal, December 15, 2013.