Yes, ObamaCare will kill jobs (video)
Turns out Republicans were right when they labeled ObamaCare a “job-killing” law. According to the Congressional Budget Office, it’s an 800,000-jobs-killing law:
Keep in mind, I have repeatedly said the CBO has been working with overly rosy assumptions about ObamaCare (forced onto them by the congressional Democrats who wrote the law; CBO must score bills and laws as they’re written, not as they’re most likely to turn out). So, it seems likely that a job loss of just half a percentage point — those 800,000 jobs — is the best-case scenario.
The retort from Democrats seems to be that the loss of these 800,000 jobs is OK, because the figure represents workers who will choose not to work — because they won’t need to work just to have health insurance — rather than workers who won’t be able to find jobs.
Actually, I think that’s even worse: The implication is that taxpayers — 800,000 fewer taxpayers than there would otherwise be, remember — will be footing the bill for these non-workers. That’s exactly the opposite of what we need, and another example of why those rosy deficit-reduction numbers for ObamaCare will never come to pass.
– By Kyle Wingfield
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70 comments Add your comment
Linda
February 11th, 2011
4:30 pm
John@3:41, Half the uninsured, approx. 15 M people, are being added to the Medicaid rolls. Medicaid patients have NEVER paid for their health care. The law increased the minimum poverty rate to allow more people to qualify. The DC Dems. claimed the bill “would reduce the deficit.” They didn’t mention that the bill would increase the deficit of most of the states by billions! Do you not know why more than half of the states, both Dem. & Rep., are suing the fed. govt. over this law? It will cost GA alone $250 M per year? Residents of the states will pay dearly for this increase.
Young people who have chosen to spend their money on auto insurance rather than health insurance will continue to do so. The fine (plus cash for routine care) is cheaper than the premiums.
According to the Health & Human Services web site, 733 waivers plus 4 states have been granted to 2.1 million people. Why? Because companies, unions & states cannot afford it. It INCREASES costs.
The law mandates more employees be covered. It’s an incentive NOT to provide insurance at all. More & more employees will loose their coverage.
Catastrophic insurance & HSAs are popular with the self-employed. The new law restricts them in insidious ways & will ultimately kill them.
There will no longer be any reason for healthy people to carry health insurance. Since pre-existing conditions are covered, insurance can be purchased on the way to the hospital.
Bottom line, with this bill, there is no reason to buy health insurance until you’re sick.
Joe the Plutocrat
February 11th, 2011
4:43 pm
NO legislation can KILL a job anymore than it can CREATE a job. if a law causes 800,000 Americans to lose their jobs, there were 800,000 Americans whose “value” expired due to a change in the nature of the market. listen Kyle, if you don’t like the law, demonstrate or opine about how is is bad for the budget/deficit, or whatever, but this “kill/create” job poli-speak is way beneath you.
The Original Get Real
February 11th, 2011
4:46 pm
Get over it progressives, the curtain has only just begun to be raised on the negative realities of Obamacare
Concerned Student
February 11th, 2011
5:01 pm
In case you didn’t know, insurance is not one big discounting program. It’s a risk reduction business that functions by pooling wealth (not unlike the corporate form of business ownership). Insuring high-risk individuals means higher premiums for the individual and for the rest of the people that will eventually pay out to support his medical needs. Pretending that extending health care to everyone will reduce costs is laughable. It probably will reduce costs in some areas–and will definitely reduce costs for high-risk people–but costs will increase overall.
Also, prices are not the same thing as costs. Price fixing does not work.
Additionally, saying that healthcare should be cheaper is like saying that you should get paid less to do your job because it’s just not fair that you charge so much to do it. Doctors went to school for a long, long time to learn their trade. Pay them for it.
The world is driven by profit. Get used to it. Everyone and everything is profit driven. Yes, even you, Mr. Bleeding Hear Liberal. Your profits may not be based on financial gain, but no one does anything without getting something in return. Even charity work. You may say that you’re being selfless and doing it to help others, but even if that is your sole motivation, you are getting something out of doing charity work. Your profits are the feel-good sensations you experience by helping others.
Let’s all stop judging each other because we count different things as our personal profits. Have a legitimate debate about the healthcare issue, not a name-calling fight. Have your opinions, but be able to support them with something other than, “I’m right because you’re wrong.”
Linda
February 11th, 2011
5:10 pm
Concerned@5:01, Well said. Congratulations! You have common sense!
John
February 11th, 2011
6:12 pm
Linda@4:30
“Do you not know why more than half of the states, both Dem. & Rep., are suing the fed. govt. over this law?”
Take a look at the states that are suing the fed. govt. They’re Rep. states.
Just like Rep….all I hear is the US is coming to an end. None of the things you cited has happened. I don’t claim it to be a perfect law and believe changes can be made but at the same time, the US hasn’t been destroyed since it became law.
John
February 11th, 2011
6:50 pm
Concerned Student@5:01…before you ramble, like so many conservatives, it may help to do a little research. First, the mandate for coverage, is a conservative Republican idea. It was the Republican’s plan during the Clinton administration. It’s the same type of plan conservative 2008 presidential candidate and 2012 potential candidate, Mitt Romney, signed into law in Massachusetts. He also said it would be a great plan to model for the federal government…which is what Democrats did. Republicans were for it before they were against it. As in other bills, they only became against it when the Democrats came on board with Republican ideas.
Secondly, you talk about pre-existing conditions. Read the Republican’s Pledge to America. In it, you will see Republicans want to cover pre-existing conditions as well. That’s their pledge. So, Democrats and Republicans are on the same page there.
Have you noticed, since the bill was signed into law, the insurance lobbyist have been pretty silent even though they were very vocally against it before it became law. The insurance lobbyist have said it the mandate goes away, insurance premiums will skyrocket. That’s how you keep premiums down while still covering people with pre-existing conditions.
That’s how businesses operate. They can lower the cost of individual items and make less profit per item but by selling more units to a larger customer base, you can increase overall profit. It’s the same concept.
Linda
February 11th, 2011
6:59 pm
John@6:12, Several of the states suing are still blue states. Several of the states suing voted for Obama & were blue states UNTIL HEALTH CARE was passed! They are now red states as a result of Obamacare! The lawsuits are not political. They are a matter of the survival of states already at the point of bankruptcy. They simply cannot afford Obamacare.
Many of the things I cited have happened. Check the Health & Human Services web site for yourself. Many of the things I cited have not happened YET because the bill has not been fully implemented.
Changes to it can not be made. The bill, as it was written, is like a car with only 3 wheels. It will not go. If (& I believe when) the individual mandate is declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court, it will be like a car with only three wheels AND no engine. It won’t go or run. It must be repealed & replaced.
As I understand it, the health insurance companies agreed to cover pre-existing conditions with the understanding that they would have many more policies & coverage of healthy people. I think they will loose policies. As a matter of fact, I think the bill was designed to put health insurance companies out of business as an excuse to implement the public option.
I don’t think the health care insurance bill had anything to do with health, care or insurance.
John
February 11th, 2011
7:15 pm
Linda@6:59…name the states. You make a claim so back it up. The states suing either has a Republican Attorney General or Republican Governor or both offices are held be Republicans. I would call that a blue state.
Linda
February 11th, 2011
7:17 pm
John@6:50, I don’t know whose idea the individual mandate was, but it doesn’t matter. I’ve heard enough to think it will be declared unconstitutional by the Supreme Court.
Secondly, everyone, both Dems. & Reps., think it would be great if health insurers would accept all pre-existing conditions, but health insurers can’t be forced to accept them if it will force them out of business.
What exactly was the profit margin for health care insurance companies before the debate began? What were you led to believe & what was it actually?
John
February 11th, 2011
7:25 pm
Linda@6:50…so now you’re a constitutional expert. As I said before, the judges are torn on this issue. Everyone agrees, it will be decided by the Supreme Court. As for as the pre-existing conditions, the Republicans put it in their pledge…and it doesn’t state anything about profit margins. Tell me, do you think an insurance company should be allowed to drop you when you get sick? If you pay $100,000 in premiums over the course of years and get sick where the insurance company would have to pay out $80,000…do you think they should be able to drop you?
Linda
February 11th, 2011
7:54 pm
John@7:15, The states that voted for Obama that are now suing over Obamacare are Wash., Nev., Col., Iowa, Wis., Mich, Ind., Ohio, PA, NH, Vir. & Fla., about HALF of the states that are suing. That speaks volumes!!!
Yes, many of the states suing that voted for Obama have Rep. ATs & Rep. governors, but many of those Rep. ATs & governors were elected as a RESULT of Obamacare.
Georgia had a Dem. AT who refused to sue. Since 11/10, we now have a Rep. It works both ways.
Linda
February 11th, 2011
8:28 pm
John@7:25, I didn’t comment @ 6:50. That was a Concerned Scholar who appears to have that rare common sense.
You don’t have to be rude. I didn’t claim to be a constitutional expert. What I said was that “I’ve heard enough to think…”
Insurers have always been allowed to drop customers due to risk, whether it’s sickness, wrecks, drunk driving, fires, burglaries, etc. Insurance is a commodity, not a right. Purchasers of insurance should earn the privilege of doing business with their insurer. Candidates of insurance should be held accountable for obesity, smoking, carelessness, alcohol, drugs, hazards, etc.
Most importantly, the fed. govt. should not be singling out health insurance companies. Hazard, auto, life, liability, etc. companies all work in the same way.
Health insurers should not drop coverage on customers who become sick, but at the same time, they should not insure risk-takers. Auto & homeowner insurers should not drop coverage on customers who have claims, but they should not insure risk-takers.
John
February 11th, 2011
11:56 pm
Linda@8:28…”Health insurers should not drop coverage on customers who become sick, but at the same time, they should not insure risk-takers.”
Open your eyes…that’s exactly what insurance companies were doing. Of course, if Republicans get their way, that’s what we’ll get again. You mentioned earlier something about profit margins. Tell me, what percentage of premium payments should actually go to healthcare? Do you think $1 of every $100 you pay in premiums is good enough to put into actual healthcare?
perelwll
February 12th, 2011
7:07 am
If you currently have pre-existing conditions like me that have prevented you from being able to qualify for health insurance for at least six months you will have coverage options under new health care. Check “Wise Health Insurance” to find how to get quality insurance for dollars.
- CBO: Health Care Reform Law Will Cost Jobs - Shopfloor
February 12th, 2011
8:00 am
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Linda
February 12th, 2011
11:06 am
John@11:56, You didn’t answer my questions @ 7:17: “What exactly was the profit margin for hc insurance companies before the debate began? What were you led to believe & what was it exactly?”
I’ll respond to your questions if you will respond to mine.
No More Progressives!
February 13th, 2011
10:31 am
wallbanger
February 11th, 2011
12:24 pm
“Toby, try to get a gynecologist. I am experiencing it, and in fact, called Northside Hospital referring, and was told simply that many doctors won’t take medicare…………..”
The intelligent question is why are Doctors refusing to accept Medicare?
Besides, who cares about another 800K jobs; the Messiah says we need it. Therefore, by edict, it shall be done.
Concerned Student
February 14th, 2011
11:21 am
@John 6:50
This is exactly the kind of name calling I was referring to. If you’ll notice, I never once mentioned any political party in my post. The debate shouldn’t be about who did what and when, it should be about how to fix a problem. Blaming everything on the other guy is why we’re in a mess. No one will take responsibility to just fix it and stop pointing fingers.
No More Progressives!
February 14th, 2011
4:07 pm
Name calling, victim status, special “groups” and yelling & screaming is what the left is all about, Concerned. Especially the younger ones, who have no real world experience, except what Wikipedia tells them to say, or Daily KOS, MoveOn.org, et al.