A Very Merry Health Care Christmas

So the hangover is beginning to lift, and America is basking in its new health care system. One of the talk radio hosts played a recording of a man describing his joy about the passage of Obamacare. He said it was like Christmas. He apparently lost his coverage 4 years ago, and was afraid that he or his family might get sick and incur thousands of dollars of medical expenses. Now he is going to have health care, and he can sleep at night.

Well….not exactly. The provisions for his children will go into effect the next few months. Of course, the kids already qualified for an SChip program. He just didn’t sign up for it. As for himself, he will have to wait for about four years. But not really! His wife has a health insurance plan through her work. He just doesn’t want to pay the additional premium to put himself onto the plan. Another sob story gone a-muck! But then again, free is always better.

But he is right in one sense. This is like Christmas. There are some really nice presents under the tree that go into effect this year. No more lifetime coverage caps. No more pre-existing conditions for kids. No more raising premiums or kicking people off the plans because they are sick. Junior can stay on Mom and Dad's policy until he is 26. (Given that Junior is most likely living at home because he can't find a job, that's not much of stretch) Of course, if you were looking for an Official Red Ryder Carbine-Action Two-Hundred-Shot Range Model Air Rifle like Mr. Christmas mentioned above, you would be disappointed.

And like Christmas, when the wrapping paper is gone and the tree and sparkling lights are down, the bills come in January. You mean we have to pay for all that stuff we bought?

Obama and the Democrats are going to experience a bump in the polls. Obama is a superb politician of the worst kind. But nothing succeeds like success…and he and his plan will get a political reward as long as the party goes on. But sooner or later, those who need relief will realize relief doesn't come soon enough, and those paying the bill will get their January credit card statement.

As it stands right now, there will most likely be a rapid rise in premiums for those of us who have health insurance to cover the goody adjustments for this year. Then the down and dirty about the plan will begin to show its ugly head, and all of a sudden the goodies might not look so attractive when wrapped in words like mandate, fine, and government panels.

Corporations are already feeling the pinch. Under all the glitter hides the Grinch. Apparently in the footnotes of the bill are taxes upon taxes for corporations. AT&T announced that it will be charging of in excess of a billion dollars, and letting thousands of workers go, because of a tax surprise hidden in that monstrosity. At least ten major US corporation announced charge offs, hiring freezes, and benefit cuts resulting form Obama's Christmas present. Does this effect you? You bet. This bill is a job killer....but you will still have Barack taking care of you.

Is this a good bill? The IRS is adding 16,000 – 17,000 agents to enforce its provisions. Your health care plan will be reviewed monthly. You will have to continually provide proof of insurance. If you think that that is a good thing, by all means party on. For normal people, it is a good indication of the cold and black heart found inside this ostensibly humanitarian, caring and loving piece of legislation. It is evil.

In 2012, the incandescent light bulb will be outlawed. That is a presidential election year. Odds are that piece of well intentioned legislation will be jettisoned as people learn it takes minutes for the replacement bulbs to reach full brightness, and when they break, you need the haz-mat team to come in to clean up the broken glass. And those new light bulbs…very expensive!!

I think the health care bill will suffer the same fate as people realize what’s in it; that is if the Supreme Court doesn’t throw it out first.

In the meantime, be careful America. You'll shoot your eye out.