Falling through the cracks in Obamacare

[No Elephants]

Jan 30, 9:55 PM EST

Some families to be priced out of health overhaul

By RICARDO ALONSO-ZALDIVAR
Associated Press

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Some families could get priced out of health insurance due to what's being called a glitch in President Barack Obama's overhaul law. IRS regulations issued Wednesday failed to fix the problem as liberal backers of the president's plan had hoped.

As a result, some families that can't afford the employer coverage that they are offered on the job will not be able to get financial assistance from the government to buy private health insurance on their own. How many people will be affected is unclear.

The Obama administration says its hands were tied by the way Congress wrote the law. Officials said the administration tried to mitigate the impact. Families that can't get coverage because of the glitch will not face a tax penalty for remaining uninsured, the IRS rules said.

"This is a very significant problem, and we have urged that it be fixed," said Ron Pollack, executive director of Families USA, an advocacy group that supported the overhaul from its early days. "It is clear that the only way this can be fixed is through legislation and not the regulatory process."

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_HEALTH_OVERHAUL_AFFORDABILITY_GLITCH?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2013-01-30-21-55-19

Obama said he liked calling ACA Obamacare. Now that there's a problem with it, though, it's Congresscare.

Congress never wrote the bill, though. The health insurance industry did, then Susan Collins was given license to make it even worse for consumers by adding all the Republican points. I guess this was in the silly hope of having at least one Republican sign on, as if a single vote from across the aisle makes a bill bi-partisan. President, please.

Moreover this bill was in the works for over a year and was supposed to be the signature accomplishment of Obama's first term. Obama did not have anyone on his huge staff read it and follow it through Congress? Finally, I distinctly remember the bill going to Obama for final changes before its final passage by reconciliation. There was a video of him sitting, supposedly penning (lieterally) the final touches by hand.

I remember because I was still hoping (remember hope?) that he would use the opportunity to throw in a meaningful public option.

Doesn't this guy own anything? And we call Clinton the Teflon President.

[Enthusiast]

1. We were told this would not happen. nt

[No Elephants]

2. We were told a lot of things.