The Big Fix

 

 

"Physician, heal thyself!"

 

The fix is coming. It is long overdue, and it is going to hurt - quite a bit. George Will talked about it this past Sunday. Others have also mentioned it. I will give you a hint - it has nothing to do with the dysfunctional web portal which has been in the news of late. No, this fix is needed, or the entire ACA will come crashing down, and soon.

 

First, the web portal. Did it make the deadline of November 30th with all ills being fixed? Nope. However, according to impartial web experts, the front end is better. Still some delay issues still exist, but it is better. The back end which syncs up to the insurance companies still has some major issues. However, they are out of sight, out of mind. John Q. Public does not see those, so who cares? Because web portal development and maintenance is not a "black box" science, I believe all the final issues will soon be dealt with, and this thing will work as designed.

 

However (and this is a big however), the devil remains in the details for the ACA. Simply put, it was designed to fail. The Administration  was dumb like a fox when they delayed the employer mandate for a year. They knew that is when the real train wreck was coming. With a projected 80 million workers losing their employer provided health coverage, there will be droves and droves of workers with no insurance flooding to the exchanges. And here is where the rubber meets the road.

 

Because the Administration had also raised the eligibility rate to qualify for Medicaid, many of the millions coming to the exchanges will be put on the Medicaid roles. As it is, the reimbursement rates to doctors is much less for Medicaid patients than other patients. Many doctors are simply refusing to take any more Medicaid patients as they can't afford them. Less doctors and more patients equals a mess, and a hot one at that.

 

In will step Dr. Obama. He will tell the country this is wrong to not have people seen by doctors simply because they are on a government program. Since the doctors are going to be "stingy" with their rates, it will be up to the government to "fix it". Since even in an Obama Administration, you can't force someone to work, the government will do the next best thing. The President will propose another "Doc Fix", and this one is going to be a whopper.

 

A "Doc Fix" has been used before, only on a smaller scale. It will amount to Congress authorizing a bunch of cash to supplement the amount that doctors can be reimbursed after  seeing a Medicaid patient. Where does that money come from? Jack Lew's printing press of course. More and more money inflating our currency and adding to our HUGE debt.

 

Those on the lower end of the information dial, who thought this health care law was going to give us more for less while lowering the debt, will soon be in for a splash of cold water in the face. Most everything bad that was predicted by the "shrill voices" on the right is coming to fruition. Instead of getting more for less, we will all get less for more.

 

Those that thought our President was Santa Clause will soon find out he might be the Grinch instead. Merry Christmas from the White House.