Loopholes, Liars and Hypocrites

Please read this opinion piece in the NY Times so you may see a true example of hypocrisy.   The freelance journalist, who supported Obamacare, just can’t afford it (no sh#t).  Now she is looking for what she calls a “loophole” where it would require her to “lie” about her beliefs to save $8000 a year.  She begins her piece pointing out all the things that went wrong with the Affordable Care Act (rising premiums, rising deductibles, narrow network of doctors, etc) but yet still loves it. She just doesn’t want to pay for it anymore because her “quality of life has declined under” it.

Anyone see an issue with this piece already?  She loves Obamacare as LONG AS SOMEONE ELSE is paying for it!

She then goes on to discuss Direct Primary Care:

I could, for instance, join a local membership-based primary care provider clinic — around $200 a month for a family of three — and combine it with a similarly priced catastrophic-coverage plan. But these options still leave gaps in your coverage, and subject you to a fine for not carrying proper insurance — up to 2.5 percent of your adjusted gross income.

The author is actually wrong here.  First, if she could find a catastrophic-coverage plan and combine it with a DPC clinic she would NOT get a penalty.  That provision is in the ACA.  The problem is there are NO catastrophic plans offered for her age/income.  Thanks again, Obamacare!

She then goes on to talk about the health ministry plans.  They exclude you from the penalty and actually act as a high deductible, catastrophic plan.  In my practice, I only hear complaints about the insurance companies but no one ever complains about the health ministries.  That should tell you something. The problem, as the author points out, is that she has to agree with their faith based principles and she just couldn’t do it.  I get it.   What I don’t get is her utter arrogance.  She states that “for those on the religious right, their beliefs grant them exemption from federal law, and access to decent affordable health care. Unfortunately, there’s no such loophole for clean-living, charitable nonbelievers.”  Really?  Then why didn’t you and your cronies carve out a “clean-living, charitable nonbeliever” exclusion?   I will tell you why.  Because you felt Obamacare was so great and believed the lies told to you by the President and his minions (“If you like your doctor you can keep your doctor”, “Affordable..affordable…affordable..affordable…”).  You fell under his spell and charm hook, line and sinker.

So, what is her answer?  Here is how she ended her piece:

As Republicans grapple with the Affordable Care Act, it would be wise for them to keep in mind that, like it or not, America is composed of people with different backgrounds, ethnicities and beliefs. The answer is not to repeal the law, which could result in more than 23 million Americans losing their coverage. The answer is to find solutions that allow all working families to find affordable health care that doesn’t demand choosing between their ethics and their ability to provide for their children.

Is she now on record stating that she supports a new law where there are catastrophic options similar to the health ministries plans as long as it is not religious?  I sure hope so because this is called the free market.  Health insurance is NOT health care.   We all need some safety net (catastrophic plans) but that is all. Let Americans, who are the best shoppers in the world, bring the prices down.

My guess, however, is that as soon as a free market solution is offered she change her mind again and writes another “heartfelt” piece telling us all how evil the plan is.  Why?   Because that is what hypocrites do.