Ahhh, you knew it would come sooner or later. Reality. It’s setting in on the much maligned Commonwealth health care plan, enacted during Mitt Romney’s tenure.
This opinion piece from the Wall Street Journal hits on just a few points and counterpoints as it points out the irony–and inherent untruthfulness–of the plan’s mantra: If everyone is covered, everyone’s cost will be lower.
Costs are soaring in Mass. Almost $1billion a year is now needed to fund the program, which STILL falls short of covering everyone.
Not surprisingly, the vast majority of new enrolees are in the state-subsidized plan–which in turns causes a larger burden on taxpayers.
Lawmakers in Mass. are “shocked” that so many people have opted for the the subsidized option. One word: idiots. Perhaps a more politically correct term: Unenlighted. Mandated benefits continue to tax the system.
Here’s my favorite paragraph from the article:
The Bay State has long served up coverage-specific insurance mandates, such as for fertility treatments, which raise costs. Yet in a just-deserts twist, Massachusetts health planners are now reviewing ways to trim mandates because the state is footing more of the bill, even if they didn’t care when imposing them on individuals and small business. A state-sponsored study shows that total spending on mandates was $1.32 billion in 2005, or 12% of premiums. The study is devastating despite its pro-mandate slant.
Just when politicians will finally figure out that MANDATES RAISE PREMIUMS, which in turn lowers participation, is anyone’s guess.
Never?
Now there’s a dose of reality.
