Uninsured get 6-week deadline extension without fines

1.    Bloomberg News. (2013, October 24).  Nation:  Uninsured get 6-week deadline extension without fines.  Houston Chronicle, A4.

2.    Category of problem:  Health

3.    Level of problem:  National level

4.    The article concerns:  The Obama administration is extending the deadline to enroll in mandated health care until the end of March 2014.

5.    Why is this important to families / individuals OR how does it affect individuals / families?

a.    Enrollment in the Affordable Health Care Plan have been overwhelmed with technical issues.  People have been trying to register to avoid the fines associated with not joining before the government imposed deadline.  The administration has effectively extended the deadline until the end of March 2014.

6.    What are your views on the issue / policy?

a.    The Obama Care health plan law goes online January 1, 2014.  Americans are required to enroll in the plan if they do not have a company or individual policy in effect.  The confusion and inability of trying to register online is inexcusable.  The President has expressed his frustration, and has vowed to fix the process by bringing in a “Geek Squad” of technicians to repair the registration website.  In the meantime, the Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius – who was responsible for the website architecture and implementation – provides no answer for the glitches involved.  It appears that the website was not overseen like a project should have been with a detailed procedure approved by a supervisor each step of the way, like in the real world!  But, in the end, what does it matter?  So what, the website gets repaired.  So what, the American people are able to sign up for their health plans.  It is still an awful law that will prove to hurt more people than it will help.  Obama promised in his propaganda to pass the law that people who had insurance could keep it.  Well, tell that to the 300,000 people losing their coverage in Florida, or the 160,000 people in California, or the thousands of others around the country.  And, when these people do get other coverage they will find their premiums will more than likely be more (not less), and their deductibles will be higher (not lower as Obama promised, too).  He also promised that people could keep their doctors – what an underestimation on his part.  Instead, doctors are not keeping their patients!  More and more doctors are vacating their private practices abandoning their patients to either work in hospitals or opening concierge-type clinics, or leaving the field altogether.  And, fewer and fewer people are seeking medical degrees to become doctors because of the restrictions imposed by the new law.  So, with the ‘fix’ of the registration debacle, people will be able to get insurance, but will not have a doctor to go to.  Yes, lots of forethought went into this president’s vision to provide affordable health care to all – probably, at the turn in a round of golf.  Frankly, though, I don’t think he gives a damn.