Maryland's most popular "Affordable Care Act" health insurance plans will see premiums increase by an average of 26 percent next year, and Florida's will rise 9.5 percent, a post here the other day reported. Now the Springfield, Mass., Republican newspaper (which, despite its name, is a nonpartisan news operation), reports that in Massachusetts, "individuals buying insurance through the Connector who earn more than 300 percent of the poverty level ($72,750 for a family of four), will see their premiums rise by an average of 7.8 percent for most plans." Less comprehensive "Bronze" plans will have a smaller premium increase, but their already significant deductibles will increase by $1,000.
The newspaper reports that the price increase "reflects the increased cost of prescription drugs, higher usage of expensive health care, and additional taxes that are part of the federal Affordable Care Act."
It's almost enough to make the term "Affordable Care Act" seem Orwellian.
The article also highlights the way that ObamaCare isn't just about health care, it's about redistribution and division. Rather than uniting Americans — we all will have health insurance — the law winds up dividing Americans into two groups. One group earns less than the government-approved amount; that group gets subsidies that insulate them from paying the real cost of their health care. The second group earns more than the government-approved amount. That group pays a lot of their own money for health care and then gets socked with major premium increases.
