The Steady Drumbeat of Obamacare Rationing

It has started. The steady drumbeat of rationing pounding away at our own ability to buy lifesaving treatment. Some of the most dangerous rationing provisions in Obamacare won’t take effect until 2014. But, HHS is not sitting idly by waiting for that date to enact some of them.

Last week, HHS announced that 45 states had applied for money under Obamacare to conduct “premium review.” What this means is that states, as the first line of enforcement, will review all proposed premium increases and justify “unreasonable” increases to the federal government. At this point, no one knows what “unreasonable” means.

Right now, companies are preparing benefit packages for next year’s benefits. These will be reviewed for the “reasonableness” factor. No one likes premium increases. But, with the new powers given to the federal government under Obamacare, lifesaving treatment will inevitably be rationed as health insurance companies are squeezed by premium limits. The federal government will have authority over not only the state health insurance exchanges created by Obamacare, but over all private health insurance policies. The net result is that we will not be able to even purchase that treatment with our own money.

National Right to Life is an excellent source of information on Obamacare and rationing. You can find the Robert Powell Medical Ethics Center blogspot here.

Barbara Lyons