History of ObamaCare

Democracy is a great word, whose history, I suppose, remains unwritten, because that history has yet to be enacted.

Walt Whitman (1819-1892),  Democratic Vistas (1871)

I woke up in this morning in a historical state of mind. 

I was thinking about the history of ObamaCare.  The news reports that 5 million have now enrolled in ObamaCare plans. Who knows? By March 31, ObamaCare may reach its goal of 7 million, and 40% of the young may even sign on.  ObamaCare could be on the path to successful implementation.

At the moment, however,  it is floundering, and we are in history’s midst.  And I am the midst of writing a triology of E-books  based on daily blog posts-  Understanding ObamaCare, ObamaCare Revealed,  and ObamaCare: Dead or Alive.

What do we now know about ObamaCare that will go down in history’s pages?

We know some of the numbers relating to the law.

We know that the health law:

·          will be 4 years old on March 23, 2014;

·          38% of Americans support it;

·         64% say they wish it had never passed;

·         57% say it should be fixed, not repealed;

·         25% to 30% of those signing up are in the 18 -34 year old group.

·         60% of those signing up are women, or men or women over 50.

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·         11% of those signing up were previously uninsured;

·         75% to 80% of those enrolling have paid their first month premiums;

·         Premium costs have gone up 39% to 56% for those without subsidies;

·         The number of insurance plan cancellations  (over 6 million) still  exceed the number who have signed on to health exchange plans( 5 million);

·         Estimates of those signing up for Medicaid because of the ACA exchanges  vary from 1.1 million to 1.8 million.

What these numbers portend  historically is anybody’s guess.  The health law remains deeply controversial,  is constantly changing through Obama’s executive orders,  will be a huge issue in the upcoming 2014 midterm elections,   and, for the moment,  is a drag on the President’s popularity and  Democrats’ odds for retaining the Senate.

ObamaCare is a law, but it is also an experiment in Democracy.  Like most laws which may prove to be  unworkable, Prohibition being a prime example,  the ACA  could be repealed given  enough political power shifts and public opposition.     History has yet to yield its verdict.

Tweet:   ObamaCare is an experiment in Democracy. It has been enacted but it could be redacted or repealed. History will tell.