Has the "Silly Season" begun already?

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Mitt Romney on the campaign trail during the Republican Primary

The term “Silly Season” has been popping into my mind a lot lately.   “Silly Season” is typically described as the time in late summer into early fall of an election year where candidates engage in political posturing for media attention.  This will usually results in ridiculous claims.  My question then is, has the “silly season” already begun?

 After the recent primary caucuses and elections, presidential hopeful, Mitt Romney claimed that if he became president he would tackle the deficit by repealing the health care bill (Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act).  He continued to claim that repealing the bill would save $95 billion a year.  Not only is the latter statement completely false according to politicafact.com, but it is quite the opposite of the reality.  Over the next 10 years, the PPACA is projected to lower the deficit by $143 billion[1].  This will be done through a variety of means including a medicare payroll tax to those earning over $200,000 being the primary method.  Others include some fees on the medical industry, the tanning industry, and a $2000 fine to large employers that do not offer insurance and their employees who therefore utilize the individual exchanges (marketplace).  Finally,  there are measures to cut down on waste, fraud and abuse, end overpayments to medicare advantage, an excise tax on high end plans, stronger restrictions for Health Savings Accounts (HSA) and of course the highly debated fine for not adhering to the mandate.

While I have come to expect our politicians to flat out lie for political pandering, what has come to disturb me most is the statement concerning a commitment to repeal the bill and the political weight the argument is carrying.  I often wonder if those that support the rally cry have stepped back and asked themselves exactly what this would mean.  As I have explored this issue around the state of Pennsylvania, I have often become frozen in dismay regarding the lack of information and belief in misinformation many people possess.  They know little about the details that lie behind the political rhetoric.  Sadly, our politicians take advantage of this ignorance.

Therefore, I challenge those that support Mr. Romney’s rally cry to repeal the healthcare law by asking them to consider some of the following hypothetical situations: 

·         Should we now tell 2.5 million young adults (and their parents), like Eric, that they are no longer able to access affordable care?  As of January 2011, the PPACA has allowed young adults under the age of 26 to stay on their parent’s health insurance until they obtain a policy of their own.

·         Should we tell small business owners like Susan, and Laura/Michael that they will no longer have access to small business tax credits and the small businessexchange (marketplace) in order to purchase affordable healthcare?  Do they have to instead continue spending over 30% of their take home pay on health insurance?

·         Do we now have to tell every single insured American that health insurance companies can continue the same consumer abuses they have done for decades?  In other words, are you going to explain to the American people that when the Medical Loss Ratio is repealed, insurance companies can spend unrestrained amounts of patient premium dollars on advertising, CEO bonuses and lobbying instead of on their health care?

·         Do you also intend to tell every single American that health insurance companies can continue arbitrarily raising your premium rates year to year because you support repealing rate review?

·         Are you going to explain to Gary that when his company laid him off and moved to Venezuela or Brianna, whose company refuses to offer her healthcare that they will no longer be able to access affordable healthcare from the individual exchange (marketplace) ?

·         Finally, try explaining to me that because I have a pre-existing stroke condition that if I someday change insurance plans I can be denied coverage, subjecting myself to financial peril.

As the silly season seems to be upon us a bit early this election season, I leave those that support repeal with one final statement:   Be careful what you wish for….you just might get it.

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[1] Kaiser Family Foundation:  Summary of Health Reform law.  March 2010