Another day, another blistering problem for ObamaCare’s exchange system. Last time it was a big insurer pulling out of the system, leaving some areas with no competition, this time it’s an eye-watering 25 percent increase in premiums.
Liberals quickly rushed in with their usual explanations and caveats. The premiums were only going up because insurers mis-priced their initial plans, and additional subsidies will kick in for anyone facing a particularly steep hike. Only 3 percent of the population is on the exchanges, anyway — and if people would shop around, their premiums would probably go down, on average.
All more or less true, but all stepping around one major point: The ObamaCare exchanges are a tremendous pain in the neck. Next time Democrats get a bite at the policy apple, they would be wise to make further health care reform as simple and hassle-free as possible. It would be better policy and better politics.
The thing a lot of liberal “wonks” fail to properly grasp is the degree to which people loathe hassle and paperwork (perhaps because the wonk class secretly gets off on having a detailed understanding of complicated policies they can explain to others). For most people, managing a retirement account, college savings plan, health savings account, and/or ObamaCare exchange plan is a hellishly obnoxious chore. Shopping around for a better price on the exchanges also means burdensome switching of health care providers. Doing your taxes — necessary to claim all sorts of benefits — is famously despised. Such things are so obnoxious that there are wholeindustries dedicated to doing them for you at a ridiculous premium. – READ MORE
