Ocare Depends on Stupid Young Voters

ObamaCare's Success Depends On The Young Being Stupid

Posted 07/02/2013 06:43 PM ET

Health Reform: ObamaCare's efforts to expand insurance coverage and bring down costs depend entirely on convincing young people to buy coverage, while the law gives these people every reason not to.

A marketing presentation put together for the administration admits that convincing the young and healthy — who make up 48% of the uninsured — to buy insurance will be difficult, since they "take health for granted" and have a "low motivation to enroll."

What it doesn't say is that ObamaCare will give them still more reasons not to buy insurance.

According to recent news reports, the cheapest policies so far proposed for ObamaCare exchanges will cost an average of about $2,400 a year. And these come with higher deductibles, bigger co-pays and stricter limits on doctors and hospitals than many individuals can buy today at lower prices. This isn't exactly a strong selling point for millions of young people who rarely need health care.

Census data show that just 30% of those between 25 and 44 saw a doctor three or more times in 2010, just 33% took a prescription drug and only 6% went to the hospital. On average this group spends about $850 on medical care — roughly half the cost of a daily cafe latte.

ObamaCare backers say premium subsidies will draw in the young, and tax penalties will take care of the rest. But many in this group won't be eligible for those subsidies. In Virginia, they end once incomes reach $33,000. And the tax penalty for not buying insurance starts at just $95 and will still cost less than insurance when fully phased in.

What's more, ObamaCare guarantees insurance coverage when one of these "young invincibles" does get sick, and at subsidized rates, since the law bans insurers from charging more based on health status.

How long will it take for the young to figure this out, and tell all their Twitter pals how to game the Obama-Care system?

The problem is that ObamaCare depends on getting the young and healthy to sign up so it can subsidize premiums for the sick.

Otherwise, the insurance pool will get sicker and more expensive, causing a premium "death spiral."

This might not be a problem for those who ultimately want a single-payer system. But it's a far cry from what the country was promised by the Orwellian-named "Affordable Care Act."