Prominent Medicaid cost-savings claim takes a hit

Atlanta Journal-Constitution ^ | 11:51 a.m. Friday, Jan. 3, 2014 | Kyle Wingfield

[Hoodat]

It's early -- we have 362 days to go -- and so there will undoubtedly be competition. But as of Jan. 3, your leader in the clubhouse for most revealing quote of the year is this one reported by the Washington Post:

"[Saving money] was sometimes a misleading motivator for the Affordable Care Act. The law isn't designed to save money. It's designed to improve health, and that's going to cost money."

The speaker being quoted was Jonathan Gruber, an MIT health economist and one of the authors of -- you guessed it -- the Affordable Care Act.

Does anyone recall Gruber cautioning back in 2009-2010 that the law he was helping to craft and sell to the public was so blatantly misnamed? That all the Democratic claims during that time about deficit reduction, bending the cost curve downward, etc. were not really so truthy? That opponents of the law who said more or less what he is now admitting were right? Because I don't.

The last time I remember hearing from Gruber, it was in October when he authored a study saying the Affordable Care Act was ... well ... saving money:

"The Affordable Care Act is already working: Intense price competition among health plans in the marketplaces for individuals has lowered premiums below projected levels. As a result of these lower premiums, the federal government will save about $190 billion over the next 10 years, according to our estimates. These savings will boost the health law's amount of deficit reduction by 174 percent and represent about 40 percent of the health care savings proposed by the National Commission on Fiscal Responsibility and Reform -- commonly known as the Simpson-Bowles commission -- in 2010."

[Hoodat]

Every single thing they said about Obamacare has turned out to be a lie. Instead, we get something that costs more money, yet provides less service, just like any other monopoly. Liberals are economic idiots.

[Gaffer]

We will find out eventually, but certainly not before November of this year, and likely not before November 2016 just what the catastrophic financial impact of Obama’s massive escalation in the Medicaid rolls is doing. That’s mostly all they’re signing up right now.

[oh8eleven]

Every single thing they said about Obamacare has turned out to be a lie.
The most egregious bait and switch in history.
Instead of suing Øbama for the NSA debacle, why isn't Rand Paul - and all of Congress - suing to overturn/repeal Øbama(no)Care?

[Hoodat]

It amazes me how little respect these people have for 'truth'. Four years ago, Gruber quantifies the savings that will be realized. But today the amnesia kicks in as he explains how the law was never designed to save money.

It reminds me of the Dave Chappelle's Rick James bit about getting mud on Charlie Murphy's couch. After denying again and again and again that he got mud on the couch, Rick James says, "So I got a little mud on his couch . . ."

[Gaffer]

They’ve pretty much set the stage to put every loser, user and abuser in this country from whatever third world or urban sh!thole in this country on Medicaid.

The true costs will be horrendous. Think extended massive AIDS treatment, cancer treatment, reassignment surgeries and any other fantastically expensive procedure you can think of.