You might want to take a look at this post that examines the differences between the ways that experts look at healthcare costs and what ordinary people think. I think it’s actually a lot simpler. As long as healthcare costs are eating up an ever-greater share of wages that are growing slowly if at all, they’re increasing too fast.
That was a realistic break-down regarding the myriad of fiscal ramifications behind the negative perceptions shadowing the PPACA from it’s controversial inception. Much like the government’s declining UE figures, which also are projected as “wonderful” by many social progressives, there remains the dour reality of common peoples’ anecdotal experiences as to how the job market, the economy and yes how our new healthcare model is impacting their own lives.
Supposedly, following 2014’s tax assessments there will be even more adverse revelations concerning people having to pay back some or all of their subsidies. That will be a shock! And, then there will be the ticking up of premium costs as health insurance companies finesse and tighten up their own numbers in order to generate real time profitability.
IMO, though, the “hassle factor” is what really has selectively superimposed itself on healthcare, regarding choices of doctors/networks, higher deductibles, greater sign-up confusion, cutting back on employee’s hours, as well as layering physicians with more paperwork and regulations. The PPACA may have granted healthcare subsidies and expanded medicaid opportunities for some. But, it also took away insurance options as well as insurance from others. My son is one of those who lost his insurance, and is now without any coverage. Consequently, I continue to look at the PPACA as a poorly constructed attempt to arbitrarily lower costs during a two year window of one-party control. Somehow, this just didn’t seem like a healthy, big picture approach to changing something so vital in everyone’s life.