Good News!

Ten million Americans now are covered by HSA-qualified health plans, according to a survey released today by America's Health Insurance Plans (AHIP). This is an increase from eight million last year and six million in 2008. These are people enrolled in high-deductible health insurance plans that qualify them to open tax-free Health Savings Accounts (HSA/HDHP). Clearly the solid growth shows the popularity of the HSA/HDHPs and their continuing appeal, even during a health reform debate that has gone in completely the opposite direction.

More Bad News for ObamaCare

Early Warning Signs

Fortune magazine has a blockbuster report out this week that shows major companies are beginning to recognize the extraordinary risk of continuing to provide health benefits for their workers under ObamaCare. It reports that "many companies are examining a course that was heretofore unthinkable, dumping the health care coverage they provide to their workers in exchange for paying penalty fees to the government." If this happens -- and there is every incentive for companies to do this -- the costs of the health overhaul law would skyrocket, and tens of millions of Americans would lose their job-based plans and be forced to get coverage in the publicly operated state exchanges due to begin in 2014.

Washington Rules

The more people delve into the details of this monstrous health overhaul law, the more shocked and appalled they become. Today's case in point: A new requirement that would bury small business in a tsunami of paperwork and that has virtually nothing to do with health care. Here's an example of how it works: The Galen Institute is required to file a Form 1099 for payments to independent contractors to whom we pay more than $600 in a year. Basically, this applies to the several consultants who provide valuable services to us. It's a hassle to file these forms, but manageable.

More Danger Signs

The White House is trying to spin the new report from Medicare chief actuary Rick Foster as only half bad because it concludes that, while the health overhaul law will cost more, it will cover more -- 23 million people will remain uninsured (instead of 24 million previously estimated). But looking at the details of Foster's report shows many, many danger signs of ObamaCare and how many of its promises will be broken...

Overhaul Law: Gotcha

Nothing seems to have amused readers of The New York Times this week more than correspondent Robert Pear's news story on Tuesday about members of Congress possibly legislating themselves and their staffs out of health insurance. As we reported last week, this sloppily drafted bill never was intended to become final law but was merely a Christmas tree to get 60 votes (on Christmas Eve) in the Senate to advance the legislative process.But Democratic leaders concluded that passing the Senate bill through the House was the only way any major health overhaul bill could be signed into law after newly elected Scott Brown broke the Senate's filibuster-proof majority.

A Hard Sell

President Obama has been barnstorming the country trying to convince a very skeptical public that his health overhaul plan is a good thing after all. But public animosity toward ObamaCare is not budging, with Rasmussen showing that 55% still want it repealed. It shows the incredible difficulty of changing minds that are set against this government takeover of our health sector. People are not buying into the president’s sugarcoating because they understand this new law represents a fundamental change in the relationship between citizens and government.

Repeal and Replace ObamaCare

So what do we mean by that, exactly? The fallout from ObamaCare is just beginning, with news articles every day showing the damage the health overhaul law is poised to inflict on our economy and health sector. The latest Rasmussen poll found 54% of those surveyed want the law repealed. But there are real problems in our health sector that demand it be replaced with a better plan. So here is a handy guide to the key policy ideas behind Repeal and Replace, letter by letter.