Obamacare staggers out
of the starting gate


Obamacare is off to a rocky start. On Oct. 1, the health insurance exchanges began operation.

The Obamacare website intended to be used by individuals interested in signing up was taken down after four days because of problems. There is an exchange in each state. Thirty six of these are being run by the federal government because those states chose not to set up and run their own. The Department of Health and Human Services had to scramble to set up those exchanges and apparently did a poor job designing the website.

It has become apparent that the public does not understand Obamacare. Many mistakenly believe that it was overturned (44 percent, according to one poll).

Very few understand what their options are, what coverage they will get or what it will cost. Educating them is largely the responsibility of the federal government because most states are refusing to cooperate. The federal government cannot meet that responsibility.

None of the country's biggest health insurers are participating in the exchanges. They are wary of the uncertainty regarding how many healthy people will sign up and heavy-handed government regulation. The gap is being filled by newcomers who have no experience in health insurance.


The employer mandate has been (illegally) deferred for a year, but many small businesses are nevertheless keeping their full-time workforce below 50 employees by deferring hiring or converting positions to part time. Employers are also starting to require employees to pay higher cost and dropping coverage for employed spouses.

Almost half of the states have refused to expand Medicaid, leaving a large contingent of people without insurance because they earn too much for Medicaid but not enough for subsidized insurance from the exchange.

With Obamacare's flaws apparent, its defenders are saying the Affordable Care Act was never intended as the final legislation. I don't recall anyone saying that before that act was passed. Democrats are now saying that Obamacare is moving the country towards universal coverage. The Congressional Budget Office says that about 30 million individuals will still be uninsured.

Republicans are viscerally opposed to Obamacare. The House Republicans are refusing to fund Obamacare resulting in a partial government shutdown. Republican governors are refusing to cooperate with federal efforts to implement Obamacare. This is because of the many flaws in the law, but also because Obamacare was passed over their objections by arrogant Democrats who refused to consider any Republican ideas.

The Democrats said, "We won." Now they are faced with widespread opposition to their biggest legislative achievement.

Duane Perkins, Mt. Gretna

Columnist correctly
defines our problems


I have never felt compelled to contact the paper about anything. However, Rahn Forney's recent column in regard to this country's political catastrophe is 100 percent on target.

He covered the big three: our outdated two party system, the media marginalization and big bully corporate America, and all require urgent change.

We are all to blame for this deadly trifecta. If we do not move quickly toward a different approach, we will leave our children with a most bleak future.

How about if we start our own party, common sense and what is right?

Thanks for the great column!

Joe Kristobak, South Lebanon
Woman's shooting
a police over-reaction


I have the highest respect for police officers and am thankful for the protection they provide. I also realize they are under great stress with the increasing number of terrorist actions and crime in general.

However, the incident of the shooting of an unarmed woman with a very young child with her seems to me to have been an overreaction.

Since she was not doing any shooting, it would have been fairly safe to assume she was not armed. If she had her car rigged to explode it would have happened when she rammed the police vehicle. A stun gun would have prevented her from using a bomb.

It would seem to me that the child's life was also put in danger by shooting. There is enough life being unnecessarily taken without the police getting in on the action.

They will probably be investigated for the incident, but the life is already lost.

James M. Hite, Palmyra