A committee for the University of Central Florida is considering a proposal that would require students to have health insurance as a condition of enrollment. Health Services is proposing the idea, which would be phased in with new students starting in 2015. Health insurance reform already mandates that everyone who makes more than $10,000 a year have health insurance or pay a tax penalty. What’s interesting, though, is that while the majority of UCF students do have insurance — and many would…
Reported by bizjournals 7 hours ago.
$19M opportunity for insurers: UCF may require students to have health insurance
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Judicial Watch Battles Obamacare Secrecy, Corruption in Court
With the Obama administration’s ignoring or rewriting Obamacare seemingly on a daily basis in violation of the law, Judicial Watch attorneys have turned up the heat on the White House. JW filed two new lawsuits designed to break the Obama stonewall – both on his abuse of power and on the threats of Obamacare to the welfare of the American people.On March 18, 2014, Judicial Watch filed two Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) lawsuits against the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to obtain government records about Obamacare.
One lawsuit seeks information about the December 19, 2013 decision by the Obama administration to establish new “hardship exemptions” that could allow most consumers to escape the Obamacare individual mandate without penalty. The second suit seeks records about security and privacy concerns surrounding the Obamacare healthcare.gov web portal, which has yet to recover from its disastrous roll-out.
JW filed its “hardship exemptions” lawsuit after a December 20, 2013, Judicial Watch FOIA request to HHS that was ignored. The lawsuit seeks the following information:
Any and all records of communications including, but not limited to, electronic communications (e-mails), between any officer or employee of the Centers for Consumer Information and Insurance Oversight (CCIIO), and any other employee or officer of CMS, the Department of Health and Human Services, and/or the Executive Office of the President, regarding the December 19, 2013 policy guidance issued by the CCIIO. For purposed of clarification, this policy guidance establishes a hardship exemption for consumers whose health insurance policies have been cancelled and allows those consumers to purchase “catastrophic” health insurance policies.
On December 19, 2013, the Obama administration announced it would grant controversial “hardship exemptions” to millions of Americans to allow them to avoid paying tax penalties for failing to comply with the Obamacare individual mandate.
Most observers agree that the “hardship exemptions” may be the most significant unilateral change that the Obama administration has made in its government healthcare takeover. The changes would grant broad exemptions to anyone who “believes” that Obamacare coverage options “are unaffordable,” essentially opening the door to exemptions for almost anyone who finds the law unpalatable. In the words of the Wall Street Journal, “these shifting legal benchmarks offer an exemption to everyone who conceivably wants one.”
And why would the Obama administration create exemptions to a mandate it has described as essential to the entire purpose of the healthcare overhaul?
Clearly Barack Obama feels the need to “protect” Democrats from the unpleasant ramifications of his healthcare monstrosity. Obamacare has thrown the country into chaos and Democrats do not want to suffer the consequences at the ballot box. This is all about politics.
The Judicial Watch lawsuit regarding healthcare.gov’s web portal security was filed after HHS also ignored a December 20, 2013, FOIA request asking for:
Any and all records related to, regarding or in connection with the security of the healthcare.gov web portal including, but no limited to, studies, memoranda, correspondence, electronic communications (e-mails), and slide presentations from January 1, 2012 to the present.
In November 2013, web expert David Kennedy testified that the Obama administration had failed to secure the site from its inception and that adequate security protections were not built into the system. “Based on our findings,” Kennedy told the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology, “we are confident that the security around the application was not appropriately tested prior to release, that the safeguards to protect sensitive information are not in place, and that there are and will continue to be for a significant amount of time serious security concerns with the website unless direct action is taken to address these concerns.”
In additional testimony provided to the House Committee on Science, Space, and Technology in January 2014, Kennedy said that the Obama administration had done very little to address the web portal security concerns. “Since the November meeting, there has been a half of one issue fixed … of the 18 issues identified through passive reconnaissance,” Kennedy told the committee. “Some issues still include critical or high-risk findings to personal information or risk of loss of confidentiality or integrity of the infrastructure itself.”
This administration is in full stonewall mode on Obamacare.
This president thinks he can change, ignore, and rewrite Obamacare with zero accountability.
And this administration’s illegal secrecy about the threats to the privacy of Americans who use the Obamacare website ought to make taxpayers very nervous about sharing personal data through healthcare.gov.
Reported by Breitbart 7 hours ago.
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Health care sign-ups surge — will they save Dems?
WASHINGTON (AP) — Mocking his critics, President Barack Obama boasted Tuesday that 7.1 million people have signed up for his health care law, an unexpected comeback after a disastrous rollout sent his poll numbers plummeting and stirred fears among Democrats facing re-election this fall. [...] the late enrollment surge may do little to change the political dynamics heading into the midterm elections, particularly for Democrats running in conservative states where the health law and the president himself remain deeply unpopular. Why are they so mad about the idea of people having health insurance? he asked a group of administration officials and supportive members of Congress in the White House Rose Garden. The president's remarks amounted to a victory lap for an administration that botched the start of the long-planned enrollment period for the insurance marketplaces at the center of the landmark law. The enrollment website was riddled with technical problems, and a flurry of private policy cancellations forced Obama to recant his pledge that Americans who liked their health insurance plans could keep them. Geoff Garin, a Democratic pollster, said the politics behind Obamacare will shift as more Americans feel personally invested in the overhaul — either because they're getting care through the exchanges, staying on their parents' plans or benefiting from patient protections. Among their considerations is whether to offer a comprehensive proposal or piecemeal measures, as well as whether to keep the more popular elements of Obama's law such as leaving children on their parents' plans until age 26. [...] the desire among Republicans to fully dismantle Obama's signature achievement remains tempting, especially for tea party members who have significant clout in the House.
Reported by SeattlePI.com 7 hours ago.
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Obama: 7.1m Americans signed up for Obamacare
With an I-told-you-so swagger, President Obama said Tuesday that 7.1 million Americans signed up for health insurance by Monday's deadline - exceeding the original White House goal under Obamacare.
Reported by NY Daily News 7 hours ago.
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GOAL EXCEEDED: Obamacare gets 7.1 million health insurance sign-ups, beating original White House goal despite website problems
President Obama concedes that not all problems have been solved, and that there will likely be more problems with the website going forward.
Reported by NY Daily News 7 hours ago.
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Here’s why it doesn’t matter that 7M signed up for Obamacare
Today’s White House announcement that 7.1 million people signed up through Obamacare health insurance marketplaces was a great political moment for the Obama administration. Despite all the early problems with HealthCare.gov and some state enrollment websites, the administration could now say it hit the Congressional Budget Office's original enrollment estimates.
Reported by Washington Post 6 hours ago.
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Obama: 7 Million Sign Up for Health Care Coverage
U.S. President Barack Obama says 7.1 million Americans have signed up for health insurance plans under the Affordable Care Act, popularly known as Obamacare.In a Rose Garden speech Tuesday, Mr. Obama celebrated the better-than-expected enrollment saying, the health care reform initiative "is here to stay.'' On Monday, the final day for Americans to sign up on the federal exchanges, more than 4.8 million visits were made to HealthCare.gov and 2 million calls were made to the call...
Reported by VOA News 6 hours ago.
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'Double Jeopardy' In American Health Insurance
There is a failure in today’s health insurance plans that leave the sickest patients facing largest costs when they are most vulnerable and even when they have the same diagnosis. The policy community is wrongly pointing fingers at product manufacturers in face of this double jeopardy due to poorly designed insurance coverage.
Reported by Forbes.com 6 hours ago.
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8,000 buy insurance in Washington on deadline day
Eight thousand Washington residents bought private health insurance through the state's health care exchange on Monday, the last day of the open enrollment period.
Reported by Miami Herald 6 hours ago.
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Obamacare deadline 101: How can I get more time with an extension?
The Obamacare deadline for enrolling in a health insurance plan expired Monday, but there are some extensions available, and the penalty is prorated by months without coverage.
Reported by Christian Science Monitor 5 hours ago.
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40 Financial Things You Should Know by 40
Many by-40 milestones have become debatable: Get married? Only if you really want to. Own a home? If it's financially feasible. Know what you want to be when you grow up? Well, if 40 is the new 30, you're certainly entitled to change your mind.
But there's one thing that's non-negotiable: By age 40, you can't get away with being financially clueless anymore. Especially since retirement might be a lot closer than you think! We've put together 40 money things, big and small, you should know before you turn the big 4-0. Why? So you can help achieve your financial goals with plenty of time left over to enjoy them!
*1. The three basics of a solid financial foundation.* Credit card debt paid off. Emergency fund stocked up. Retirement account(s) in existence and growing. Everything else (travel, homeownership, investments) should come after.
*2. How to create a budget.* Because without one, you may not reach any of your goals, like buying a home, paying off your credit card debt or traveling the world. Learn how to build your budget with our step-by-step guide.
*3. How much you should be saving.* The answer: 20 percent. Not sure how we arrived at this number? Look no further than the 50/20/30 rule, which divvies up your monthly budget as follows: 50 percent is reserved for essentials (think mortgage, rent and groceries), 30 percent is allocated for your lifestyle choices and at least 20 percent goes to "financial priorities," which includes your debt payments, your retirement contributions and your savings. Here's more detail on the why and how of saving a fifth of your paycheck.
*4. Your net worth.* Yes, you have one. This is the sum total of your assets (bank account balances, savings, investments, etc.) minus your debts (loans, mortgage, credit card debt, etc.). Your net worth is the easiest way to get a big-picture perspective on your finances. Want a quick way to figure it out? Link your accounts in the free LearnVest Money Center, and we'll do the calculating for you.
*5. How much you make and how much you spend each month.* It sounds like a no-brainer, right? "But most people, regardless of their age, don't know how much money they have coming in and going out," says Natalie Taylor, a CFP® with LearnVest Planning Services. For a full breakdown, visit the Money Center to see your incoming versus outgoing finances.
RELATED: 3 Households, 3 Budgets: How We Divvy Up Our Paychecks
*6. How to get out of debt.* Now is the time to be saving for your future, not paying off your past. Hopefully your debt repayment efforts are already in full swing, but, if you're not there yet, now's the time to make a plan. Here, a quick checklist to help you. Want the big kahuna? Get Out of Debt Bootcamp is our three-day, in-depth plan to help you finally live a debt-free life.
*7. Your credit score.* Still not familiar with this number? Afraid to look? Here's why, by 40, you should know it cold. Your credit score determines not only what kind of credit cards you'll get approved for but also how expensive your mortgage and car loan would be. Learn how to monitor and improve your credit score here. Speaking of ...
*8. How to pull a free credit report.* Voilà.
RELATED: The Mistake That Plunged My Credit Score 200 Points
* 9. It can take a long time to save up a down payment.* When it comes to buying a house, "People always say, 'Get in as soon as you can,' and 'It's O.K. to be house poor.' But before buying a house, you should be financially stable. If that's not until your 30s or 40s, that's O.K. So many people have rushed in, and then they can't handle the payments," says Taylor. Find out how much house you can afford.
RELATED: Adventures in Real Estate: I Bought a House at 21
*10. What is a financial emergency and what's not.* Sure, it may have been cute to splurge on shoes and come up short on rent when you were 22. By 40, you ought to know what it feels like to have a fat six months of savings sitting pretty in your account and the only five reasons you should be dipping into it. No, that out-of-state wedding doesn't count. (It's actually optional, no matter what your sister-in-law says.)
RELATED: The 3 Times I Used My Emergency Fund: Was I Right to Dip Into It?
* 11. What your ideal retirement will cost.* Have you ever really crunched the numbers? On the internet, there are practically as many retirement calculators as there are singing cats. But most people we know don't visit them. (The calculators, that is.) However, at 40, retirement--if you've planned right--may be a mere 25 years away, so you ought to know how much you need to save up. Here's a good place to calculate that. And here's why starting to save more right now, instead of a decade from now, will make getting there significantly easier.
*12. How much you have saved for retirement.* OK, cool, you've been diligently contributing to your 401(k). Somewhere out there you may have an IRA or two. (And you might want to look into rolling over these balances into fewer accounts.) The important thing is to know how much you've saved and how much you still need to. So, go on. Dig up your passwords. Crunch the numbers. Or link your accounts in the free LearnVest Money Center and we'll show you.
*13. How to manage budget-busting friends.* If you were duped by them in your 20s, shame on them. If you're still letting it happen in your 30s, shame on you. By this age, you should know who they are and how they operate. While you may love their sense of humor or style, you may hate how empty your wallet is after you hang out with them. It's about time you learned how to neutralize these culprits.
RELATED: Confessions of a Reformed Money Meddler
*14. Your own money personality. * Maybe you're the Budget-Buster. The Protector. Or the Pleaser. Discover how your Myers-Briggs quotient is affecting your finances.
*15. That, the older you get, the more complex your money life becomes. *"A lot of my younger clients say, 'I'll be able to save more for retirement when I make more money,' but the truth is, as they start to make more money, they have way more financial obligations," says Taylor. "They're not living in the shoebox apartment anymore. Then they get married, and they have a wedding to fund. Then they have kids, and they have college to save for." The bottom line? Today is the time to start, not tomorrow.
*16. How your significant other handles money.* By now, you probably know his favorite color, first pet and worst habit, but do you know how he thought about money growing up? Or exactly where she stands--financially--today? Here are six money questions to ask each other and a Love & Money Bootcamp to help you get on the same page. And, when you're ready, a financial plan to help you build the life you want together.
*17. Where your parents stand financially.* It's a rough role reversal, to be sure. After all, they were probably the ones who took care of you, but trust us, you'll be glad you had this conversation. Start by finding out how to access their account balances, health insurance and long-term care insurance. Then ask them these six money questions today.
RELATED: Aging Care: 6 Tips to Help Older Parents Manage Money
*18. The basics of investing.* Before you put any money in the market, you should know how it works. Get a quick tutorial here: Investing 101. Or, try our everything-you-could-possibly-need-to-know-and-more in-depth program: Start Investing Bootcamp. But don't get ahead of yourself, either. Don't even think about investing until you have a fully funded emergency savings account, no high-interest debt and are on track for retirement.
*19. A good tax accountant.* Whether you D.I.Y. your taxes or hire someone to file your returns is up to you--and depends on your financial situation. Here's where you can find out whether it's worth it to pay an accountant. Got other tax questions? We answer them here.
*20. Your total compensation package. *We know: We've all been so grateful to get the job that we signed on the dotted line without a backward glance, too. But that was then. By this stage in your career, you should know more than the number that makes up your base pay. "Does your employer offer disability insurance? Life insurance? You should know that," Taylor says. The same for matching retirement plans, health benefits and even 529 plans.
*21. What a 529 plan is.* No, it's not a cut of blue jean. If you have kids, and you think their education is important, you should know this term. Hint: It helps you save for college.
*22. How to maximize your time.* Binge-watching on Netflix can be fun ... until it's not. Here are the eight best time investments you can make.
*23. Who your health care proxy is.* We cannot overstate the importance of choosing someone to make medical decisions for you if you were incapacitated. Fun task? No. But you don't want to leave this to chance.
*24. That it's possible to juggle a couple of money goals at once.* Some of the most common questions LearnVest Certified Financial Planners™ get are what they call "This or that?" questions. In other words, you may want to build up your savings, pay down your debt, save up for retirement and make that dream vacation possible, but you only seem to have $200 left at the end of each month. First, know that many people feel like this. Second, know that a financial planner can help you prioritize.
RELATED: Is It Possible to Over-Plan Your Life?
* 25. That you will never have "enough" money.* "In nine years of being a financial planner, I've never met a person who's had enough money," Taylor says. "Our lifestyles seem to be ever-expanding as our incomes expand." Case in point: Even the uber-wealthy feel poor. The takeaway? Stop feeling like tomorrow is the time to tackle your financial burdens and take control of your money today.
*26. That you never know the truth about other people's finances.* The co-worker with great clothes could be deep in debt or have family money. The neighbor could be close to foreclosure or have paid cash for her house. That's why it's never wise to compare yourself to other people.
RELATED: How to Cure Your Money Comparisonitis
*27. What not to do when you buy a new home.* We all love to renovate. But remember: You're not on an episode of one of those D.I.Y. extreme home makeover shows and, in real life, big projects cost big bucks. So don't let your aspirations do you in. Here's how to set a realistic renovation budget and stick to it.
* 28. How to find a financial planner you trust. *It's your money, so you should have perfect confidence that the person who is helping you manage it is smart, capable and 100 percent on your side. When choosing one, watch out for these red flags.
*29. How to dress fabulously on your budget.* Overspending on the latest, slickest or coolest new apparel can be the downfall of many. But it's possible to cut down your clothing budget, and still rock head-turning style, on just about any salary. Our Priceless Style Bootcamp is a good place to start.
RELATED: How I Did It: I Cut My Clothing Budget to $600 a Year
*30. What "rebalancing" means.* When you were 10, it meant climbing back up on the balance bar in gymnastics class. Now, it may mean making sure your investment portfolio is primed to grow, while also protecting yourself so your accounts won't be decimated if there's a stock market downturn. Here, an article about how to rebalance your portfolio.
*31. Why life insurance is so important.* Even if you don't have kids, it could still be a life-saving option. And "life insurance is cheap, as long as you get it early," says Taylor. Here, everything you need to know.
* 32. The big cost of your little splurges.* By 40, you should clearly understand how your $5-a-day smoothie habit can add up, keeping you from making progress on your money goals. While you're out and about, use the LearnVest iPhone app as a handy reference tool to keep track of and categorize all your transactions.
*33. A favorite under-$10 dinner.* As a bona fide adult, you should have not only a signature dish you can wow with, but also five quick meals you can whip up that won't break the bank. And no, ramen noodles don't count. That ship has sailed. (Still stumped? Try one of these.)
*34. How to negotiate a better salary.* Sure, spending less and saving more help, but there's no faster way to financial freedom than growing your income. Make sure that you're earning what you're worth.
* 35. What a will is--and why you need one.* By this point in life you need one ... or two. There are actually two kinds of wills: a last will and testament and a living will. Put simply, a last will and testament is a legal document that spells out what should happen to your possessions when you die. (And, yes, you have possessions.) A living will, on the other hand, is a health care directive for what should happen to you if you're unable to communicate your wishes. Guess what? You need both. Brush up on wills and trusts with our guide.
RELATED: 10 Questions for...an Estate Attorney
*36. How taxes factor into your retirement plan.* Some retirement savings vehicles have you pay taxes now and are tax-free later. Some are tax-free now but charge you tax when you withdraw funds. "It's not only important for your investment portfolio to diversify, it's also important to diversify your tax situation in retirement," Taylor says. "So make sure you have some tax-free sources of income in retirement, as well as some taxable sources, so you can control your tax bracket when you get there." If that's confusing, we'll explain.
*37. That cashing out your 401(k) may hurt you. Now and later.* You already know that pulling money out of your 401(k) sets you back years and years when it comes to retiring, right? But guess what: You'll also have a huge tax bill to pay the next April. Plus, you're more likely to plunder your account again. That's another reason it's important to have an emergency fund. (In addition to not cashing out, steer clear of 401(k) loans that let you borrow against your retirement savings and pay it back--with interest.)
RELATED: Learn It: Your 401(k) Is Not a Bank!
* 38. The ins and outs of interest.* Simple interest is a percentage multiplied by the amount and the length of time you promise to pay it back (if we're talking about a loan--or, if we're talking about a simple savings account, the length of the time that you leave the money there, untouched). Compound interest, on the other hand, is calculated more frequently so that it builds upon itself to make interest grow continually. Here's how it can help and hurt you.
*39. How your money can affect change.* Sure, you may like to give to charity here and there, but how you choose to invest your money can also make a statement and a difference. Learn about socially responsible investing.
RELATED: Warren Buffet's 4 Steps to Giving to Charity
*40. A financial plan. *Maybe you prefer to budget in envelopes. Maybe you have a 12-step plan for your retirement (by 40) all mapped out. Whatever you choose, studies have shown that people who think about the future are better able to make their money grow. And sometimes you need someone to help with that. LearnVest Planning Services offers financial plans by Certified Financial Planners™ to help you get where you're going.
This story originally appeared on LearnVest.
*More From LearnVest*
How to Budget Your Money With the 50/20/30 Rule
5 Ways to Retrain Your Brain to Save More for Retirement
10 Money Lies to Stop Telling Yourself by 30
LearnVest is a program for your money. Read our stories, use our tools and talk to a Planner about getting a financial plan designed for you.LearnVest Planning Services is a registered investment adviser and subsidiary of LearnVest, Inc. that provides financial plans for its clients. Information shown is for illustrative purposes only and is not intended as investment, legal or tax planning advice. Please consult a financial adviser, attorney or tax specialist for advice specific to your financial situation. LearnVest Planning Services and any third parties listed in this message are separate and unaffiliated and are not responsible for each other's products, services or policies. Reported by Huffington Post 4 hours ago.
But there's one thing that's non-negotiable: By age 40, you can't get away with being financially clueless anymore. Especially since retirement might be a lot closer than you think! We've put together 40 money things, big and small, you should know before you turn the big 4-0. Why? So you can help achieve your financial goals with plenty of time left over to enjoy them!
*1. The three basics of a solid financial foundation.* Credit card debt paid off. Emergency fund stocked up. Retirement account(s) in existence and growing. Everything else (travel, homeownership, investments) should come after.
*2. How to create a budget.* Because without one, you may not reach any of your goals, like buying a home, paying off your credit card debt or traveling the world. Learn how to build your budget with our step-by-step guide.
*3. How much you should be saving.* The answer: 20 percent. Not sure how we arrived at this number? Look no further than the 50/20/30 rule, which divvies up your monthly budget as follows: 50 percent is reserved for essentials (think mortgage, rent and groceries), 30 percent is allocated for your lifestyle choices and at least 20 percent goes to "financial priorities," which includes your debt payments, your retirement contributions and your savings. Here's more detail on the why and how of saving a fifth of your paycheck.
*4. Your net worth.* Yes, you have one. This is the sum total of your assets (bank account balances, savings, investments, etc.) minus your debts (loans, mortgage, credit card debt, etc.). Your net worth is the easiest way to get a big-picture perspective on your finances. Want a quick way to figure it out? Link your accounts in the free LearnVest Money Center, and we'll do the calculating for you.
*5. How much you make and how much you spend each month.* It sounds like a no-brainer, right? "But most people, regardless of their age, don't know how much money they have coming in and going out," says Natalie Taylor, a CFP® with LearnVest Planning Services. For a full breakdown, visit the Money Center to see your incoming versus outgoing finances.
RELATED: 3 Households, 3 Budgets: How We Divvy Up Our Paychecks
*6. How to get out of debt.* Now is the time to be saving for your future, not paying off your past. Hopefully your debt repayment efforts are already in full swing, but, if you're not there yet, now's the time to make a plan. Here, a quick checklist to help you. Want the big kahuna? Get Out of Debt Bootcamp is our three-day, in-depth plan to help you finally live a debt-free life.
*7. Your credit score.* Still not familiar with this number? Afraid to look? Here's why, by 40, you should know it cold. Your credit score determines not only what kind of credit cards you'll get approved for but also how expensive your mortgage and car loan would be. Learn how to monitor and improve your credit score here. Speaking of ...
*8. How to pull a free credit report.* Voilà.
RELATED: The Mistake That Plunged My Credit Score 200 Points
* 9. It can take a long time to save up a down payment.* When it comes to buying a house, "People always say, 'Get in as soon as you can,' and 'It's O.K. to be house poor.' But before buying a house, you should be financially stable. If that's not until your 30s or 40s, that's O.K. So many people have rushed in, and then they can't handle the payments," says Taylor. Find out how much house you can afford.
RELATED: Adventures in Real Estate: I Bought a House at 21
*10. What is a financial emergency and what's not.* Sure, it may have been cute to splurge on shoes and come up short on rent when you were 22. By 40, you ought to know what it feels like to have a fat six months of savings sitting pretty in your account and the only five reasons you should be dipping into it. No, that out-of-state wedding doesn't count. (It's actually optional, no matter what your sister-in-law says.)
RELATED: The 3 Times I Used My Emergency Fund: Was I Right to Dip Into It?
* 11. What your ideal retirement will cost.* Have you ever really crunched the numbers? On the internet, there are practically as many retirement calculators as there are singing cats. But most people we know don't visit them. (The calculators, that is.) However, at 40, retirement--if you've planned right--may be a mere 25 years away, so you ought to know how much you need to save up. Here's a good place to calculate that. And here's why starting to save more right now, instead of a decade from now, will make getting there significantly easier.
*12. How much you have saved for retirement.* OK, cool, you've been diligently contributing to your 401(k). Somewhere out there you may have an IRA or two. (And you might want to look into rolling over these balances into fewer accounts.) The important thing is to know how much you've saved and how much you still need to. So, go on. Dig up your passwords. Crunch the numbers. Or link your accounts in the free LearnVest Money Center and we'll show you.
*13. How to manage budget-busting friends.* If you were duped by them in your 20s, shame on them. If you're still letting it happen in your 30s, shame on you. By this age, you should know who they are and how they operate. While you may love their sense of humor or style, you may hate how empty your wallet is after you hang out with them. It's about time you learned how to neutralize these culprits.
RELATED: Confessions of a Reformed Money Meddler
*14. Your own money personality. * Maybe you're the Budget-Buster. The Protector. Or the Pleaser. Discover how your Myers-Briggs quotient is affecting your finances.
*15. That, the older you get, the more complex your money life becomes. *"A lot of my younger clients say, 'I'll be able to save more for retirement when I make more money,' but the truth is, as they start to make more money, they have way more financial obligations," says Taylor. "They're not living in the shoebox apartment anymore. Then they get married, and they have a wedding to fund. Then they have kids, and they have college to save for." The bottom line? Today is the time to start, not tomorrow.
*16. How your significant other handles money.* By now, you probably know his favorite color, first pet and worst habit, but do you know how he thought about money growing up? Or exactly where she stands--financially--today? Here are six money questions to ask each other and a Love & Money Bootcamp to help you get on the same page. And, when you're ready, a financial plan to help you build the life you want together.
*17. Where your parents stand financially.* It's a rough role reversal, to be sure. After all, they were probably the ones who took care of you, but trust us, you'll be glad you had this conversation. Start by finding out how to access their account balances, health insurance and long-term care insurance. Then ask them these six money questions today.
RELATED: Aging Care: 6 Tips to Help Older Parents Manage Money
*18. The basics of investing.* Before you put any money in the market, you should know how it works. Get a quick tutorial here: Investing 101. Or, try our everything-you-could-possibly-need-to-know-and-more in-depth program: Start Investing Bootcamp. But don't get ahead of yourself, either. Don't even think about investing until you have a fully funded emergency savings account, no high-interest debt and are on track for retirement.
*19. A good tax accountant.* Whether you D.I.Y. your taxes or hire someone to file your returns is up to you--and depends on your financial situation. Here's where you can find out whether it's worth it to pay an accountant. Got other tax questions? We answer them here.
*20. Your total compensation package. *We know: We've all been so grateful to get the job that we signed on the dotted line without a backward glance, too. But that was then. By this stage in your career, you should know more than the number that makes up your base pay. "Does your employer offer disability insurance? Life insurance? You should know that," Taylor says. The same for matching retirement plans, health benefits and even 529 plans.
*21. What a 529 plan is.* No, it's not a cut of blue jean. If you have kids, and you think their education is important, you should know this term. Hint: It helps you save for college.
*22. How to maximize your time.* Binge-watching on Netflix can be fun ... until it's not. Here are the eight best time investments you can make.
*23. Who your health care proxy is.* We cannot overstate the importance of choosing someone to make medical decisions for you if you were incapacitated. Fun task? No. But you don't want to leave this to chance.
*24. That it's possible to juggle a couple of money goals at once.* Some of the most common questions LearnVest Certified Financial Planners™ get are what they call "This or that?" questions. In other words, you may want to build up your savings, pay down your debt, save up for retirement and make that dream vacation possible, but you only seem to have $200 left at the end of each month. First, know that many people feel like this. Second, know that a financial planner can help you prioritize.
RELATED: Is It Possible to Over-Plan Your Life?
* 25. That you will never have "enough" money.* "In nine years of being a financial planner, I've never met a person who's had enough money," Taylor says. "Our lifestyles seem to be ever-expanding as our incomes expand." Case in point: Even the uber-wealthy feel poor. The takeaway? Stop feeling like tomorrow is the time to tackle your financial burdens and take control of your money today.
*26. That you never know the truth about other people's finances.* The co-worker with great clothes could be deep in debt or have family money. The neighbor could be close to foreclosure or have paid cash for her house. That's why it's never wise to compare yourself to other people.
RELATED: How to Cure Your Money Comparisonitis
*27. What not to do when you buy a new home.* We all love to renovate. But remember: You're not on an episode of one of those D.I.Y. extreme home makeover shows and, in real life, big projects cost big bucks. So don't let your aspirations do you in. Here's how to set a realistic renovation budget and stick to it.
* 28. How to find a financial planner you trust. *It's your money, so you should have perfect confidence that the person who is helping you manage it is smart, capable and 100 percent on your side. When choosing one, watch out for these red flags.
*29. How to dress fabulously on your budget.* Overspending on the latest, slickest or coolest new apparel can be the downfall of many. But it's possible to cut down your clothing budget, and still rock head-turning style, on just about any salary. Our Priceless Style Bootcamp is a good place to start.
RELATED: How I Did It: I Cut My Clothing Budget to $600 a Year
*30. What "rebalancing" means.* When you were 10, it meant climbing back up on the balance bar in gymnastics class. Now, it may mean making sure your investment portfolio is primed to grow, while also protecting yourself so your accounts won't be decimated if there's a stock market downturn. Here, an article about how to rebalance your portfolio.
*31. Why life insurance is so important.* Even if you don't have kids, it could still be a life-saving option. And "life insurance is cheap, as long as you get it early," says Taylor. Here, everything you need to know.
* 32. The big cost of your little splurges.* By 40, you should clearly understand how your $5-a-day smoothie habit can add up, keeping you from making progress on your money goals. While you're out and about, use the LearnVest iPhone app as a handy reference tool to keep track of and categorize all your transactions.
*33. A favorite under-$10 dinner.* As a bona fide adult, you should have not only a signature dish you can wow with, but also five quick meals you can whip up that won't break the bank. And no, ramen noodles don't count. That ship has sailed. (Still stumped? Try one of these.)
*34. How to negotiate a better salary.* Sure, spending less and saving more help, but there's no faster way to financial freedom than growing your income. Make sure that you're earning what you're worth.
* 35. What a will is--and why you need one.* By this point in life you need one ... or two. There are actually two kinds of wills: a last will and testament and a living will. Put simply, a last will and testament is a legal document that spells out what should happen to your possessions when you die. (And, yes, you have possessions.) A living will, on the other hand, is a health care directive for what should happen to you if you're unable to communicate your wishes. Guess what? You need both. Brush up on wills and trusts with our guide.
RELATED: 10 Questions for...an Estate Attorney
*36. How taxes factor into your retirement plan.* Some retirement savings vehicles have you pay taxes now and are tax-free later. Some are tax-free now but charge you tax when you withdraw funds. "It's not only important for your investment portfolio to diversify, it's also important to diversify your tax situation in retirement," Taylor says. "So make sure you have some tax-free sources of income in retirement, as well as some taxable sources, so you can control your tax bracket when you get there." If that's confusing, we'll explain.
*37. That cashing out your 401(k) may hurt you. Now and later.* You already know that pulling money out of your 401(k) sets you back years and years when it comes to retiring, right? But guess what: You'll also have a huge tax bill to pay the next April. Plus, you're more likely to plunder your account again. That's another reason it's important to have an emergency fund. (In addition to not cashing out, steer clear of 401(k) loans that let you borrow against your retirement savings and pay it back--with interest.)
RELATED: Learn It: Your 401(k) Is Not a Bank!
* 38. The ins and outs of interest.* Simple interest is a percentage multiplied by the amount and the length of time you promise to pay it back (if we're talking about a loan--or, if we're talking about a simple savings account, the length of the time that you leave the money there, untouched). Compound interest, on the other hand, is calculated more frequently so that it builds upon itself to make interest grow continually. Here's how it can help and hurt you.
*39. How your money can affect change.* Sure, you may like to give to charity here and there, but how you choose to invest your money can also make a statement and a difference. Learn about socially responsible investing.
RELATED: Warren Buffet's 4 Steps to Giving to Charity
*40. A financial plan. *Maybe you prefer to budget in envelopes. Maybe you have a 12-step plan for your retirement (by 40) all mapped out. Whatever you choose, studies have shown that people who think about the future are better able to make their money grow. And sometimes you need someone to help with that. LearnVest Planning Services offers financial plans by Certified Financial Planners™ to help you get where you're going.
This story originally appeared on LearnVest.
*More From LearnVest*
How to Budget Your Money With the 50/20/30 Rule
5 Ways to Retrain Your Brain to Save More for Retirement
10 Money Lies to Stop Telling Yourself by 30
LearnVest is a program for your money. Read our stories, use our tools and talk to a Planner about getting a financial plan designed for you.LearnVest Planning Services is a registered investment adviser and subsidiary of LearnVest, Inc. that provides financial plans for its clients. Information shown is for illustrative purposes only and is not intended as investment, legal or tax planning advice. Please consult a financial adviser, attorney or tax specialist for advice specific to your financial situation. LearnVest Planning Services and any third parties listed in this message are separate and unaffiliated and are not responsible for each other's products, services or policies. Reported by Huffington Post 4 hours ago.
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GOP Slams Obamacare Figures: 'Ultimate April Fool's Day Joke'
President Barack Obama exulted in announcing on Tuesday that 7.1 million Americans had enrolled in Obamacare — but Republican Senate Minority Whip John Cornyn slammed the Affordable Care Act as a "botched law that has caused millions of Americans to lose their health insurance.
Reported by Newsmax 4 hours ago.
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With 7 million enrolled, Obama exudes new confidence about health care law
More than 7 million Americans have now enrolled in private coverage on the nations health insurance marketplaces, thanks to a wave of late signups that has pushed the latest enrollment tally beyond the original goal set by the Congressional Budget Office.
Reported by Miami Herald 4 hours ago.
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Maryland to Scrap Health Insurance Website
A Maryland state board voted Tuesday to scrap its troubled health insurance website and replace it with technology from Deloitte LLP that formed the backbone of Connecticut's more successful website.
Reported by Wall Street Journal 2 hours ago.
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A Tale of Two Siblings: The ACA and the Supreme Court
The Affordable Care Act's first open enrollment period has come to an end. The ACA is not out of the woods, but it is gaining some momentum, and the technological meltdown of October and November is behind it.
Yet there is a part of the law that is not at all working as originally envisioned, because the Supreme Court dramatically altered the structure of the ACA when it ruled that the expansion of Medicaid should be voluntary for states.
Since then, political and fiscal considerations have led almost half of governors and state legislatures to choose not to expand Medicaid. The result is an insurance system that makes very little sense: An estimated 4.8 million poor Americans in states not expanding Medicaid will fall in a coverage gap this year and get no help paying for insurance, while 10.1 million people in those states who earn more than they do can get tax credits to help pay for coverage.
Imagine two siblings living in Amarillo, Texas.
John is a single 30-year-old who works for an auto parts chain and earns $25,000 a year but does not get health benefits at work. Under the Affordable Care Act, he will be eligible for a tax credit of $679 to help him buy a private insurance policy on the federal health insurance marketplace.
His sister Louise is a single parent who works part-time for a small community organization and earns $13,000 a year. She earns too much to be eligible for Texas Medicaid, and too little to be eligible for a tax credit on the exchange. With half her brother's income, Louise no doubt feels that she needs help as much if not more than he does.
No one would look at this situation and think it's fair or rational.
The bill that passed Congress and was signed into law by the president created two mechanisms for helping people get affordable health coverage. Those with incomes up to 138 percent of poverty (about $32,500 for a family of four) would be eligible for Medicaid, and those with incomes above that level and up to 400 percent of the poverty level ($94,200 for a family) would be eligible for tax credits to help buy insurance in the new health insurance exchanges.
Then the Supreme Court threw its wrench into this plan. Since the Court's decision, 27 states have opted to expand Medicaid under the law, 19 states have said no to the expansion, and five states are still debating it. The governors and legislatures in the refusenik states don't like the ACA and Medicaid, and they don't trust the federal government to sustain its commitment to provide 90 percent of the funding for the expansion in future years (and 100 percent in the first three years). For the record, the Medicaid match rate has never been reduced in the history of the program.
In Texas there are 3.67 million adults with children who are receiving Medicaid coverage because they earn less than the eligibility level set for the state: 19 percent of the federal poverty level. That's just $4,501 a year for a family of four. Another 2 million people who earn between one and four times the poverty level will be eligible for tax credits under the ACA (regardless of whether they have kids or not) to help them buy insurance in the new marketplace that the federal government is operating in Texas, which chose not to run the program itself.
A million people in Texas are stuck in the middle, earning too much for Medicaid and not enough to qualify for credits on the exchange. Their incomes range from $4,501 to $23,550 for a family of four. They can buy insurance on their own if they want, but there's no way they could afford the thousands of dollars a year it would take, and as a result they would be exempt from the ACA's "individual mandate."
The same inequity repeats itself in every state that has chosen not to expand Medicaid. In Florida 763,890 people fall in the gap, while 1,587,000 higher earners get tax-credit help. In Louisiana 242,150 people are ineligible for any assistance, while 344,000 who earn more are eligible for tax credits.
Red-state governors and legislatures are not going to wake up one morning and decide that they want to expand Medicaid or embrace Obamacare just because their health insurance systems are now so unfair, nor will voters punish them for how they handle health coverage for poor people. But there is a deal to be made to bring most of these states into the fold in ways that will work for them.
Arkansas, Iowa and Michigan have reached so-called waiver agreements with the federal government on ways to expand coverage without expanding traditional Medicaid or appearing to embrace Obamacare. Several other states are thinking about it, and more will likely follow suit if momentum builds, as New Hampshire just announced it plans to do. These states have a clear interest in the hundreds of billions of dollars in federal money available to states over the first 10 years of the law if they expand. The Obama administration has a strong interest in getting more Republican-controlled states into the expansion column. Doing that will cover millions of the uninsured and build a bipartisan foundation for the ACA in the states, something that cannot be done in Congress.
The key for many of these states is to use federal Medicaid money to buy private coverage for low-income people instead of expanding the traditional program. The challenge in making a deal is to give these states the flexibility and political cover they want while still assuring that the private coverage that low-income people get is affordable and comprehensive, given their modest incomes and health-care needs. Then there are other requirements that red states sometimes add to the mix, which may not prove acceptable. Most controversial so far was Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Corbett's idea to impose work requirements on low-income people who get the new health coverage.
Having once finalized a welfare-reform waiver in the White House in the middle of the night when I was a state Human Services Commissioner from a Republican state, I know there is usually room for negotiation on these things. Gov. Corbett recently altered his plan, turning it into a voluntary pilot program. Whether his new plan offers sufficient protections will no doubt depend on the details.
It won't be easy. Staunchly opposed states like Texas will hold out the longest. The details will matter. Achieving an end run around the political polarization surrounding Obamacare, getting 4.8 million people covered, closing the equity gap and building a bipartisan foundation for the ACA will require proactive and pragmatic policy making that we haven't seen for quite some time, at least in Washington, but there are signs that the logjam may be beginning to break. Reported by Huffington Post 3 hours ago.
Yet there is a part of the law that is not at all working as originally envisioned, because the Supreme Court dramatically altered the structure of the ACA when it ruled that the expansion of Medicaid should be voluntary for states.
Since then, political and fiscal considerations have led almost half of governors and state legislatures to choose not to expand Medicaid. The result is an insurance system that makes very little sense: An estimated 4.8 million poor Americans in states not expanding Medicaid will fall in a coverage gap this year and get no help paying for insurance, while 10.1 million people in those states who earn more than they do can get tax credits to help pay for coverage.
Imagine two siblings living in Amarillo, Texas.
John is a single 30-year-old who works for an auto parts chain and earns $25,000 a year but does not get health benefits at work. Under the Affordable Care Act, he will be eligible for a tax credit of $679 to help him buy a private insurance policy on the federal health insurance marketplace.
His sister Louise is a single parent who works part-time for a small community organization and earns $13,000 a year. She earns too much to be eligible for Texas Medicaid, and too little to be eligible for a tax credit on the exchange. With half her brother's income, Louise no doubt feels that she needs help as much if not more than he does.
No one would look at this situation and think it's fair or rational.
The bill that passed Congress and was signed into law by the president created two mechanisms for helping people get affordable health coverage. Those with incomes up to 138 percent of poverty (about $32,500 for a family of four) would be eligible for Medicaid, and those with incomes above that level and up to 400 percent of the poverty level ($94,200 for a family) would be eligible for tax credits to help buy insurance in the new health insurance exchanges.
Then the Supreme Court threw its wrench into this plan. Since the Court's decision, 27 states have opted to expand Medicaid under the law, 19 states have said no to the expansion, and five states are still debating it. The governors and legislatures in the refusenik states don't like the ACA and Medicaid, and they don't trust the federal government to sustain its commitment to provide 90 percent of the funding for the expansion in future years (and 100 percent in the first three years). For the record, the Medicaid match rate has never been reduced in the history of the program.
In Texas there are 3.67 million adults with children who are receiving Medicaid coverage because they earn less than the eligibility level set for the state: 19 percent of the federal poverty level. That's just $4,501 a year for a family of four. Another 2 million people who earn between one and four times the poverty level will be eligible for tax credits under the ACA (regardless of whether they have kids or not) to help them buy insurance in the new marketplace that the federal government is operating in Texas, which chose not to run the program itself.
A million people in Texas are stuck in the middle, earning too much for Medicaid and not enough to qualify for credits on the exchange. Their incomes range from $4,501 to $23,550 for a family of four. They can buy insurance on their own if they want, but there's no way they could afford the thousands of dollars a year it would take, and as a result they would be exempt from the ACA's "individual mandate."
The same inequity repeats itself in every state that has chosen not to expand Medicaid. In Florida 763,890 people fall in the gap, while 1,587,000 higher earners get tax-credit help. In Louisiana 242,150 people are ineligible for any assistance, while 344,000 who earn more are eligible for tax credits.
Red-state governors and legislatures are not going to wake up one morning and decide that they want to expand Medicaid or embrace Obamacare just because their health insurance systems are now so unfair, nor will voters punish them for how they handle health coverage for poor people. But there is a deal to be made to bring most of these states into the fold in ways that will work for them.
Arkansas, Iowa and Michigan have reached so-called waiver agreements with the federal government on ways to expand coverage without expanding traditional Medicaid or appearing to embrace Obamacare. Several other states are thinking about it, and more will likely follow suit if momentum builds, as New Hampshire just announced it plans to do. These states have a clear interest in the hundreds of billions of dollars in federal money available to states over the first 10 years of the law if they expand. The Obama administration has a strong interest in getting more Republican-controlled states into the expansion column. Doing that will cover millions of the uninsured and build a bipartisan foundation for the ACA in the states, something that cannot be done in Congress.
The key for many of these states is to use federal Medicaid money to buy private coverage for low-income people instead of expanding the traditional program. The challenge in making a deal is to give these states the flexibility and political cover they want while still assuring that the private coverage that low-income people get is affordable and comprehensive, given their modest incomes and health-care needs. Then there are other requirements that red states sometimes add to the mix, which may not prove acceptable. Most controversial so far was Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Corbett's idea to impose work requirements on low-income people who get the new health coverage.
Having once finalized a welfare-reform waiver in the White House in the middle of the night when I was a state Human Services Commissioner from a Republican state, I know there is usually room for negotiation on these things. Gov. Corbett recently altered his plan, turning it into a voluntary pilot program. Whether his new plan offers sufficient protections will no doubt depend on the details.
It won't be easy. Staunchly opposed states like Texas will hold out the longest. The details will matter. Achieving an end run around the political polarization surrounding Obamacare, getting 4.8 million people covered, closing the equity gap and building a bipartisan foundation for the ACA will require proactive and pragmatic policy making that we haven't seen for quite some time, at least in Washington, but there are signs that the logjam may be beginning to break. Reported by Huffington Post 3 hours ago.
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Utahns among the millions signing up for health insurance
The deadline for the Affordable Care Act was up March 31. On April 1, many had to return to healthcare.gov.
Reported by Deseret News 2 hours ago.
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White House Meets Health-Law Goal
President Obama said 7.1 million people signed up for health insurance despite early stumbles with the health website, and warned that efforts to repeal the Affordable Care Act will backfire.
Reported by Wall Street Journal 2 hours ago.
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Here Are Some Really Bad Obamacare Predictions
With news that the Affordable Care Act has hit 7 million sign-ups, it appears likely -- no matter how much some Republicans don't want to admit it -- that the law is on the road to success. Now seems like as good a time as any to revisit those past predictions of disaster. Below, some of the greatest (worst) Obamacare hits:
*Healthcare.gov Can't Be Fixed* -- Writing in The Hill on Oct. 30, 2013, Rep. Bill Johnson (R-Ohio) declared that the website, which failed to work for the vast majority of consumers when it went live on Oct. 1, should be scrapped altogether. Furthermore, he recommended that President Barack Obama delay the individual mandate, the most important part of the health care law, until the technical problems were sorted out.
Choice excerpt:
"This may be the most stunning example of overpromising and under delivering in recent U.S history. Based on my review, the problems with the Healthcare.gov website are catastrophic."
In real life: The website was functioning smoothly by December.
*The Administration Won't Hit Its Sign-Up Target* -- According to a March 11, 2014, article from the Associated Press, "the White House needs something close to a miracle to meet its goal of enrolling 6 million people by the end of this month."
Choice excerpt:
"With open enrollment ending March 31, that means to meet the goal, another 1.8 million people would have to sign up during the month, an average of about 60,000 a day. That's way above the daily averages for January and February, which have ranged between 33,000 and 34,000. The math seems to be going against the administration."
In real life: Do you believe in miracles?
*The Law Is Unworkable* -- With Healthcare.gov still hobbled in mid-November, Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) said in a press conference that there was no way to fix "the government taking control of our entire health care insurance market."
Choice excerpt:
“When you step back and look at the totality of this, I don’t think it’s ever going to work. There are all types of health insurance policies out there based on your financial circumstances and how much risk you’re willing to take, and so the idea that the federal government should come in and create a one-size-fits-all for the entire country never was going to work."
In real life: He was wrong.
*The Exchanges Will Be A Disaster* -- Bill Kristol, who is famously always wrong, wrote in his Weekly Standard last August that the health care exchanges, which he called "the beating heart of Obamacare," would be a complete nightmare.
Choice excerpt:
"If the exchanges are permitted to go into effect ... there will be error, fraud, inefficiency, arbitrariness, and privacy violations aplenty. ... Just as economic shortages were endemic to Soviet central planning, the coming Obamacare train wreck is endemic to big government liberalism. It’s not a bug, it’s a feature."
In real life: Okay, there were technological problems at the start, and the state websites run by Oregon and Maryland are still struggling. But overall the exchanges are now doing just fine.
*The Law Will Be Repealed In Advance Of The Midterm Elections* -- Writing in Forbes in November, conservative professor Steven F. Hayward made a bold call: The Affordable Care Act would be no more by mid-2014. The political fallout, he predicted, would simply be too much for Democrats to bear, and they, not Republicans, would lead the charge to scrap the law.
Choice excerpt:
"With the political damage guaranteed to continue, the momentum toward repeal will be unstoppable. Democrats will not want to face the voters next November with the albatross of Obamacare."
In real life: Democrats facing tough reelection battles did try to water down the law, but repeal was never close to happening.
*Uninsured People Aren't Signing Up, So The Law Can't Work* -- Less than a month ago, Commentary's John Podhoretz wrote that, given a Washington Post survey finding that only 1 in 10 people who were previously uninsured had signed up for Obamacare, the law's entire rationale had been destroyed.
Choice excerpt:
"They have thrown the entire health-care system into unprecedented chaos for a population that is, it seems, staying as far away from it as possible. Little has been fixed; much has been made far worse; nothing makes sense; and good luck to the Democrats who have to defend their votes for this colossal cock-up in November."
In real life: PolitiFact rated as "mostly false" a similar claim made by National Review's Rich Lowry, who relied in part on the same (inconclusive) data as Podhoretz did. PolitiFact concluded, "The fact is, we have no clear data and to say most of the people already had insurance sidesteps an information gap."
*Obamacare May Be Obama's Katrina ... Iraq* -- In November, National Journal's Ron Fournier compared Obama's handling of Obamacare with President George W. Bush's struggles over the Iraq War and Hurricane Katrina.
Choice excerpt:
"[T]here are inescapable similarities in the ways that Bush and Obama handled their crises, and those actions changed the public's view of their presidencies. Specifically:
Their mismanagement raised questions about competence, compounded by deceptive and tone-deaf responses that undermined their credibility.
The crises came after a series of unrelated events that had already caused doubt among voters about the presidents. To borrow a cliché, Katrina was the last straw.
Their personal and job-approval ratings tanked.
Their dwindling political capital was squandered by defensive, insular advisers who refused to recognize the dangers.
They both ran reelection campaigns without a positive forward-looking message and made the races primarily about their opponent. That left them little political capital going into their second term.
Bush never recovered. Obama might still have time to learn history's hard lessons."
In real life: Support for Obamacare appears to be rising. Reported by Huffington Post 1 hour ago.
*Healthcare.gov Can't Be Fixed* -- Writing in The Hill on Oct. 30, 2013, Rep. Bill Johnson (R-Ohio) declared that the website, which failed to work for the vast majority of consumers when it went live on Oct. 1, should be scrapped altogether. Furthermore, he recommended that President Barack Obama delay the individual mandate, the most important part of the health care law, until the technical problems were sorted out.
Choice excerpt:
"This may be the most stunning example of overpromising and under delivering in recent U.S history. Based on my review, the problems with the Healthcare.gov website are catastrophic."
In real life: The website was functioning smoothly by December.
*The Administration Won't Hit Its Sign-Up Target* -- According to a March 11, 2014, article from the Associated Press, "the White House needs something close to a miracle to meet its goal of enrolling 6 million people by the end of this month."
Choice excerpt:
"With open enrollment ending March 31, that means to meet the goal, another 1.8 million people would have to sign up during the month, an average of about 60,000 a day. That's way above the daily averages for January and February, which have ranged between 33,000 and 34,000. The math seems to be going against the administration."
In real life: Do you believe in miracles?
*The Law Is Unworkable* -- With Healthcare.gov still hobbled in mid-November, Speaker John Boehner (R-Ohio) said in a press conference that there was no way to fix "the government taking control of our entire health care insurance market."
Choice excerpt:
“When you step back and look at the totality of this, I don’t think it’s ever going to work. There are all types of health insurance policies out there based on your financial circumstances and how much risk you’re willing to take, and so the idea that the federal government should come in and create a one-size-fits-all for the entire country never was going to work."
In real life: He was wrong.
*The Exchanges Will Be A Disaster* -- Bill Kristol, who is famously always wrong, wrote in his Weekly Standard last August that the health care exchanges, which he called "the beating heart of Obamacare," would be a complete nightmare.
Choice excerpt:
"If the exchanges are permitted to go into effect ... there will be error, fraud, inefficiency, arbitrariness, and privacy violations aplenty. ... Just as economic shortages were endemic to Soviet central planning, the coming Obamacare train wreck is endemic to big government liberalism. It’s not a bug, it’s a feature."
In real life: Okay, there were technological problems at the start, and the state websites run by Oregon and Maryland are still struggling. But overall the exchanges are now doing just fine.
*The Law Will Be Repealed In Advance Of The Midterm Elections* -- Writing in Forbes in November, conservative professor Steven F. Hayward made a bold call: The Affordable Care Act would be no more by mid-2014. The political fallout, he predicted, would simply be too much for Democrats to bear, and they, not Republicans, would lead the charge to scrap the law.
Choice excerpt:
"With the political damage guaranteed to continue, the momentum toward repeal will be unstoppable. Democrats will not want to face the voters next November with the albatross of Obamacare."
In real life: Democrats facing tough reelection battles did try to water down the law, but repeal was never close to happening.
*Uninsured People Aren't Signing Up, So The Law Can't Work* -- Less than a month ago, Commentary's John Podhoretz wrote that, given a Washington Post survey finding that only 1 in 10 people who were previously uninsured had signed up for Obamacare, the law's entire rationale had been destroyed.
Choice excerpt:
"They have thrown the entire health-care system into unprecedented chaos for a population that is, it seems, staying as far away from it as possible. Little has been fixed; much has been made far worse; nothing makes sense; and good luck to the Democrats who have to defend their votes for this colossal cock-up in November."
In real life: PolitiFact rated as "mostly false" a similar claim made by National Review's Rich Lowry, who relied in part on the same (inconclusive) data as Podhoretz did. PolitiFact concluded, "The fact is, we have no clear data and to say most of the people already had insurance sidesteps an information gap."
*Obamacare May Be Obama's Katrina ... Iraq* -- In November, National Journal's Ron Fournier compared Obama's handling of Obamacare with President George W. Bush's struggles over the Iraq War and Hurricane Katrina.
Choice excerpt:
"[T]here are inescapable similarities in the ways that Bush and Obama handled their crises, and those actions changed the public's view of their presidencies. Specifically:
Their mismanagement raised questions about competence, compounded by deceptive and tone-deaf responses that undermined their credibility.
The crises came after a series of unrelated events that had already caused doubt among voters about the presidents. To borrow a cliché, Katrina was the last straw.
Their personal and job-approval ratings tanked.
Their dwindling political capital was squandered by defensive, insular advisers who refused to recognize the dangers.
They both ran reelection campaigns without a positive forward-looking message and made the races primarily about their opponent. That left them little political capital going into their second term.
Bush never recovered. Obama might still have time to learn history's hard lessons."
In real life: Support for Obamacare appears to be rising. Reported by Huffington Post 1 hour ago.
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Let there be peace on earth and no more talk about Obamacare...for awhile
Monday night at midnight, the deadline for applying for Obamacare ended. Sort of. Mostly. People who were unable to complete their applications to the federal website and some state websites will be allowed to finish up in the next week or so. People who are eligible for Medicaid can enroll any time during the year. And people who get divorced or lose their jobs or have a similar "life event" can still enroll after March 31. Everyone else will have to wait until Open Enrollment in November of this year for coverage starting in 2015.
The White House says over 7 million people signed up for Obamacare coverage. Despite the fact that the White House predictions actually came true, Republicans won't be silenced for long. I am pleading here for some respite. Could we all just shut up for awhile about this? Not a chance.
Why can't everyone shut up about Obamacare? Because now the real problems will start to surface. People who thought their monthly premiums were too high may drop out and stop paying, thus losing their insurance. The lucky ones will end up on Fox complaining about it. The rest will just "go bare", which is where they started in the first place. Those who chose a Bronze plan but have some serious medical expenses will face some pretty hefty costs before any insurance kicks in. The fact that there is a cap on annual and lifetime out of pocket costs will be small comfort when facing $5000 or $6000 in deductible costs. Then there will be people who go to their doctor only to find out he or she is not in their plan. Or they just didn't read the fine print and figure out they have to pay a deductible for their prescription drugs. The potential for keeping this thing alive until the November elections is nearly endless.
Even though I study health policy and consider myself a bit of a wonk, I am really tired of hearing about Obamacare right now. Even more tired than hearing about Flight 370. Despite the amount of chatter on TV and radio about health care, it was a little shocking to learn that a recent Kaiser Family Foundation poll found that 6 of 10 uninsured - the people who really need Obamacare - didn't know much about the deadline. And half of those who are uninsured said they plan to remain that way and not sign up at all.
The main reason we will never stop hearing about Obamacare is that most Americans know relatively little about how health insurance works, so the complaints are not likely to ever stop. And as Jimmy Kimmel found out last year, many do not know the difference between Obamacare and the Affordable Care Act, clearly preferring the ACA over Obamacare when asked.
So I am pleading with Huffington Post readers to educate yourselves about what you have or do not have in regard to health insurance coverage.Read the fine print. Hopefully by next year, if you have a choice of coverage (and if you are employed you probably do not), choose your plan with full knowledge of what you will pay on a monthly basis and how that relates to the deductible you have to pay before your insurance starts to work. In the meantime? Can we have a little peace and quiet between now and November when Open Enrollment starts again? Please. Reported by Huffington Post 1 hour ago.
The White House says over 7 million people signed up for Obamacare coverage. Despite the fact that the White House predictions actually came true, Republicans won't be silenced for long. I am pleading here for some respite. Could we all just shut up for awhile about this? Not a chance.
Why can't everyone shut up about Obamacare? Because now the real problems will start to surface. People who thought their monthly premiums were too high may drop out and stop paying, thus losing their insurance. The lucky ones will end up on Fox complaining about it. The rest will just "go bare", which is where they started in the first place. Those who chose a Bronze plan but have some serious medical expenses will face some pretty hefty costs before any insurance kicks in. The fact that there is a cap on annual and lifetime out of pocket costs will be small comfort when facing $5000 or $6000 in deductible costs. Then there will be people who go to their doctor only to find out he or she is not in their plan. Or they just didn't read the fine print and figure out they have to pay a deductible for their prescription drugs. The potential for keeping this thing alive until the November elections is nearly endless.
Even though I study health policy and consider myself a bit of a wonk, I am really tired of hearing about Obamacare right now. Even more tired than hearing about Flight 370. Despite the amount of chatter on TV and radio about health care, it was a little shocking to learn that a recent Kaiser Family Foundation poll found that 6 of 10 uninsured - the people who really need Obamacare - didn't know much about the deadline. And half of those who are uninsured said they plan to remain that way and not sign up at all.
The main reason we will never stop hearing about Obamacare is that most Americans know relatively little about how health insurance works, so the complaints are not likely to ever stop. And as Jimmy Kimmel found out last year, many do not know the difference between Obamacare and the Affordable Care Act, clearly preferring the ACA over Obamacare when asked.
So I am pleading with Huffington Post readers to educate yourselves about what you have or do not have in regard to health insurance coverage.Read the fine print. Hopefully by next year, if you have a choice of coverage (and if you are employed you probably do not), choose your plan with full knowledge of what you will pay on a monthly basis and how that relates to the deductible you have to pay before your insurance starts to work. In the meantime? Can we have a little peace and quiet between now and November when Open Enrollment starts again? Please. Reported by Huffington Post 1 hour ago.
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146,000 buy health insurance on state exchange
While the number fell short of the official goal, the state was overwhelmingly successful in signing up people who recently became eligible for Medicaid as a result of the program’s expansion under Obamacare.
Reported by Seattle Times 1 hour ago.
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