# What is your ongoing opinion of the Affordable Care Act? (Title Edited) **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [January 17, 2013, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-ongoing-opinion-of-the-affordable-care-act-title-edited/647561 "2013-01-17T23:21:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 171
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [March 7, 2015, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-ongoing-opinion-of-the-affordable-care-act-title-edited/647561/3402 "2015-03-07T21:27:40Z")
> [@yorick73](#): > > Interesting. Thanks for the explanation Still awaiting yours. Seriously, we truly don’t understand what you or Carvin meant but would like to. ---
**Author:** ![2ManyTacos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/2/3da27b/32.png) [@2ManyTacos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/2ManyTacos)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2015, 2:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-ongoing-opinion-of-the-affordable-care-act-title-edited/647561/3403 "2015-03-08T14:31:57Z")
For those who want to listen to the audio of the oral arguments, it’s finally been uploaded. [Here](http://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/audio/2014/14-114) ---
**Author:** ![rsa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/839c29/32.png) [@rsa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rsa)\ **Post date:** [March 8, 2015, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-ongoing-opinion-of-the-affordable-care-act-title-edited/647561/3404 "2015-03-08T21:51:43Z")
The [transcript](http://www.supremecourt.gov/oral_arguments/argument_transcripts/14-114_lkhn.pdf) is also available. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2015, 9:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-ongoing-opinion-of-the-affordable-care-act-title-edited/647561/3405 "2015-03-14T09:50:26Z")
The federal government will spend significantly less on Obamacare than had been projected, according the [latest estimates by the CBO](http://www.cnbc.com/id/102488736): > [@](#): > > Instead of $1.35 trillion in costs from 2016 through 2025, Affordable Care Act-related expenditures are expected to be $1.207 trillion, the CBO said. That is an 11 percent reduction. > > The drop in projections is largely due to to lower estimates for cost increases of health insurance sold on government-run marketplaces, and a slight reduction in the number of people expected to gain coverage under ACA-related programs, the agency said. > > The CBO said the costs of Obamacare subsidies issued by the government will drop 20 percent, or $209 billion, as a result of those factors over the decade. Good news for Americans, bad news for Republican candidates. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2015, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-ongoing-opinion-of-the-affordable-care-act-title-edited/647561/3406 "2015-03-14T14:14:17Z")
Sen. John Barrasso (R-of course, Wyoming) says Obama should [stop celebrating](http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/gop-senator-stop-celebrating-good-obamacare-news) Obamacare’s success. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![MemoryLeak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/6f9a4e/32.png) [@MemoryLeak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MemoryLeak)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2015, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-ongoing-opinion-of-the-affordable-care-act-title-edited/647561/3407 "2015-03-14T19:28:29Z")
> [@Fear\_Itself](#): > > The federal government will spend significantly less on Obamacare than had been projected, according the [latest estimates by the CBO](http://www.cnbc.com/id/102488736): > … > Good news for Americans, bad news for Republican candidates. From the same article: > [@](#): > > The Congressional Budget Office on Monday said it expects the federal government will spend _ **significantly** _ less on Obamacare than had been projected. > > Instead of $1.35 trillion in costs from 2016 through 2025, Affordable Care Act-related expenditures are expected to be $1.207 trillion, the CBO said. That is an 11 percent reduction. > [@](#): > > The bulk of Obamacare’s costs to the U.S. Treasury are in the form of those subsidies, or tax credits, which are currently available to almost 9 out of every 10 customers who bought insurance on either [HealthCare.gov](http://HealthCare.gov) or the exchanges run by individual states and the District of Columbia. > [@](#): > > In addition to lower-than-expected increases in insurance prices, the CBO also cited _ **“slightly lower”** _ enrollment on Obamacare exchanges as a reason for the lowered subsidy-related costs in coming years. > > For example, the CBO report said the estimated average enrollment through the exchanges during all of 2015 will be 11 million, instead of 12 million as previously projected. The bolding and italicizing are all me. I was just amused by the characterization of an 11% spending drop as significant and reduction of 8% in the number covered as slight. Remarkable! Less people == less spending! And with a straight face, the report about the report cites incorrect assumptions about the growth of health care costs since 2006 (in addition to all the other incorrect assumptions). ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [March 14, 2015, 10:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-ongoing-opinion-of-the-affordable-care-act-title-edited/647561/3408 "2015-03-14T22:36:52Z")
What is remarkable is that those who predicted an increase in spending are now mocking the decrease as insignificant. ---
**Author:** ![MemoryLeak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/6f9a4e/32.png) [@MemoryLeak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MemoryLeak)\ **Post date:** [March 15, 2015, 3:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-ongoing-opinion-of-the-affordable-care-act-title-edited/647561/3409 "2015-03-15T03:14:13Z")
> [@Fear\_Itself](#): > > What is remarkable is that those who predicted an increase in spending are now mocking the decrease as insignificant. And we should simply ignore the fact that the decrease is entirely explained by incorrect estimates of participation and over-estimates of cost increases (for example, in constant dollars, Medicare per person costs are over 30% under 2006 projections). Given: [QUOTE=the article you provided] The bulk of Obamacare’s costs to the U.S. Treasury are in the form of those subsidies, or tax credits, which are currently available to almost 9 out of every 10 customers who bought insurance on either [HealthCare.gov](http://HealthCare.gov) or the exchanges run by individual states and the District of Columbia. [/QUOTE] The article itself says the reduction in subsidies is $209 billion. Given the reduction, why isn’t the new projection $1.141 trillion instead of $1.207 trillion. That just says there’s been a 6% increase in just the 2+ months between their January projection and the current one. ---
**Author:** ![jasg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f0a364/32.png) [@jasg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jasg)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2015, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-ongoing-opinion-of-the-affordable-care-act-title-edited/647561/3410 "2015-03-16T21:06:40Z")
More [data](http://www.vox.com/2015/3/16/8225253/obamacare-uninsured-medicare) showing success for the ACA. The uninsured rate has dropped by 35%, the largest change since the introduction of Medicare & Medicaid 50 years ago. ---
**Author:** ![2ManyTacos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/2/3da27b/32.png) [@2ManyTacos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/2ManyTacos)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2015, 5:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-ongoing-opinion-of-the-affordable-care-act-title-edited/647561/3411 "2015-03-18T17:22:54Z")
I know, I know, it’s always unwise to predict decisions based on oral arguments, but this lawyer over at [The Hill](http://thehill.com/blogs/congress-blog/judicial/235669-king-v-burwell-subsidies-on-federal-exchanges-will-survive) lays out the case for why the most likely outcome is a 6-3 affirmation of the government’s position. ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2015, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-ongoing-opinion-of-the-affordable-care-act-title-edited/647561/3412 "2015-03-24T21:33:47Z")
Ted Cruz hates Obamacare and wants to abolish it ASAP… but not until he and his family have signed up and gotten coverage under it, of course: [http://www.cnn.com/2015/03/24/politics/ted-cruz-obamacare/index.html](http://www.cnn.com/2015/03/24/politics/ted-cruz-obamacare/index.html) ---
**Author:** ![Pashnish\_Ewing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8797f3/32.png) [@Pashnish\_Ewing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pashnish_Ewing)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2015, 1:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-ongoing-opinion-of-the-affordable-care-act-title-edited/647561/3413 "2015-03-25T13:07:21Z")
> [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](#): > > Ted Cruz hates Obamacare and wants to abolish it ASAP… but not until he and his family have signed up and gotten coverage under it, of course: [http://www.cnn.com/2015/03/24/politics/ted-cruz-obamacare/index.html](http://www.cnn.com/2015/03/24/politics/ted-cruz-obamacare/index.html) I don’t think this is something to be held against Cruz. He actually explained the situation rather well in that interview. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2015, 1:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-ongoing-opinion-of-the-affordable-care-act-title-edited/647561/3414 "2015-03-25T13:35:44Z")
> [@2ManyTacos](#): > > I know, I know, it’s always unwise to predict decisions based on oral arguments, but this lawyer over at [The Hill](http://thehill.com/blogs/congress-blog/judicial/235669-king-v-burwell-subsidies-on-federal-exchanges-will-survive) lays out the case for why the most likely outcome is a 6-3 affirmation of the government’s position. He discusses why that _should_ be the result, based on his own interpretations of a very few questions in oral argument and unsupported claims about how Roberts and Kennedy will not only be guided by real-world consequences but will find them to be severely negative. Of course, the partisan-activist wing is _hoping_ for those consequences. But his prediction that it \*will \*be the result is just as thinly based as any other prediction. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2015, 2:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-ongoing-opinion-of-the-affordable-care-act-title-edited/647561/3415 "2015-03-25T14:04:15Z")
> [@Pashnish\_Ewing](#): > > I don’t think this is something to be held against Cruz. He actually explained the situation rather well in that interview. He wasn’t asked what he would be doing right now if his wish of repealing ACA had already occurred, and why he isn’t doing exactly that. ---
**Author:** ![Pashnish\_Ewing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8797f3/32.png) [@Pashnish\_Ewing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pashnish_Ewing)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2015, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-ongoing-opinion-of-the-affordable-care-act-title-edited/647561/3416 "2015-03-25T17:12:52Z")
> [@ElvisL1ves](#): > > He wasn’t asked what he would be doing right now if his wish of repealing ACA had already occurred, and why he isn’t doing exactly that. The implication he gave was that, if repealed, he would be getting his insurance through the US Govt (based upon his job in the senate), same as it was before the ACA. Come on, there are hundreds\* of reasons to bash Cruz. Getting his insurance through his employer isn’t one of them, regardless of the ‘irony’ of it coming through the exchange. \*may be an underestimate ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2015, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-ongoing-opinion-of-the-affordable-care-act-title-edited/647561/3417 "2015-03-25T17:18:54Z")
I thought it was only staffers, not members, who were forced onto the exchanges, as part of one of the many spite amendments the GOP induced the Democrats to accept in the bill. ---
**Author:** ![Pashnish\_Ewing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8797f3/32.png) [@Pashnish\_Ewing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pashnish_Ewing)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2015, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-ongoing-opinion-of-the-affordable-care-act-title-edited/647561/3418 "2015-03-25T17:36:02Z")
Well, I’m only taking the word of the CNN reporter, which, admittedly, is one notch above pulling it out of my ass\*. Either way, it’s dumb to bash Cruz for this. \*may be an overestimate ---
**Author:** ![Gyrate](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gyrate/32/3588_2.png) [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2015, 10:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-ongoing-opinion-of-the-affordable-care-act-title-edited/647561/3419 "2015-03-26T10:58:58Z")
Politifact has a new “[five years on](http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/article/2015/mar/20/federal-health-care-law-what-came-true-and-what-di/)” piece on ACA. ---
**Author:** ![Iggy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iggy/32/3364_2.png) [@Iggy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Iggy)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2015, 8:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-ongoing-opinion-of-the-affordable-care-act-title-edited/647561/3420 "2015-03-26T20:20:21Z")
> [@ElvisL1ves](#): > > He discusses why that _should_ be the result, based on his own interpretations of a very few questions in oral argument and unsupported claims about how Roberts and Kennedy will not only be guided by real-world consequences but will find them to be severely negative. Of course, the partisan-activist wing is _hoping_ for those consequences. > > But his prediction that it \*will \*be the result is just as thinly based as any other prediction. Indeed Justice Kennedy was recently quoted as making a statement that whether or not Congress would provide a fix to a problem arising from a decision of the Court should not come into the decision making process. [Scroll down to](http://www.msnbc.com/msnbc/did-kennedy-tip-his-hand-obamacare-case-and-more-politics-today): **Did Kennedy tip his hand in Obamacare case?** > [@](#): > > We routinely decide cases involving federal statutes, and we say, “Well, if this is wrong, the Congress will fix it.” But then we hear that Congress can’t pass a bill one way or another, that there is gridlock. Some people say that should affect the way we interpret the statutes. That seems to me a wrong proposition. We have to assume that we have three fully functioning branches of the government. Both sides are trying to read the tea leaves to see how such a comment may impact his vote in _King v Burwell_. ---
**Author:** ![2ManyTacos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/2/3da27b/32.png) [@2ManyTacos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/2ManyTacos)\ **Post date:** [March 27, 2015, 3:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-ongoing-opinion-of-the-affordable-care-act-title-edited/647561/3421 "2015-03-27T03:29:13Z")
Yeah, I saw that. Honestly, I think it’s kind of ridiculous in terms of the lengths to which people are going to read SCOTUS tea leaves. When you look at that exchange in total, Kennedy directly answered the question _asked of him_ in the only possible way. To the extent that it says anything - which I don’t really buy - it’s that Congressional dysfunction means nil to the Justices. FWIW, there was WAY more hat tipping in the King oral arguments. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-ongoing-opinion-of-the-affordable-care-act-title-edited/647561.md?page=170) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-ongoing-opinion-of-the-affordable-care-act-title-edited/647561.md?page=172)