"In the wake of running disclosures of the agency’s nefarious snooping and political targeting, its new role as chief health insurance enforcer should give us heartburn. Under Obamacare, the principal responsibility for verifying eligibility for the healthcare program, and monitoring whether you carry qualifying health coverage (and are exempt from the law’s penalties) will fall principally to the IRS."
"During his news conference last week, the president sounded defensive in trying to tamp down fears of an impending ObamaCare train wreck. One positive note was his boast about whittling down from 21 pages to three the application for subsidies that individuals have to file. But even that may need some defending."
"In a new sign that implementing the health law could take longer than expected, insurer Aetna said Tuesday it lowered the number of medical policies it expects to sell through online marketplaces that open for business in October."
"Let's recap. The original 26 page application was designed to enroll six family members. It is now extinct and has been replaced by a new and simplified 12 page application for two people. For me to add all three children (each additional family member requires two pages) increases the new simplified app to 18 pages. Saving 8 pieces of paper might excite Al Gore, but for most people it's still going to be a long process."
"In recent weeks, there have been increasing expressions of concern from surprising quarters about the implementation of ObamaCare. Montana Sen. Max Baucus, a Democrat, called it a 'train wreck.' A Democratic colleague, West Virginia's Sen. Jay Rockefeller, described the massive Affordable Care Act as 'beyond comprehension.' Henry Chao, the government's chief technical officer in charge of putting in place the insurance exchanges mandated by the law, was quoted in the Congressional Quarterly as saying 'I'm pretty nervous . . . Let's just make sure it's not a third-world experience.'"
"Implementation got off to a bad start because the Obama administration didn’t want to release unpopular rules before the election. Regulators have been working hard but are clearly overwhelmed, trying to write rules that influence the entire health care sector — an economic unit roughly the size of France. Republicans in Congress have made things much more difficult by refusing to provide enough money for implementation."
"Congressional leaders in both parties are engaged in high-level, confidential talks about exempting lawmakers and Capitol Hill aides from the insurance exchanges they are mandated to join as part of President Barack Obama’s health care overhaul, sources in both parties said."
"The office implementing most of President Obama's healthcare law is not furloughing its workers as a result of sequestration, its director said Wednesday. Gary Cohen, director of the Center for Consumer Information and Insurance Oversight, said Wednesday that his office has not cut its workers' hours and pay as a result of the automatic budget cuts that went into effect in March."
"Sen. Max Baucus (D-Mont.) said Wednesday he fears a 'train wreck' as the Obama administration implements its signature healthcare law. Baucus, the chairman of the powerful Finance Committee and a key architect of the healthcare law, said he fears people do not understand how the law will work."
"Here’s another ominous sign for ObamaCare’s future: The Department of Health and Human Services admitted yesterday that setting up the law has cost twice as much as expected so far. And you can't really blame Republican opposition for the overrun: That’s just accounting for the cost of building exchanges in states that said they want to run them."
