Strategic Shift

As Obama Admin Tweets, the World Stakes Claims in Post-American World http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/BigPeace/~3/vj0eEPD3ZTM/story01.htm

With a little negotiation, Russia solves the twin problems of sanctions over Ukraine and competition with China. All they have left is the follow through.

Is the 'Post American' President paying attention? When he promised me 'Smart Diplomacy', this is what I expected.

If the news were good they would trumpet it.

The administration has quietly stopped releasing ObamaCare enrollment numbers http://hotair.com/archives/2014/05/24/the-administration-has-quietly-stopped-releasing-obamacare-enrollment-numbers/

He couldn't be worse than the incumbent

The Case For and Against Mike Pence for President http://pjmedia.com/tatler/2014/05/24/the-case-for-and-against-mike-pence-for-president/

The singularity is closer than we expect.

I Tasted BBQ Sauce Made By IBM's Watson, And Loved It http://feeds.fastcompany.com/~r/fastcodesign/feed/~3/78xfXIc57OE/i-tasted-bbq-sauce-made-by-ibms-watson-and-loved-it

Obamacare takes from the Poor and gives to the Not As Poor

I just finished reading this article by Mary Katharine Hamm over on Hot Air, it details a troubling consequence of Obamacare.

The logic flow:

1. Obamacare takes your income eligibility and places you with a plan - if your income is low enough, it compels you to go on Medicaid.
2. If you go on Medicaid after the age of 55, the State can raid your estate (after your death) to recoup the medical costs of your care.

The details.

Obamacare relaxed the rules for people eligible to receive medicaid via two elements. First, it raised the income standard (133% of federal poverty standards) and it dispensed with the Asset test. (Chronicled here - note, this was known in 2010 and the implications haven't been examined until now)

As a result of the Obamacare exchanges - you either have to accept the subsidy presented to you (and go on Medicaid) or you have to agree to accept an unsubsidized plan. The cost between the two can be considerable. The federal poverty level for a household of 1 is $11,490 while the 133% level is $15,282. (The additional guidelines are here.) The kicker is, that an unsubsidized plan in the Obamacare exchange is between $451 and $891 a month in King County. Quite a lot of scratch for a person living on essentially ~$1000 a month.

"So what?", you say - the thing is, Medicaid can come after your assets once you are dead if you accepted medicaid assistance after the age of 55. In short, your "assistance" from the government to subsidize your health insurance essentially becomes a "loan" from the government that you have to repay from your estate.

To quote from the Daily Kos diarist (I know!) that MKH got her article from,

The kicker of it is, if you make the right amount to qualify for a subsidized health insurance plan, your costs are going to be shared and subsidized by the government. But if you go on Medicaid, you owe the entire amount that Medicaid spends on you from the day you turn 55.

Only Obamacare can take from The Poor while giving to the Not As Poor.

Bob Is A Racist

What if bad fat isn’t so bad?

What if bad fat isn’t so bad?