The Swiss Army Knife That Is Obamacare: Cuts Costs, Deficits, Numbers of Uninsured

(Image by Fibonacci Blue via Flickr)

The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) released a report on Monday that the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) will cost $1.35 trillion, which is 20 percent less than what they originally expected. This is nearly 33 percent less than the $2 trillion that Republicans predicted it would cost. It should be no surprise that Republicans got this wrong. I’m sure when they did their math, they must have included those ?death panels? as one of Obamacare’s major expenses.

But of course, there never were any plans for ?death panels.? Obamacare was never going to cost the U.S. 2.5 million jobs, nor increase the deficit by $1 trillion. In fact, Obamacare has helped to?cut the deficit to the lowest levels since Obama took office (or, about one-third the size that it was in 2009). Instead of becoming a ?trainwreck,? Obamacare has been the ?light at the end of the tunnel? for nearly 12 million Americans, who would not be able to afford insurance without it. Obamacare will continue to cut the numbers of uninsured in the years to come. By 2017, only 8 percent of people under age 65 will be without medical coverage of some sort.

Yet the Republicans continue to slander the Affordable Care Act as a disaster. Though they deserve credit for their resilience in the face of adversity (just Google ?Obama lied about Benghazi?), we cannot praise them for their gift of foresight. This is why Republicans are quick to remind you of their mantra: ?pay no attention to facts and logic, lest you be bamboozled into facing reality. People who live in reality vote Democrat. And you don’t like Democrats. Democrats, bad! Koch brothers, good! Repeat after me! Benghazi…..Benghazi…….Benghazi………Benghazi………..?

Clayton Ousley lives in Ann Arbor, MI with his beautiful daughter, Charlotte (a German Shepherd/Alaskan Malamute mix). He has a BA in History and Intelligence Studies from Notre Dame College, and is currently working on his MA in Military History from Norwich University. He enjoys playing his bagpipes, reading, hiking, and cooking ethnic foods.