Obamacare Isn’t Working — and Neither Is the “Stimulus”
Yesterday the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services released a new study providing a state-by-state breakdown of health care spending over more than a decade, from 1998 through 2009. In writing the report, the Medicare analysts examined the effects of the recent economic downturn on health care spending, and concluded that “The Great Lakes, New England, and Far West regions experienced the largest slowdown in per person health spending growth during the recent recession, largely as a result of higher unemployment rates.” Areas with the highest increases in unemployment faced the biggest slowdown in health costs – meaning the slowdown in cost growth has been driven by the ongoing economic turmoil, NOT endogenous changes within the health care system related to Obamacare.
The findings of yesterday’s study are also consistent with another report by the non-partisan Medicare actuary: “Estimated spending growth in 2010 was slow due to continuing declines in employment and private health insurance coverage associated with the recent recession.”
In other words, spending growth was slower than projected NOT because Obamacare worked, but because the Obama “stimulus” didn’t. Meaning every time the Administration tries to take credit for slowing health costs, what they’re really taking credit for is a horrible economy due to President Obama’s failed policies.