The Accountability Gap

If President Obama parents like he governs, we can expect Sasha and Malia to be living in the basement of the Presidential Library when they are in their 40's.  I say that because their Dad has (without Congressional approval) pushed back the deadline for meeting the requirements of the individual mandate in the Affordable Care Act AGAIN.  Now, you don't have to have paid for your health insurance policy by March 31st--or to have even applied for a health insurance policy by March 31st.  All you have to do by the end of the month is enter your name on page 2 of the federal exchange website and save the "application"--and you have a now open-ended timeline to actually enroll.

While the White House likes to pretend this is the "absolute last" extension that will be granted to those who have failed to enroll, we are more likely just at the beginning of what will be an endless (if Democrats retain the Presidency) series of delays in provisions contained in what President Obama likes to remind supporters of repeal is "THE LAW OF THE LAND" (unless we don't want it to be for our own political purposes).  Up next will be a Presidential directive delaying the IRS enforcement of failing to meet the individual mandate with the tax penalties that are clearly spelled out in the ACA.  That will be followed by the President ordering insurance companies to continue policies for people who fail to pay their share of the federally-subsidized monthly premiums.  And then health care providers will be barred from suing those who fail to pay the deductibles or co-pays clearly spelled out in the policies in which they are enrolling in the federal exchange.  Then we will have extended open enrollment periods again--another delay in the employer mandate because Democrats running for re-election are still fearful of millions of small businesses just cutting the benefit and sending all of their employees into the exchanges--and another delay in the IRS penalties as well.

But what will not be delayed, is enforcement of the provisions of the ACA that affect insurers themselves.  Blue Cross won't be able to claim it "forgot" that it has to provide coverage to someone with stage 4 lung cancer.  In fact, there will be a press conference by Attorney General Eric Holder to announce the federal lawsuit that will be filed in that "historic first case".  Kaiser won't be able to say that it "still can't afford" to provide free birth control pills to all of its female customers (including those over the age of 50).  And UnitedHealthCare isn't getting an extension to start covering those who did go through the entire enrollment process and paid their first month's premium.

Democrats like to address "gaps".  The "Income Gap", the "Wealth Gap", the "Education Gap", the "Technology Gap" and even "Transportation Access Gap".  But one "gap" they never seem to want to address is the "Accountability Gap".  Of course, expecting people to be responsible for themselves and their actions goes against everything they believe in politically.