Howard Dean Encourages Employers to Drop Coverage: “A Very, Very Good Thing”
Appearing on Morning Joe today, Howard Dean once again expressed support for the idea of employers dropping coverage, calling the recent findings from McKinsey that up to half of all employers could drop coverage “a good thing.” (Makes you wonder why Democrats sent McKinsey nasty letters attacking their study as biased.) Dean specifically said about Obamacare:
The fact is, it’s very good for small business. It’s incredibly good for small businesses. The McKinsey study, which the Democrats [in Congress] don’t like, but I do, and I think it’s true. Most small businesses are not going to be in the health insurance business any more after this thing goes into effect….I think Obamacare is a huge help to small business.
Former New York Governor George Pataki, also on the show, chimed in: “The only way it’s a help [to small business] is if they dump coverage,” and Dean promptly agreed: “That’s right – and that’s what they should do.” Dean said that contrary to the President’s promise that individuals would be able to keep their own coverage, “It is going to happen – and I think it’s a very, very good thing.”
However, employers’ financial gain will be the taxpayers’ loss: Former Congressional Budget Office Director Doug Holtz-Eakin’s analysis confirmed that, because many more firms than originally projected will have a rational economic basis for dropping their plans come 2014, the federal government will incur in up to $1 trillion more in new federal spending on insurance subsidies than official estimates.
In other words, employers are going to drop coverage in New Hampshire. And they’re going to drop coverage in South Carolina and Oklahoma. And they’re going to drop coverage in Arizona and North Dakota and New Mexico. They’re going to drop coverage in California and Texas and New York. And they’re going to drop coverage in South Dakota and Oregon and Washington and Michigan. And the exploding federal subsidies on Obamacare won’t send anyone to the White House – they’ll send our nation to the poor house. Byah!