INSURANCE: Why are you surprised?

I find it most interesting that the Republicans who have tried to eliminate insurance for 40 million Americans who will be covered by the Affordable Care Act are now so upset that about two million Americans who make too much to qualify for a subsidy are going to have to pay more for policies with higher standards, that are required by the Affordable Care Act.

It seems that everyone is, all of a sudden, surprised that the Affordable Care Act is forcing the cancellation of substandard policies.

Actually, not everyone is surprised by this latest development. In 2010, when the Affordable Care Act was passed, insurers read and understood all the provisions of the act. They knew that policies that were in place before 2010 would be “grandfathered in” and could continue. And, they also knew that any policy issued after 2010 would have to be upgraded to the new higher standards by January 2014.

“Wait … can it be?” When the insurance companies sold those substandard polices for the last three years, they already knew they would have to be canceled at the end of 2013.

These insurance companies didn’t just fall off the turnip truck. They conveniently forgot to mention to their new policyholders that, “Oh by the way, that substandard policy … you are buying, will be canceled in a few years, or in some cases, in a few months.”

Obama was definitely at fault. Not for lying, but for not realizing that “deceiving their policyholders” is standard procedure at many insurance companies.

HARLEY DUFF

Coeur d’Alene