How would you feel if the Federal Government spent $100-million dollars a year to tell people not to commit murders? Or if the same amount was spent on groups that went into neighborhoods and reminded people not to rob banks? You would probably say that was wasted money–as not killing people and not stealing from others is the law–and you shouldn’t have to remind people not to break the law.
Well, the “law of the land” as President Obama was so proud to proclaim on many occasions is that you are required to have health insurance–either through your employer or through a state or federal exchange. In fact, it has been the law for four years now. But Uncle Sam has been paying $100-million a year to groups across the country whose sole purpose has been to actively recruit people to follow the law.
Obviously, these groups aren’t doing a very good job. The uninsured rate–which is the number of people violating federal law–is 30-million people. That is nearly 12% of Americans–or about one in eight. Is it possible that that many people have no idea that they are supposed to have health insurance? Could they have somehow missed in the multitude of pop up internet ads. Did they all forget the celebrity-endorsed radio and TV ads that have run for years? Did they not tune into any news broadcasts since 2010?
The “enrollment groups” are outraged over their cuts in funding. They are of the belief that if they had even more funding, they would be able to convince more people to obey the law. Their Democratic supporters claim that cutting the promotional budget for ObamaCare will lead to fewer people enrolling in health insurance coverage–I guess because constant reminding that the law requires you to have it is the only way they can remember to do it.
So to save the Federal Government some of that now $10-million dollars that they will continue to spend on “enrollment groups” I’d like to remind you that the law requires you to have health insurance and you can sign up on line this fall. I should probably also remind you not to beat your children, don’t set people’s houses on fire and don’t steal stuff from stores.
