http://cnsnews.com/commentary/rich-galen/obamacare-spiraling-downward

I am not cheering as I write this column. The Presidency of Barack Obama is spiraling downward largely because of Obamacare and it is not clear to me that Mr. Obama can avoid a Presidential face plant.

Earlier this week Secretary of Health and Human Services, Kathleen Sebelius testified before a House committee about the ongoing disaster that is the Obamacare website.

She didn't know who was responsible or what went wrong any more than she could have pulled out a stack of code three feet high and walked the Committee Members through it line-by-line.

Republicans were ugly to her. Democrats tried to find some way to defend her. They were both wrong.

But, the Secretary's lack of knowing what had gone wrong actually paled before a pretty simple question asked by Rep. Cory Gardner (R-Colo) as to whether she would join members of Congress and their staff in purchasing insurance on the federal insurance exchange, even though the law did not require her to.

As CNN reported on its website: After consulting with Office of Health Reform Director Mike Hash, who was seated behind her, Sebelius responded that it would be "illegal" for her to join the exchange because she receives insurance through the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program.

That, it turns out, is true for employees of the Executive Branch, but that is not why she wouldn't be allowed to join Obamacare.

The reason is, she was born on May 15, 1948 making her 65 years, 5 months and 2 weeks old. That means she is eligible for, and required to join, Medicare.

Medicare recipients are not allowed to go into the exchanges under Obamacare.

Consistent with the longstanding prohibitions on the sale and issuance of duplicate coverage to Medicare beneficiaries.
(section 1882(d) of the Social Security Act), it is illegal to knowingly sell or issue a Qualified Health Plan (QHP) to a Medicare beneficiary.

Medicare is run by CMS. CMS is overseen by the Department of Health and Human Services. The Secretary of Health and Human Services is Kathleen Sebelius.

I would have been far more comfortable if she had known that as a Medicare recipient, Obamacare was not an option for her. Or if any of the crack HHS staff sitting behind her had known that.

I did.

On the other end of the Truth-or-Consequences scale is the President said during the sales job for Obamacare and continues to say that if you like your health care plan you can keep it.

According to the Washington Post, the exact quote was: "If you like your doctor, you will be able to keep your doctor, period. If you like your health-care plan, you'll be able to keep your health-care plan, period. No one will take it away, no matter what.

"This is, to put it mildly, a lie. Ok, maybe not a lie but an untruth. All right, not an untruth but a mis-lead.The Post has a "fact check" that links to a YouTube video in which Obama is quoted no less than 23 times saying "If you like your plan, you can keep your plan.

"The Post ends its lengthy examination of the "If you like your plan..." statement with this: "The president's promise apparently came with a very large caveat: "If you like your health care plan, you'll be able to keep your health care plan - if we deem it to be adequate.

"It is such an egregious lie, that the Post gave it its highest (or lowest) score for honesty: Four Pinocchios.

It is fair to ask why the national press corps, which is now hot on the trail of the "If you like your plan..." statement didn't notice the regulations issued by HHS (run by Kathleen Sebelius) that negated that promise, even as the President kept making it.

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Sebelius had no clue what had gone wrong.

Sebelius and her crew didn't even know why she couldn't enroll in Obamacare

And what position does she hold...UNBELIEVABLE INCOMPETENCY...

Please do us a favor and RESIGN...take your staff with you too

So, when I go on Medicare next June, Obamacare won't apply to me?

Sweet!

(I will be going on Medicare because I am a SSDI recipient.)

Mr dodo.

That's exactly what sucks .

Me, my, I.

Not many care for the we.

Greed doesn't only apply to the rich.

Right now I am paying for a private insurance policy, and my rate is going up. Indeed, what I pay is more than half of what I receive monthly from SSDI.

When more than half of your income is used to pay for health insurance - as it is in my case - "greed" isn't a word that is applicable to you.

Besides, I don't have a choice in the matter. My enrollment in Medicare will be automatic.

Besides, I was referring to my exemption from Obamacare.

some of us honestly cannot afford to care about the we....traditionally people care more often about the we in better economic times of prosperity

Because she like her Fuhrer is WAY in over her hear, under qualified, way inexperienced and in no way should be in the position she is in. Just like her Fuhrer.

"Experience and the law of unintended consequences suggest the "Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act" will neither protect patients nor make health services affordable. Actual caring will resemble that of the U.S. Postal Service. Services will be rationed and denied in arbitrary manner after long waiting, as in other countries with government health systems. Advocacy groups will institute something like a 'disease-of-the-month-club,' to apply political pressure to cover various conditions. In short, decisions which ought to be made by patients and physicians will instead be made by cold, distant bureaucracies. Switzerland has a market-based system which works. Care there is as good as in the US at 58% of the per capita cost. Such a system was not even considered here, because the goal is government control, not accessible, affordable or quality care."

written a couple of years ago by a Friend of mine,Medical Doctor,who studied in the US and Switzerland,licensed in both Countries,so is quite familiar with both systems!

I need to correct something that I said in my last post.

A third of my income is used to pay for a private insurance policy, not half.

Me getting Medicare next year doesn't mean that I will be able to drop my current insurance policy, because Medicare doesn't cover everything.
So, I will still have to pay for additional insurance.

So much for Obamacare making my life better. /sarc

I began getting SS when I was 62 1/2 yrs of age. Took early SS benefits with a penalty for not waiting until I was 65. I retired from a Texas State Law Enforcement Agency at the same time, again with another penalty for early retirement. My health insurance is paid for by the State, but now that I am retired, Medicare pays first after a large deductible is met for prescriptions, and first at 80% of hospitalization and doctor's visits; however, my insurance through a Medicare Advantage Plan from the State, covers the deductibles, so I have to pay nothing. The only thing I have to pay for is a co-pay of $20 for doctor's visits and medicines. I am rather healthy so I haven't had very much use for them, but, so far, no problems with the insurance. Don't know how much longer that will last, however.