Speaking of Obamacare . . . .

Another exchange about healthcare insurance and the mess it’s in caught our eye in yet another story on the subject in last week’s paper. This one appeared Friday. Its subject: possible layoffs at the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences.

The school’s chancellor told the hospital’s trustees last week that Obamacare won’t be any windfall for UAMS. Even though the hospital spends $64 million a year caring for people who can’t pay their bills. Uncompensated Care, it’s called.

But one of the rationalizations for expanding Medicaid in this state was to reduce the amount of Uncompensated Care that hospitals are stuck with every year. Now folks would have insurance. Problem solved.

Or maybe not. Maybe it’s been aggravated. UAMS’ Dan Rahn was quoted as saying that even if 75 percent of the hospital’s current uninsured patients sign up for Obamacare, the hospital could make up only $14 million or so of that $64 million deficit. Leaving the hospital holding the bag for some $50 million. Why? Because the increased income via Obamacare would result in cuts to UAMS’ state and federal funding for charity care.

Can this be true for other hospitals as well? If so, somebody please explain again how Obamacare and Arkansas’ private option amount to such a great deal for hospitals . . . .

Dinged if they do and dinged if they don’t. That seems to be the essential theme of Obamacare’s approach to hospitals and their ERs. It seems the Affordable Care Act grows more unaffordable at every turn. And there are bound to be more turns to come. And more surprises. Unpleasant surprises.

But if you like your health insurance plan, you can keep it. And if you like your doctor, you can keep her-or him. And if you like Obamacare, maybe you’re still under (political) anesthesia.

Editorial, Pages 10 on 01/27/2014

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