It’s been a busy two weeks of Medicaid and ObamaCare for me.  JLF Executive VP, Kory Swanson and  Health Care Policy analyst, Katherine Restrepo and I have been across the state, from Wilmington to Asheville and back  again to Little Washington with stops along the way for a series of lunchtime meetings.  Folks are hungry for common sense explanations and solid information on the impact of legislative changes to Medicaid, proposed reforms, health exchange enrollment beginning on Oct. 1 and the impact of all these regulations on taxpayers, business owners and the medical community.

You won’t want to miss Katherine’s upcoming Shaftsbury talk on Sept. 30 for updates and more.

Here are three things I learned this week:

1. For every regulation and rule, there are compliance costs.  The House Ways and Means Burden Tracker says the annual burden for ObamaCare compliance is 127 million hours. Labor costs to comply are estimated at $3.8 Billion.

2. Regulatory costs for business?   Per employee is between $7,755 to $10,585, depending on firm size, with the greater burden on small businesses.

3. Penalties for non-compliance for individuals will be monetary and processed through the IRS. Non-compliance penalties for employers start at $2,000 per employee and go up from there, including imprisonment.  Non-compliance penalties for medical practices will be monetary and will also include imprisonment in some cases.

We had thoughtful questions and robust discussions with our audiences; do veterans have to participate in the exchanges?  Will college students still get coverage through their universities? How will hospitals be affected?  Is the best chance for repeal through the courts or through a change in Congress?  Will the exchanges work if young healthy people don’t participate? Does Kathleen Sebiloius really have broad rule making authority? (yes, she does)

Nevertheless, even with all the unanswered questions, regulations, skepticism and confusion, ObamaCare is rolling right along.  It begs the question – Are these people nuts?

In that vein and since it’s Friday afternoon, here’s a recipe for a basic nut bread that’s easy, tasty and delicious – very workable just like it is.  It’s also easy to modify to your very own taste or mood.

Works well as is and can easily change to fit your needs. Hmmmm…..maybe we should try that with health care reform.  Enjoy a slice of this nut bread with cream cheese, butter or jam while you ponder that!

Classic Nut Bread

2 ½ cups all-purpose flour

1 Cup sugar

3 ½ teaspoons baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

3 Tablespoons salad oil

1 ¼ cups milk

1 egg

1 Cup finely chopped nuts

Heat oven to 350 degrees.  Grease and flour a 9x5x3 inch loaf pan. Measure all ingredients into a large mixer bowl; beat on medium speed for about a minute or mix by hand, scrapping sides and bottom and mixing all nicely.  Pour into pan and bake for 55 to 65 minutes until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.  Remove from pan and cool completely before slicing.

Make it your own with one of these variations:

Apricot Nut Bread: Decrease milk to ½ cup; add 4 teaspoons grated orange peel, ¾ Cup orange juice and 1 cup chopped dried apricots.

Banana Nut Bread: Decrease milk to ¾ cup, add 1 cup mashed ripe banana

Date Nut Bread: Add 1 cup chopped dates

Orange Nut Bread: Decrease milk to ½ cup; add 4 teaspoons grated orange peel and ¾ cup orange juice.

Cranberry Nut Bread:  Decrease milk to 1/2 cup, add 3/4 cup orange juice, 4 teaspoons grated orange zest, and 1 cup chopped fresh cranberries

from 1974 Betty Crocker’s Cookbook