Christopher Jacobs of the Federalist documents one element of a new U.S. representative’s learning curve.
On Saturday evening, incoming U.S. representative and self-proclaimed “democratic socialist” Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez took to Twitter to compare her prior health coverage to the new health insurance options available to her as a member of Congress. …
… It shouldn’t shock most observers to realize that Congress gave itself a better deal than it gave most ordinary citizens. But Ocasio-Cortez’ complaints about the lack of affordability of health insurance demonstrate the way liberals who claim to support Obamacare’s pre-existing condition “protections”—and have forcibly raised others’ premiums to pay for those “protections”—don’t want to pay those higher premiums themselves. …
… As a 29-year-old in presumably decent health, Ocasio-Cortez also pays a pre-existing conditions tax. She pays more in premiums—which by her own account she has difficulty affording—so that older and sicker people, including people who did not purchase coverage before they came down with a pre-existing condition, can pay less. …
… The sentiment of Ocasio-Cortez’ tweet echoes the actions of many liberal Obamacare supporters. Much as they claim to support Obamacare’s pre-existing condition “protections,” they have no interest in footing the bill for those “protections” themselves.
Take, for instance, the head of California’s exchange, Peter Lee. He makes a salary of $436,800 per year, yet he won’t buy the health insurance plans he sells. Why? Because he doesn’t want to pay Obamacare’s pre-existing condition tax unless someone (i.e., the state of California) pays him to do so via an employer subsidy.
Ocasio-Cortez’ proposed “solution”—fully taxpayer-paid health care—is in search of a problem. As socialists are wont to do, Ocasio-Cortez sees a problem caused by government—in this case, skyrocketing premiums due to the pre-existing condition tax—and thinks the answer lies in…more government.
