Deafening Silence on Obamacare's Impact

My most recent writing focused on the negative impact Obamacare has had on our community. I received positive feedback from most, yet I was surprised to learn that some people who’d been most vocal weren’t quite buying it.

“Nice try Mike, but Obamacare did not decide to close Glen Cove Hospital,” wrote George Dunn, MD. “Instead, the decision was made by North Shore LIJ Health System.” He even continued, “it is a bit like rape and pillage.”

I’d agree with this commenter, as Obamacare is merely a collection of thousands of pages of law, it is not a person and can’t think. But what laws (written by people) can do is make it economically unsuitable to maintain current activities.

[Terry Lynam, North Shore-LIJ] said the decision to close the inpatient beds comes because of declining patient volumes and a change in the way hospitals will be reimbursed under the federal Affordable Care Act,” Newsday reported in July 2013.

Unfortunately, protests to “Save Glen Cove Hospital” seem to remain willfully ignorant of the hospital’s pleas.  This isn’t rocket science. If Congress decided to cut the price of a pizza, how many do you think we’d have left in Glen Cove? Not many. Again, the problem of the Hospital is basic economics.

The effect Obamacare will have on our local economy is undeniable just by the jobs shifted away from Glen Cove in the consolidation process. Further, the imminent employer mandate simply puts another nail in the coffin for businesses that would try to hire and expand. The law is no boon for insurance shoppers, either. A friend has had his family’s premiums skyrocket up to $1,800 with less benefits. 

The politicians must read the paper and see the news. But rather than using their “bully pulpit” to stand for what’s right for their constituents, state and local officials have chosen to again remain willfully ignorant. When have you heard elected Democrats talk about Obamacare’s role in the hospital’s downsizing? Never. Why is that? Are they afraid to go against their party?

Our representative in the House, Steve Israel votes with the far-left and is one of President Obama’s closest allies. Our state assemblyman, Charles Lavine even has an instructional meeting planned at the Syosset Library. With the state the Obamacare law is in, I’d expect potential enrollees at that meeting to be counted on one hand.

Obamacare is far from settled law, and was illegal from its origins (get it?). Statists point to the Supreme Court decision and 2012 election, but first, John Roberts was wrong, and Barack Obama’s re-election had little to do with his health law and more to do with Mitt Romney.

Obamacare won’t be going anywhere soon, but the jobs in Glen Cove will. The law will go nowhere with the current group of ultra-partisan, ultra-ideological Democrats in Congress and the White House. Republicans would have even taken a delay in the individual mandate, though the ultimate goal is full repeal. This is what most rational people call "compromise."

The question for the Democrat representation of Glen Cove is this: if a national law has a negative impact on your community, shouldn’t you speak up about it? Isn’t that worth arguing over? Don’t answer; you might be called a “Tea Party extremist.”