The lies of Obamacare: victory lap edition

President Obama says that 8 million people now have signed up for Obamacare. Apparently, the extension of the enrollment deadline helped boost the final figure to well in excess of the administration’s publicly declared target of 7 million.

Obama also claimed that 35 percent of those who have signed up for Obamacare are younger than age 35. However, that number includes children.

The key figure in terms of Obamacare’s viability is the percentage of enrollees who are between the ages of 18 and 34. This, of course, is the healthiest demographic and its members are expected to subsidize the old and the sick.

According to the Washington Post, only 28 percent of enrollees belong to this key demographic. That number falls well short of the administration’s target. Accordingly, we should probably a spike in the cost of premiums.

Two other important numbers remain unknown, or at least unstated: (1) the percentage of those who signed up for Obamacare but haven’t paid their premiums and (2) the percentage of those who signed up that had insurance but lost it thanks to Obamacare.

Despite the mixed bag of numbers and the uncertainty resulting from those that are unknown, Obama declared victory. “This debate is and should be over,” he insisted.

This is yet another lie of Obamacare. Republicans are building their 2014 campaign — one that most experts predict will be successful to one degree or another — on opposition to Obamacare. Clearly, the debate is not over.

In addition, significantly more Americans oppose Obamacare than favor it. In a democracy, this means the debate should not be over.

But Obama’s understanding and appreciation of democracy has always been rather limited.

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