When I was in college the phrase "free alcohol" seemed to be more sublime than any line Keats penned. I could not imagine writing an ode to a Grecian urn, unless of course the urn was filled beer. Today the phrase has become "alcohol free" which proves that all change is not necessarily progress. Needless to say a Nobel Prize in mathematics was in no danger from me.The following quote is from an article written by Katherine Harmon and published by Scientific American.
"Since last August, I’ve been counting down the days until my 30th birthday this Wednesday. You see, I’ve got money coming my way not just in the form of birthday checks from my grandmother and aunts but an even larger chunk of change, spread out over the entire year. Starting August 1, I, along with millions of women in the U.S., are going to start saving hundreds of dollars annually now that a new Affordable Care Act (ACA) provision will begin removing insurance co-pays for reproductive preventive services for women. For the year to come, I’m expecting to keep at least $395 a year in “cost-sharing” co-pays that I will no longer be paying."
Let's look at the math; Ms. Harmon's "cost sharing expense" in co-pays was $395.00. Under the Affordable Care Act her new "cost-sharing" expense in co-pays will be $0. So $395 - 0 = $395. The $395 is still there. That $395 is going to be charged back in higher health care costs.
I assume that Ms. Harmon expects to be paid for what she does in her profession, and those that supply Ms. Harmon with goods and services expect to be paid as well.
I have an experiment you can try at home. Look for quotes on health care premiums on line. Enter your age and your spouses age as 50 years old or greater. Your quotes will include maternity care. It will only be a matter of time before those quotes will include reproductive preventive services. Ms. Harmon's $395 saving will be paid for by everyone that has health care, including those who do not need reproductive preventive services.
Ms. Harmon's article is really a puff piece for the Obama campaign, and her understanding of mathematics and economics has unfortunately prepared her for a career in Congress.
