The Truth About Obamacare

by Sally C. Pipes

In her new book, The Truth About Obamacare , Sally C. Pipes—president of the Pacific Research Institute and an acknowledged expert on health care reform—reveals what Democrats in Congress and President Obama don't want you to Obamacare is even worse than most critics suspect. Debunking the myths that the current administration has touted, Pipes shows exactly what the new health care law will mean for you, your family, your doctor, and your wallet. She also reveals how, contrary to its promises, Obamacare will make health care more expensive, limit your options, lead to deteriorating medical care, and weaken America’s already frail economy.

Genres: Politics, Nonfiction

256 pages, Paperback

First published July 13, 2010

Reviews

[Beth Haynes]

This book provides an easy to read synopsis of the recent health care reform. Pipes does a good job of bringing up the counter arguments to those who defend ObamaCare as a necessary step in the right direction.

1. She provides a brief summary of the history of health care in the US which brought us to our current situation.
2. She presents the data to show the problem of the uninsured is not 15% of our population but closer to 3%.
3. She explains how the PPACA (aka ObamaCare) will exacerbate rising health care costs because it misidentifies the causes of rising costs.
4. She provides a succinct explanation of how laws, government policies and regulations make medical care unaffordable for a significant segment of our population.
4. She explains how ObamaCare will increase the problems of inaccessibility to medical care, restrict our choices and eventually lead to rationing.

But no need to despair. In her last chapter, Pipes offers some alternative solutions which will increase choice, increase affordability and set us back on the path of ever-improving medical care.

For anyone who has been closely following the health care debate and the development of PPACA, this book adds nothing new. It does put into one easy-to-read place a brief outline and introduction to the major issues involved.

For those just getting interested in the topic, it's a great place to start.

220 pages. Large type. Well referenced.

[David Glad]

Time will tell how bad it is, but looks like many employer burdens are being pushed back and surely other executive orders (and whims) that the author did not foresee but probably would have sounded crazy to have written in the book.

Not sure whether you really needed a book to warn of a bloated bureaucracy, even if the book is still many many pages fewer than the legislation itself.

On the plus side, the success of a program people are forced to buy into is aided by so many employers dumping coverage.

I think if you listened to just about all the arguments at the time, a lot of this would not be new. Along with how the CBO merely grades whatever is put before it without making any subjective decisions with regards to practicality or whether the true costs would be quietly pushed through in separate legislation. (Much like the Secure Fence Act which passed.. but a separate bill was needed to fund it.)

Does of course warn that one-size fits all policies are costly and mean you are paying for things you will never use, such as Mormons having to get policies which cover substance abuse recovery.

[Ray]

I didn't know what to expect when I picked this book. "The Truth" in the title could have meant, "all the negative things Conservatives are saying about the Obama Health Care plan aren't as bad as they say", or it could have meant "all the positive things Progressives are saying about the Health Care Plan aren't true". At the risk of giving the story away, the book makes the case against the Obama Health Care program, and supports its repeal. But the book isn't written in the inflamatory, radical, extreme style of some of the conservative talking-heads (or Presidential candidates). Rather, the subject is treated rationally and effectively, for the most part, which really helps make her case. Pipes also concludes with some achievable and effecive sounding recommendations to help resolve the Country's health care issues in an affordable manner. I thought this was informative and a very effective treatment of the Health Care problem in our Country

[Sarah Ivan]

The Truth About Obamacare captured my interest in the first few pages. It outlines the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. It also conmpares our current system to the Canadian system which is incredibly flawed. It states that wealthy people who have a national health care system often come to the United States for treatment becuase we have one of the best systems in the world. This is no longer true and our health care system is very expensive. It's so expensive that 47 million American's can't even afford to pay for it. Insurance companies pay for the people with insurance but they are charged unfairly. This is a great non-fiction book about our failing health care system.

[Charles Blumberg]

Very easy and quick read. Great reference book for discussing the facts about healthcare. How other coutries with gov't healcare have higher costs, outdated equipment, fewer doctors, denial of new drugs. Identifies vast majority of US uninsured choose to do so and this plan still keeps 1/2 of them uninsured. The new healthcare act doubles down on everything wrong with the current system, causes lesser competition as small insurance companies will not compete, and causes higher premiums because of all the mandated coverages.

[Michael]

Extremely thorough examination of the new federal health care law. Obviously written with great haste -- this is not Shakespeare -- and is very partisan, but has lot's of good info.

[Doug J.]

Lots of good info on how bad Obamacare really is. Lots of facts and statistics but hard read and very boring.

[Linda]

Has some good counter info.

[Rose]

This was very informative. It helped me understand the grey areas.