15 May 2013 About That ‘Shorter’ ObamaCare Application

Grace-Marie Turner of the Galen Institute has an op-ed in the Wall Street Journal showing that the supposed reducition in the size of the form for applying for insurance on the ObamaCare exchanges is not quite what it seems:

During his news conference last week, the president sounded defensive in trying to tamp down fears of an impending ObamaCare train wreck. One positive note was his boast about whittling down from 21 pages to three the application for subsidies that individuals have to file. But even that may need some defending.

The three-page application is for people who don’t get health insurance at work and are seeking coverage and subsidies for themselves. One big reason the new form is shorter: the type is smaller, with less space for answers.

The much-derided 21-page application was for families. It is now down to 11 pages, thanks to a trick. Eight pages in the longer application called for filling in information for four additional family members. The new form cuts these pages but says that if you have children, “make a copy of Step 2: Person 2 (pages 4 and 5) and complete.” The work required of the applicant remains the same.

She also notes that there is a follow-up application that is still in the draft stage that amounts to 61 pages.

It seems that the Obama Administration is taking its inspiration on paperwork from this Ditech commerical: