Some Notes on the Affordable Care Act

I respect point of view of people who want to provide medical care for the poor through government and it makes some logical sense but here are some rules in the affordable care act that make me feel like we are being scammed:

• The mandate doesn’t apply to firms with fewer than 50 workers 

If it is impotent enough to make it a law that employers provide health insurance for workers why exempt some employers?  Won't this in the long run eliminate employers in those competitive low wage paying industries with between 50 and say 70 or 80 employees?  Outsourcing some services can help such businesses get under the 50 employee limit but it is sometimes less efficient.

• The mandate doesn’t apply to employees who work fewer than 30 hours

If it is impotent enough to make it a law that employers provide health insurance for workers why exempt some workers? This rule nudges employers to hire more part time workers and fewer full time workers.  This is bad for the guy who ends up working two part time jobs instead of one full time job. 

• The employee’s share cannot exceed 9.5% of wages for low- and moderate-income workers and an industry rule of thumb that employers must pick up at least 50 percent of the tab.

Considering Tax Incidence why would ACA require that the employee’s share of insurance costs not exceed 9.5% of wages.  Most everyone who studies it closely comes to the conclusion that employees pay for such benefits in reduced wages (that goes for the employers share of FICA also.)

Such rules make me feel like I am being scammed. If the employee will pay in the long run why try to hide that by making the employer no show it in the wage stub? If it is important enough to require employers to pay for health insurance why exempt some employers?

Also why should the costs of providing for healthcare fall in the short run on employers of low wage employees and in the long run consumers who buy products produced by low wage employees rather than on all taxpayers.