No, Washington Post, Obamacare is <i>not</i> that complicated

The Washington Post’s “Wonkblog” page is up Wednesday morning with a flow chart showing how to determine eligibility for government help to buy health insurance under the Affordable Care Act.

The Post describes the chart, which was prepared by the National Assn. of Insurance Commissioners and can be seen here or at the top of this item, as “insanely complicated.”

It’s not. Unless, that is, the Washington Post’s reporters as a species are easily confused, which is doubtful. Indeed, it looks “insanely complicated” only if you hold it at arm’s length and have trouble telling which way an arrow is pointing.

Even a cursory examination of the document shows that the answer can be reached in as few as two questions, and in no case more than eight. These include: “Do you speak English?” Other questions include whether you’re employed, what your family income is, whether you’re a legal resident, and whether your state has expanded Medicaid as provided for under the law. The longest question thread could hardly take more than a minute or two to answer.

There are, in fact, complexities built into Obamacare. That’s because healthcare is complicated, especially when you leave it in the hands of commercial health insurance companies, as the Affordable Care Act does. But figuring out whether you’re eligible for Medicaid or an insurance subsidy? Despite what the Post says, that turns out to be darn simple.

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