CA media finally note Obamacare a rotten deal for young people

Among the many things the mainstream media have ignored or downplayed about Obamacare is how terrible a deal it is for young, healthy people. The Mercury-News finally got around to pointing this out today:

“Nationwide, one study says, 3.7 million of those ages 18 to 34 will spend $500 less if they forgo insurance and pay the penalty during the first year of the new exchanges.

“‘Obamacare was supposed to make affordable health care available for everybody,’ said Caracappa, a 26-year-old community manager for a social-media website. But when he checked out the lowest prices available to him on the Covered California insurance exchange, he said there was ‘no way’ he could keep up with his finances and pay for health insurance, too.

“The cheapest Bronze plan is $138 a month, but has a $5,000 deductible. The cheapest Enhanced Silver plan costs $206 a month, with a $2,000 deductible.

“Both are pretty rich for Caracappa’s blood.

“‘Currently, my medical bills are zero,’ he said. ‘I don’t go to the doctor, and I have not gone to the doctor in years. can’t even remember the last time I went.'”

It is mindboggling that this wasn’t a key focus of the Romney campaign last year. The high deductible for young Obamacare enrollees is the least-reported huge downside of the fiasco. It basically means millions of healthy people under 40 will pay big premiums and in normal years get nothing for it — no help with their medical bills.

The temptation is strong to say that it is karma that young voters are going to be abused by Obamacare. But if they didn’t know it was coming, courtesy of our atrocious media and a somnolent Romney campaign, it’s not all karma. It’s also because of corrupt journalism and political incompetence.