A headline from the front page of The Wall Street Journal, 12/2/14:
Basic Costs Squeeze Families, Surging Price Tags for Health Care, Other Essentials Leave Less For Spending Elsewhere
Given its Wall Street provenance, the Journal might not have noticed that few people have enjoyed the fruits of the Federal Reserve-sponsored bull market. This headline is not news to most Americans, who are stuck with stagnant wages and the crappy economy. Here’s how the so-called Affordable Care Act is hitting pocketbooks. The article told the story of self-employed Michael Peters and his wife, who are paying $900 a month for their health insurance, a 40 percent increase over what they paid six years ago. In 2007, Mrs. Peters had cataract surgery and it cost $189. In August, she had cataract surgery on the other eye. “Same procedure, same doctor, same wife,” noted Mr. Peters. This time the surgery cost $1,700. The bet here is that the Peters did not vote Democratic in this last election.
