Last week, the Obama Administration took then-Speaker Pelosi’s line, “We have to pass the bill so that you can find out what is in it” one step further by making clear the American people still won’t know what’s in ObamaCare until all the regulations are released.  Buried on page 308 of the “HHS Notice of Benefit and Payment Parameters for 2014” is a new “user fee” that will be imposed to run the ObamaCare federal Exchanges.  While it was expected that such a funding mechanism would be levied on plans offering coverage in the Exchanges, it was not known until last week that the Obama Administration will charge these fees to those who buy coverage outside of the Exchanges as well.  
 
The regulation requires that, beginning in 2014, Americans buying coverage on their own or as an employee of a small business – whether inside or outside the Exchange – to pay a “user fee” totaling 3.5 percent of the monthly premium to fund the bureaucratic operations of the government-run federal Exchange.  Simply stated, individuals and families who pay for their own insurance without the benefit of any ObamaCare subsidy will now be required to pay a new fee to fund the operations of the new federal Exchange bureaucracy.  
 
So even if Americans want to escape the heavy hand of ObamaCare, they can’t.  If they are lucky enough to keep the health plan they have and like, ObamaCare will make it more expensive yet again by slapping another tax or fee on it – making health coverage more expensive.  Even if Americans don’t want to “use” ObamaCare – they will be forced to pay the “user fee” anyway.  There is no escaping ObamaCare.

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