on "Human Nature" and grasshoppers

part of "Obamacare" is a provision to pay for long-term care... it expects healthy people to pay premiums now in case they become disabled in the future... the government is betting that more people will pay premiums than will require disabled benefits, thus keeping the program solvent.

But officials said they discovered they could not make CLASS [Community Living Assistance Services and Supports] both affordable and financially solvent while keeping it a voluntary program open to virtually all workers, as the law also required.
Monthly premiums would have ranged from $235 to $391, even as high as $3,000 under some scenarios, the administration said. At those prices, healthy people were unlikely to sign up. Suggested changes aimed at discouraging enrollment by people in poor health could have opened the program to court challenges, officials said.

well, DUH!
anyone who has teenagers (or ever was one) knows that it is human nature to bet on their own immortality and health... that is, until they discover mortality and/or sickness... then they cry for government intervention.

One summer's day, a merry Grasshopper was dancing, singing and playing his violin with all his heart. He saw an Ant passing by, bearing along with great toil a wheatear to store for the winter.
“Come and sing with me instead of working so hard”, said the Grasshopper “Let’s have fun together.”
“I must store food for the winter”, said the Ant, “and I advise you to do the same.”
“Don’t worry about winter, it’s still very far away”, said the Grasshopper, laughing at him. But the Ant wouldn’t listen and continued his toil.
When the winter came, the starving Grasshopper went to the Ant’s house and humbly begged for something to eat.
“If you had listened to my advice in the summer you would not now be in need,” said the Ant. “I’m afraid you will have to go supperless to bed,” and he closed the door.

---

source:
News from The Associated Press