Many will remember that Barack Obama publicly attempted to intimidate the Supreme Court after oral arguments in late March before the High Court on the issue of whether the individual mandate that is part of Obamacare aka Patient Protection Act, was constitutional or a violation of the constitution.
What is not as well known is that the Obama administration has continued their intimidation campaign with quietly written filings to the Court which threaten "Medicare disruptions" if the Supreme Court overturns Obamacare.
More on Obama's intimidation campaign at Detroit Free Press, Seattle Times, CNBC, and Breitbart.
But, Thomas Barker, a former HHS general counsel in the George W. Bush administration, dismissed the Obama administration’s claims. “There is an independent legal basis to pay providers if the Supreme Court strikes down the entire law,” he said.
Similarly, Tom Scully, Medicare chief in the Bush administration, denied major issues with Medicare if the law is overturned, though he admitted the change could be a “nightmare” for department bureaucrats. “It is highly unlikely in the short term that any health plan or provider would suffer,” said Mr. Scully. “They’re probably likely to get paid more going forward. If you look at the way the law was [financed], it was a combination of higher taxes and lower [Medicare] payments. That’s what you would be rolling back.”
In addition, Mr. Scully dismissed the idea that private Medicare plans would be in jeopardy if the high court overturns the entire law.
The Obama administration’s recent missives to the courts have led some to wonder if the administration has plans to purposefully thwart the Medicare payment system if the law is indeed overturned.
This is reminiscent of Obama's previous threats in 2011 when the White House threatened that millions of Americans might not receive federal benefits checks (Social Security and Veterans benefits) if both sides couldn't reach a deal to raise the nation’s debt limit.
Obama's habit of threatening the elderly to create a panic among them when he sees something going against his agenda, reeks of desperation.