Obamacare discourages work, CBO concludes.
Texas Insider Report: WASHINGTON, D.C. – Health care reform will cost up to 2.5 million jobs during the next decade, according to the Congressional Budget Office (CBO). But that’s not because the law discourages businesses from hiring workers. Instead, Obamacare discourages work, the CBO concluded.
The CBO analysis concludes the reduction in work hours that equates to 2.5 million jobs “stems almost entirely” from Americans deciding to work less, or not at all, in order to retain their eligibility for the Affordable Care Act’s expanded Medicaid coverage or government health insurance subsidies.
The more money you make, the more you’ll pay for health insurance on Obamacare’s new exchanges. Once your income reaches 400% of the federal poverty level, you’re no longer eligible for any health insurance premium subsidies.
In 2013, the federal poverty level was $23,550 for a family of four.
CBO also concludes the ACA’s employer mandate will initially reduce demand for labor by businesses, but will have little long-term effect on labor demand.
There have been lots of reports of businesses turning to part-time workers instead of full-time workers to avoid the employer mandate, but CBO finds “no compelling evidence that part-time employment has been 
increased as a result of the ACA.”
Plus, CBO thinks health care reform will boost demand for goods and services in the economy, because lower-income Americans who benefit from Medicaid expansion and health insurance subsidies will have more money to spend.
