Quiet news: Pay close attention to the action as healthcare rollout continues

It is not dominating the news. In fact, there have been more stories about the death of Phillip Seymour Hoffman and the terror threats at the Olympic Games.

But it is a story that many of us need to hear as we continue to wonder what is going to happen with regard to the new Obamacare health system.

The new development? Officials are worried. Not enough young people are signing up to buy full insurance coverage, opting to pay the fine instead.

Why does that matter? Healthy young people pay the bills for the older -- or perhaps sicker -- people who are already signed up.

The system has already forced millions of Americans to swallow big bills as the provisions of the law closed down their former plans. Those people are part of the millions who the adminstration has labeled as "signups" -- no matter that they did not have much choice.

There is an unfortunate reality about health care -- to make the plan sustainable, there have to be plenty of people on board who rarely use its services. They cover the expenses of those who have expensive pre-existing conditions and those who are facing catastrophic illnesses.

If young people do not sign up in the numbers required, Obamacare won't work. Insurance companies will face huge deficits, and there will be another big round of expensive bailouts.

So, Washington is scrambling to prod college students and other young people to sign up for the plan -- calling it their "duty."

You can imagine how well that is going.

Keeping a close eye on the stories that don't get the big headlines when it comes to health care is very important, especially as we try to decide to whom we are going to entrust this nation's future. Spin is dangerous.

The truth won't come easy, but without it, there is no way to stop the train before it comes completely off the tracks.

That is just the inescapable fact.

Published in Editorials on February 8, 2014 11:21 PM