Obamacare Taxes Kick In Before Services Are Offered

Patients will see it in the rising cost of medical care

When the subsidized exchanges open in 2014, ObamaCare will become a redistribution program. This year, it's primarily a tax collection program.

The health law will shrink the fiscal 2013 deficit by $34 billion due to $36 billion in revenue, the Congressional Budget Office predicts.

Thus, ObamaCare's ramp-up will be an economic drag, made steeper by employers' shifts to avoid fines that kick in next year.