Thursday, October 3, 2013
Obamacare: Up Close and Personal
I dislike cliches but I'll use one here: Obamacare for our family is "up close and personal."
Without going into too much detail and to preserve her privacy, I'll tell you about how Obamacare has given my daughter a chance to finally take care of her long-neglected health.
My daughter has had four jobs in three years, three of which provided no medical insurance. The one company that did provide coverage left the state. She was covered for only one year. Before those jobs there was no insurance because of the exorbitant premiums, lay-offs, and other extenuating circumstances, which I will not go into for privacy reasons.
During the long stretches of time she was not covered, she had to be hospitalized twice for life-threatening issues. Each time, she had to go to the emergency room--the health care systems that conservatives always state is available for Americans who need it. Those two emergency visits cost well over $11 thousand dollars. Since these two hospitalizations occurred during the financial disasters and job losses of 2008 and 2009, her family was living off of unemployment and whatever her retired parents could send her to keep her and her family's head above water.
Going without regular medical check-ups for years has taken its toll on her health, and she has developed, as a result, chronic conditions that could very well have been prevented with regular check-ups.
Now comes her chance to be able to afford medical insurance through Obamacare, since the job she now holds does not offer it. Now that there is some proverbial light at the end of her unhealthy medical history, our family has had to stand by and watch the selfish, heartless, self-serving members of a minority of a minority try to obstruct and delay medical coverage for my daughter--and millions of other people's daughters, sons, fathers and mothers. Why?
Are the monsters in that minority afraid that people who have gone without insurance will benefit from this opportunity to buy it at an affordable price? Afraid it will be popular? Afraid their constant attempts to ruin the lives of people, such as my daughter, will have a deleterious affect on their political brand?
What in damnation's name is the reason they could give me for denying my daughter the opportunity to buy health care at an affordable price and force her to go another year without coverage and health care?
I'd like one of their fat-cat, insurance conglomerate funded, politicians to answer me that question.
But, I'd also like them to know that their grotesque campaign to deny Americans a basic human right will not succeed.
Right now, the minority of a minority and their hopelessly misinformed followers believe they are standing on principle. But, I ask, what is the principle they claim they are standing for that would deny my daughter, and millions of other Americans, the ability to buy affordable insurance, insurance that could prevent her and them from having to deal with catastrophic health issues.
What principle are they defending?
There's a particular irony in all of this for our family. My parents emigrated to this country of hope and opportunity in the early part of the 20th century. But had they stayed in Italy, and had I been born there and raised my daughter there, she would not have had to go without health care for all these years, because Italy has a better system in place than does the "Hope of the World," the U.S.A.
Bloomberg's chart of the worlds most efficient health care countries lists Italy as #6; the United States, #46.
The U.S. has a chance to become a leader, not a "46er" in delivering efficient health care to her citizens. Do not allow the monsters in the minority of a minority to prevent this.
Infidel753 enlightens us further.
I am astounded by the wealth of misinformation being tossed about. Mt business exchange group is decidedly more conservative than liberal, living here in the Bible Belt as I do. Yesterday there was a discussion about the Affordable Care Act (I refuse to call it Obamacare). Many in the group were scared but had no idea of what. They do not know how this is going to affect them at all but have a vague notion that it will be "bad" for them. Where do they get this notion? Where else but the Repungantan Machine.
ReplyDeleteLast week I ended up in the ER while on vacation after having to take an ambulance. No doubt this is going to cost me but as I explained to the group. I have a catastrophic insurance plan that covers me for serious illness AFTER I meet a $5,000 deductible. I have had this insurance for several years and am grateful I have it as I have been denied coverage in the past due to a kidney surgery. This illness was related to that and under the Affordable Healthcare Act I will not find cheaper insurance but now at least I know the insurance company cannot take my money and then deny me coverage while hiding behind the pre-existing condition blanket AND they can't cancel me. And THAT is the big difference for me.
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ReplyDeleteAs I understand it' s supposedly, like Medicare which I use along with a supplemental policy.
ReplyDeleteIf it is, it's pretty dang good. I like my Medicare.
Most people like Medicare and most people forget how apoplectic the enemy was when that was passed. Same goes for Social security.
ReplyDeleteThe Enemy is happy to invent stories about how health care abroad is horrible, but it isn't. They're happy to hide the countless injustices, the evil of what we have now. Members of my family have also been harmed by Insurance company policies while festering pusbags like Palin tell lies about death panels.
Sometimes I think it's the sheer size and depth of Republican evil that has us befuddled and confused like some deer in the headlights. It's just too much to comprehend. We've never had an enemy like the Republicans.
rockync, the misinformation and lies spread by the GOP has made the roll out of this program more difficult than it needed to be. But that was the goal of the opposition.
ReplyDeleteKay D., The A.C.A. should have been written like Medicare, but it wasn't.
Capt. Fogg, a minority of a minority is holding the country hostage to its demands. How did this happen?
How did this happen? I don't know, but a minority holding a majority as hostages, serfs, slaves -- that's most of history. These days it's done with words, hypnotism, faith, religion, passion, brainwashing -- words. This isn't North Korea, they don't have the physical power to kill us for disobedience. All they have is the ability to make us stupid with anger; make us fight with each other, make us identify with everything that weakens us, keeps us struggling with circumstances, keeps us from identifying the enemy.
DeleteMy elderly father who will be a very sharp 81 years old recently met a couple from Canada who came to the United States for treatment because the wait in Canada was 6 months. The person needed it done sooner. But this is probably just one of a very few cases.
ReplyDeleteLets hope the ACA doesn't result in Americans having to go to Switzerland for needed procedures because of some dumb ass bureaucrat and the system he works for.
Of course if it does it will only be important to the individual who experiences it.
The ACA may ultimately be as good as its strongest advocates say. If so why not defer the mandate for individuals for a year like Obama did for business.
It is at this point so tied up in rhetoric and partisan bickering it makes one sick...
What they don't talk about much is the number of Americans going to Mexico for health care. Canada doesn't have the infrastructure we do and I think that's the reason there are delays and of course ACA isn't going to reduce the number of hospitals and doctors, all it's going to do is make it possible for private companies to stop screwing people out of that operation because they had acne when they were 15 or an appendectomy. It isn't about rationing health care, it isn't about the government paying hospitals or refusing to pay hospitals. Most people will keep their private insurance and it seems most will be paying less for it. It's still going to be Blue Cross and Cigna and all the others and you'll have more to choose from.
DeleteSince when is competition a bad thing? When you're a Republican who supports monopolies, price fixing and collusion - like we have now.
Of course I could be wrong, but I see no mechanism whatever that might possible make Republican propaganda true. It sure hasn't done that in Massachusetts.
Time will tell. For now, it's bedtime.
ReplyDelete"The ACA may ultimately be as good as its strongest advocates say. If so why not defer the mandate for individuals for a year like Obama did for business."
ReplyDeleteFor what purpose?
"If so why not defer the mandate for individuals for a year like Obama did for business."
DeleteBecause catastrophic conditions like cancer do not take a deferment, and a lot of people will suffer or die within that year.
It is difficult for me to understand certain people on the right who are lamenting the loss of liberty and our founding principles because Americans, like my daughter, will be able to buy their insurance on exchanges. None of these folks have a rational answer to my question.
DeleteI think their discomfort and resistance comes from the fact that this country has made a choice to join the community of nations that acknowledges there can be no pursuit of life, liberty and happiness without adequate health care. They look upon a flawed but workable law as the collapse of an individual's right to freedom. I see their anger as a reaction to the fact that their political ideology is not, given the choice, what Americans want.
" They look upon a flawed but workable law as the collapse of an individual's right to freedom" because they're told, again and again, over and over, day and night that this is true and more importantly they're told, in authoritative tones that this danger comes from a nebulous but nefarious class of people who want to enslave them, make them serve unworthy minorities so those minorities won't have to work like "we" do. The public knows that things aren't fair, that life is stacked against them. It's easy to focus that perception on false enemies and away from the real ones. Most of histories monsters have known and used this.
DeleteLies have no limitation, only the truth does. The advantage is always to the liar.
"Because catastrophic conditions like cancer do not take a deferment, and a lot of people will suffer or die within that year."
DeleteThe question isn't why not defer - the question is why. the only reason to defer is to give the enemy more time. Why not defer implementation of everything congress passes and the country voted for? Did they ask to defer their damned tax cuts? Hell no and even though I'm an arrogant SOB, I don't think anyone smart enough to tie his shoes can fail to see the request to delay as anything but a ploy -- any yet. . .
Eveyone seems to acknowledge the ACA has issues. My contention is the damned issues should have been worked out before the law was passed and implementation began.
DeleteBut, since the democrats are not interested in any further discussion with republicans then I say at this point fund the thing, let the ball roll, face the projected problems of the republicans (if they ocur), make mid and downstream course corrections as needed.
Business analogy, Not making a decision when one is needed is in fact a desicion. It is generally the wrong one.
Business arument, the results of said decision may not be precisely as anticipated but adjustments, corrections, additions, scraping if necessary, replacement by something more effective, etc. can occur as appropriate..
Government reality, ACA will stand, it will be tweaked (not twerked), there will be additions, it will grow, it will become single payer in time. And there my friends is the gold ring, the ultimate prize, that which the republicans are afraid of.
For me? Well, lets just say it is what it is. Life will continue on awhile longer, the sky won't fall in, the unfunded liabilities of the USA government will continue to mount, overpopulation will continue, life will never be perfect, and I hope to see our 5 year old grandson and 2 year old grandaughter graduate from college.
Hopefully the ACA can make that happen for me and the misses. I'll be 82 when the grandaughter graduates and the misses will be 87.
Life is good and I have fitness training with the aging population to worry about. The debate can continue on without me. It is by far betterb to work the fitness side so the cost associated with healthcare is diminished and the quality of life is extended.
As I shove off I hope to keep the wind at my back and my rudder straight and true.
I think we can all use a laugh. Stop on over by Beale's place for some insight as to the average FOX News viewers basic mindset. It's also kind of funny to see all the republican politicians railing against government. Stewart totally rules. Who else could make you laugh out loud over the tragedy that is the modern republican party?
ReplyDelete"My contention is the damned issues should have been worked out before the law was passed and implementation began."
ReplyDeleteGood point. But the GOP refused to work with the Democrats on tweaking the Heritage Foundation/Mitt Romney inspired A.C.A. Have people on the right forgotten that the A.C.A. was a conservative idea?
"Have people on the right forgotten that the A.C.A. was a conservative idea?"
DeleteOh, I don't know. Can't speak for people in the collective sense. I'm guessing those with memory in MA haven't. But Romney was all that conservative back then. Too bad he started listening to the KR's of his party. Such is politics.
No federal program will have an answer to every situation before it starts. That is a straw man argument. Democrats won't talk to Republicans? Please, leave the partisanship for the politicians. What are Republicans afraid of, even if single payer is the end result? Socialism? Single payer will have to be the end result. We won't save enough unless the private insurance companies are eliminated. That will become clear as ACA works out glitches in its early phase. Getting the cost of medical insurance off the backs of employers, is a good thing for business competitiveness. Communal taxation works well to spread the costs of services, that individuals cannot afford. Insurance does the same thing, but all must participate to make it work. The mandatory regulations in the ACA are weak. If Social Security participation regulations were that weak, it never would have worked. Same with Medicare. We see now with Republicans stopping government, what their solutions to problems are. If you like to scream socialism, get ready, single payer is on its way.
ReplyDeleteBoffo Fred. Now, please explain the reasons for the full unfunded liabilities Fredo
ReplyDeleteWhat unfunded liabilities?
Delete