I'm pretty pissed off right now at spineless Democrats who can't wait to throw our President and the new ACA initiative under the bus in an effort to get re-elected.
Actually, I'm just pretty pissed off at my crappy work week so far so I'm spoiling for a good rant but even if I wasn't having a bad week I'd be angry anyway.
I was really hot that a Democratic controlled senate and house couldn't give us a more sweeping national program that probably would have eliminated most of the problems we are struggling with today.
Nothing this big is going to seamlessly and smoothly roll into the American landscape without some hills to climb. Not all of the legislation is great and some of it may need to eventually be eliminated as not workable. But ACA is a work in progress.
The President has offered a fix that will at least get us by another year when hopefully everyone will have a better idea how the system is going to work.
The insurance companies, no doubt encouraged and supported by the GOP and Tea Baggers cancelled policies in order to stir up the populace and create a panic.
So now the President has them in an awkward position as with his fix they can reinstate these people for another year. It will be interesting to hear their reaction.
As for those Dems that are joining "the sky is falling" parade, you piss me off for being spineless, self-serving twits with no more concern for the people of this country than the Repungetans. This waffling will NOT save your seat, it just accentuates your idiocy.
Thank goodness we have some Dems left with enough sense to take this one step at a time instead of trying to throw MORE legislation at the wall to see what sticks, like some of their more dimwitted constituents.
I expect the talking globs of the GOP to spout all the gloom and doom, it's their job - what excuse do Democrats who voted for ACA have?
A conspiracy theory?
ReplyDeleteRepublicans have had theirs. :-)
We have such a bunch of immature nitwits running this country I'm wondering if the democratic process is coming to an end. I have just two words - TERM LIMITS!
DeleteWhile I struggle with term limits on a constitutional basis, and theoretically they should not be needed, I agree with you rockync. IT IS TIME!
DeleteIt's been extremely difficult. The insurance companies have been fighting this law tooth and nail. Employers have been forced to no longer offer certain policies. Individuals have seen their policies cancelled or priced above affordability. Many have criticized the exchange plans as impractical with their steep deductibles that make the first $5,000 or more paid directly out-of-pocket. Doctors have cursed the law. Cursed and damned the president. I've had to pinprick the balloons of a few overly optimistic fellow travellers myself.
ReplyDeleteI say give it some time. Let it all work out. This is our U.S.A. There is a good chance that many of us may feel some personal pain and pay some extra money out-of-pocket. Let's just hope that it's not more than we can afford. The invisible free hand of the market may just save us all this time around. The main point is to include as many people as possible. Save lives and prevent chronic disease as much as we can by not denying health care to millions. Move into the future.
Change this huge is bound to bring some growing pains. Some will pay alittle more, some a little less but all will benefit frim expanded benefits and the peace of mind of knowing the indurance companies can't find some loophole to dump them if they get sick. I am self employed and carry my own $5, 000 deductible ins. While the give grand is not very palatable at least it is managable and I won't lose everything should I have a serious illness.
DeleteRocky, I'm totally in accord with you. It's amazing how fast Democrats are to jump ship when the waters get rough. I agree that it was a major disappointment that the Dems were such wimps back in 2009 that they didn't use their numbers to pass a better version of the ACA.
ReplyDeleteFlying Junior, the policies that did not meet ACA standards were inferior policies that typically didn't provide basic benefits such as prescription coverage and allowed insurers to cancel policies when the insured became seriously ill. By the way, these policies were not typically offered by employers. It's the individuals who purchase their own health insurance whose policies are being cancelled. Employers contract with insurers for group rate packages and it's a standard process that these group packages are renegotiated annually without there being an ACA.
For some time, individual policies have had a deductible, often much higher than $5,000. Employer offered group policies generally have no deductible or a low deductible for the employee, but if the employee adds a spouse and/or children, they may have a deductible that is higher than the employees and the employee will be charged a premium for adding family members. This is not new nor a result of the ACA. Many employer offered policies are an 80/20 plan or a 70/30 plan. If you're lucky, it's a 90/10 plan but very view plans offer 100% coverage. Spend any time in the hospital and you quickly find out that having to pay 10, 20, or 30 percent of the costs for your stay is a substantial amount of money. Most of the plans via an employer that paid 100% ended in the early 1990s.
I am old enough to trace the beginning of the end of affirdable and accessible healthcare in this country. Working in the healthcare field in the 70s and early 80s I had a policy for myself and my family 100% paid for by my employer - no copays no deductibles. Even remember the name of the company TR Paul. Back then healthcare was a sacred trust and all facilities were either municipally owned or nonprofit. Until the broad deregulations of the Reagan years, health ins co could not drop you, deny you or screw you for pre-existing. We have devolved to what became the unaffordable, heavy handed all for them and none for us kind of healthcare that prompted the President to take on a very risky venture - to turn the corrupt health ins industry on its ear. I think the fact that he could not get a more national type system in a Dem controlled Congress tells us how deep and far reaching the money bags of healthcare companies are. A lot to bought and paid for pols out thetr. TERM LIMITS!
DeleteZero deductible plans are good for no one but hypochondriacs. The purpose of insurance is to provide for things you cannot readily afford, otherwise you'll likely pay in more than you get out. The ACA is still a for profit plan.
ReplyDeleteI have to lay some of the blame on the media - as usual. 24/7 howling about the problems and in harmony with the GOP's "worst thing that ever happened" chorus. Portraying Obama as a liar after having remained all but silent as Bush lied about the need for war, the cost of war and being able to pay for a war without cost to the public or damage to the economy.
The entire concept of Democracy has had more setbacks, failures, malfunctions and problems than the ACA and that doesn't mean we should go back to having a king, does it?
Agree completely with everything you've said. We pay deductibles for car ins and home ins so what's the big deal paying it with health ins? And there should be a mechanism for the poor and elderly to get help with those costs. No one should to choose between food or their meds.
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