OOPS: Obamacare Opponent Is Very Impressed With The Law He Hates So Much

[Emit]

The Huffington Post’s Jason Cherkis reports on a remarkable encounter between Reina Diaz-Dempsey, a Kentucky public health worker signing people up for insurance coverage under health care reform, and a middle-aged man who approached her booth at the State Fair. After Diaz-Dempsey explained that he will either qualify for tax credits to buy insurance through Kynect (the state’s new insurance marketplace) or an expanded Medicaid pool in October, the man seemed pleased and mused, “This beats Obamacare, I hope.”

Kynect is actually one of the statewide insurance marketplaces at the heart of Obamacare, and the Medicaid expansion is another provision that stems from the health reform law. But Diaz-Dempsey doesn’t tell the man that — figuring the connection to Obamacare might actually dissuade him from pursuing coverage in a state with terrible public health demographics, where one in every five adults is uninsured. The anecdote is striking for its irony. But it underscores the reality that while some Americans — including many who will benefit immensely from the law — remain opposed to the abstract specter of “Obamacare,” they actually do support its core provisions.

Polling on the health law has consistently highlighted that paradox. A Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF) tracking survey from March found skepticism about “Obamacare” but widespread approval of actual Obamacare policies. Over 75 percent of respondents like the law’s insurance subsidies; 80 percent favor the statewide insurance marketplaces; a staggering 88 percent approve of the small business tax credits to help pay for employees’ health coverage.

But decidedly fewer Americans realize that these are all things the health law actually does...

~snip~

http://thinkprogress.org/health/2013/08/23/2517411/people-like-obamacares-actual-provisions/

[EC]

1. He should have been told

if he then refused it because it's "Obamacare" then too bad for him.


On edit: who did he think was giving him tax credits and subsidies?

[KatyMan]

2. We need to stop coddling dumbasses

who choose to be that way.

[mazzarro]

24. He should have been told!

I totally agree with you!

Those who think that not telling the truth to the bone-heads is better because more signers equals better survival for ACA, fail to take into account that reThugs have always counted on Dems to focus on being nuanced in their policy debates in the hope that eventually the public will eventually catch on and be persuaded by the Dem position in the debate. The reThugs put things out to the public in stark black and white terms and easily digestible for the intellectually-challenged buffoons that is their base. Let's stop kidding ourselves and be move direct with the dumb-asses who cannot think for themselves and who have forever believed that Medicare is not a government program.

I'll say let-it-rip! Who is giving out the tax credit - the government!

Let them have the information and if they choose not to use it - too bad. Maybe they will have a change of mind when they or members of their family gets sick. It is not as if they will be locked out forever from the program anyway.

Anyway the reThug politicians (charlatans) will always froth in the mouth about shutting it down for years to come and the fight to protect the program and expand it will also go on for years to come.

[geek tragedy]

3. No, the more people sign up, the more the law will succeed, the more popular

it will become.

[bobGandolf]

8. Agree with you.

It will become popular once they have actually experienced it. They might even realize they had been suckered by the republican whackos.

[mn9driver]

15. Sigh.

No facts from you, just parroting the GOP/fox bullshit. Enjoy your stay.

[lastlib]

16. (Enjoy your brief stay...hope you like anchovies and rutabagas on your pizza.)

[1StrongBlackMan]

36. I completely agree ...

Bottom-line, The goal is to get people into the plan, not shame them for their ignorance.

People are very slow to acknowledge that they have been operating in ignorance; but very quick to sign up for a better deal.

IMO, those advocating denying people the benefits of the plan out of some "You're stupid" sentiment are no better (IMO, worse) than those promoting those peoples' stupidity because you are cutting off your nose to spite your face.

[bobGandolf]

41. Stated very well.

[PatrynXX]

18. I don't

In fact the more people who are signed up who disagree the better. Then when god forbid republicans remove it. Well like most people They don't notice things till those things are gone. ie if I ever get a 50 inch 1080p tv. my 27 inch 720p tv will always look tiny from now on.

So if something in a nitemare scenerio were to happen. I'd say mass recalls and an upset 2 yrs in... whenever.. provided we can vote for people by then.

[iemitsu]

4. I got notice this morning in the mail, that my health care insurance

premiums are going up 17%. They increased 15% last year.
I am near the end of a long career and have never paid so much for so little coverage.
I hope that not all middle class workers are experiencing the same or there will be no supporters of Obama Care.
We need a single payer model that covers all Americans, not the hodgepodge of crap we are currently being ripped off with.

[EC]

5. check and see

if you qualify for subsidies and lower deductable. Even middle class qualify for those. My insurance went up, but I qualify for subsidies and lower deductable. I'll only be paying a quarter of what I pay now.

[tridim]

6. And ask your insurer if they spent at least 80% of their revenue on healthcare...

Because if they didn't, they owe YOU money, by law.

[Emit]

11. Same goes for some folks I know

worthwhile for all to check in these circumstances

[Beartracks]

30. I don't mean to be dense, but: check where?

And would any subsidies be available for someone who gets their insurance through their employer?

================

[EC]

39. here

https://www.healthcare.gov/marketplace/individual

[Beartracks]

47. Cool, thanks!

[pnwmom]

10. Your rate increase is not due to Obamacare, because Obamacare isn't fully in effect.

But the average national increase was way down this year, to the surprise of the prognosticators -- only about 4%.

[iemitsu]

12. Well then my 17% increase minus the 4% everybody else's increased

means I'm only getting ripped off by 13%, compared to my fellow Americans.
I work for a mid-sized city's school district and its self-insured. Our premiums have gone up astronomically the last few years. I am near the end of a long career and have never had such bad coverage.
I know it is not Obama's fault but he could have and should have advocated for single payer coverage for all Americans. What we have is not working well for anyone.

[pnwmom]

13. How would he have gotten single payer through Congress?

After Ted Kennedy died, and his vote was replaced by a Republican, we didn't even have enough votes for a public option.

[iemitsu]

17. The notion of single-payer should have been introduced, even with no chance of passing,

to legitimize it as an option. There should have been public discussion about the cost benefits, since halving the cost of medical care in the US would go a long way toward making American families solvent.
Then, the next time we examined problems associated with our outrageous for profit system, Americans would have had some real information to mull over about that option.
As it is, we have a system that is overly expensive and abusive, and we are still being told that it is the best that can be accomplished.
Nothing is ever accomplished by saying it can't be done.

[dionysus]

31. even bernie sanders said there were about 5 votes in the senate for single payer

wasn't going to happen, sadly.

[joshcryer]

34. Yeah, at minimum single payer should've been allowed at the roundtable.

Of course, Obama didn't want to seem as if he was pandering to his base and all.

Shame, that.

[mwb970]

35. That would be like voting to repeal Obamacare 40 times.

"The notion of single-payer should have been introduced, even with no chance of passing"

This is what the republicans in Congress always say: "We know it won't pass, we want to send a message." Trouble is, there are better ways to "send a message" than to waste everyone's time on symbolic votes on a doomed policy to "legitimize it as an option". This is not how government works. Today it is how government DOESN'T work.

[maddiemom]

42. You have a point.

[iemitsu]

43. Thank you.

[groundloop]

19. I feel your pain... my wife works for our school district

When she started with them 12 or so years ago their benefits were pretty good. As our tea-baggers who run the state have continually cut budgets the benefits have gotten worse and worse, and the employee contribution to health insurance has increased dramatically. Naturally our state insurance commissioner is blaming everything on the Affordable Care Act, which is utter bullshit.

[iemitsu]

20. Same bullshit here, only its Bill Gates, who is

spearheading the hate teachers and all public employees movement.

[nightscanner59]

26. Change co's. If you've been with for years, drop em. They will keep raising your rates if you don't

comparison shop. Mine a whole different problem I thought ACA would fix. No private co will insure me still, due to pre-existing conditions. I thought that was supposed to stop with ACA.

[LuvLoogie]

27. The pre-existing provision of the ACA starts in 2014.

It started in 2010 for anyone under 19.

Anyone who has been paying attention knows this.

[iemitsu]

28. I work for a self-insured school district and can't change the company

who insures me.
I suspect that all decent plans are being driven out of existence before the cut-off dates established by the ACA.

[1StrongBlackMan]

37. It's amazing ...

how many critics of the ACA post statements to an anonymous message board indicating that they have recently received a letter from their insurance companies announcing premium increases; when IRL, I have yet to meet a single person ... even among my rightwing, small business owwning, "hate everything President Obama and Democratic" friends.

[Ms. Toad]

44. You might want to check about a new policy.

Your current policy may be completely unrelated to the Affordable Care Act, and you may be able to find a much better deal by shopping the Exchanges (assuming you are eligible because you don't have insurance available through work)

[Berlum]

7. Republicon, Inc. lies have suckered and blinded people

They will rot in Hell for their lies and distortions -- direct violation of the 10 Commandments. Not that they give a shit about real morality.

[BadGimp]

9. we will soon be seeing the first signs of a cognitive dissonance outbreak in Amerika

when enough of these Obama hating Americans come to grasp the reality that the thing they love is the thing the really hate... it will not be pretty but it wil be fun to watch

[valerief]

21. Teh Stoopid is staggering. nt

[LiberalLovinLug]

22. "But Diaz-Dempsey doesn’t tell the man that

— figuring the connection to Obamacare might actually dissuade him"

I understand that this was simply a health care worker but it reminds me of the vast void of communication from our Democratic leaders to the people. Echoing our friend at BartCop;
All Democrats have to do is tell the American people not only what they are doing for them but also what the Republicans are denying them...and this transcends just the ACA. But they don't or won't for some maddening reason.

[1StrongBlackMan]

38. Question ...

when have you ever been able to convince someone holding strongly held, but factually incorrect, opinons of anything ... by putting their ignorance on display (shaming them)?

IRL, doing so ... you merely strengthen that person's resistence to your facts/opinion. IOW, you win the "I made you look stupid" day; but lose the "change of opinion" battle.

[LiberalLovinLug]

40. That is a good point

But it seems like they have bent over backwards the other way too much, in order not to offend "our colleagues on the other side of the aisle with whom we have different views on how best to improve the country". When in fact their colleagues do not have a view, they have no ideas of their own....they only want to make the other side lose and they'll do it with rumour lies and distortions on a daily basis.

I just think they are being too damn polite. I think the majority of Americans would understand their anger and frustration with the "just say no" party. And frankly they seem a little fake when they don't get angry. That moment with Hillary when she was called up to the house to testify about the Benghazi attack and finally let her real feelings come out about the whole faux scandal the Republicans were fostering on Americans...was so refreshing to see. I just wish they'd do more of that.

[1StrongBlackMan]

45. We're talking two different creatures here ...

There should be patience shown towards (no shaming of) people for their ignorance; but that does not extend to politicians. A politician's ugnorance should be put on display as many times as that ignorance shows itself.

[hue]

23. Repuke's & top 1%'s greatest fear is the complete success of the ACA! They'll shutdown the gov. to

avoid implementing such a great program!! The ACA will go down in history as one of the major accomplishments of this century!

[nightscanner59]

25. Oh, the ignorance... it hurts...

Although I do have a little conundrum getting insured right now. Do I have to get it this year or be penalized or 2014? All the private insurance companies are rejecting my applications because of pre-existing conditions. My present insurance will not pass ACA standards, and I'm glad to let it drop because they hardly pay anything unless I'm catastrophically injured or sick.
I'll have to go into my state exchange and see what I can do, when it is going, and when I know where I'll be.

[Spitfire of ATJ]

29. I can picture this going down like the ribbon cuttings...

Republicans opposing projects and then posing with big checks or scissors to take credit for that which they opposed.

[joshcryer]

33. GOP takes credit already by saying Obamacare = Romneycare.

Even though "Romneycare" was vetoed by Romney and voted in by the majority Democrats at the time.

[joshcryer]

32. Best kept secret of Obamacare. 2014 non-profit pools become mandatory options.

It's fucking hilarious to be sure.

[TRoN33]

46. Okay....