Can someone help me "refudiate" something?

[Blue_In_AK]

My right-wing Texas SIL is on Facebook hyperventilating that her oncologist told her that if a person has insurance through the exchanges, they'll have to pay all their chemo costs out of pocket. She linked to a blog post by -- who else? -- Ted Cruz which said the following: "Yesterday, the largest private provider of cancer treatment in Austin, Texas, announced it will not accept insurance plans sold through the exchanges, due to regulations associated with Obamacare."

Is there a response for her, or should I just ignore her (which I do most of the time)? Are there issues because this is Texas and their governor isn't cooperating (just like Alaska's asshole governor)? Help me out here.



Edited to put quotes around "refudiate" for the humor-challenged.

[Beach Rat]

1. Please Don't Use the Word "Refudiate"

It's a word made up by your former half-term governor. Not a real word. It sounds like fingernails on a blackboard to me. Refute or repudiate. That's ok. I don't mean to be the grammar police but we don't need Palinisms.

[Brother Buzz]

5. It's now in New Oxford American Dictionary

In 2010 it was voted best new word by the New Oxford American Dictionary

Read The Professor and the Madman: A Tale of Murder, Insanity and the Making of the Oxford English Dictionary by Simon Winchester to understand how words actually end up in dictionaries. Interesting read, seriously.

[Blue_In_AK]

6. Well, pardon me for making a joke.

Of course, I know the difference. Please...

[Blue_In_AK]

19. You can be forgiven, Beach Rat, because you're new.

[Beach Rat]

21. I misunderestimated your sense of humor!

My apologies.

[wryter2000]

28. Welcome to DU

[Quantess]

32. You have a point there, so don't apologize.

Anytime a word gets overused even in an ironic way, the general populace picks it up and starts using it. Before long, the dictionary accepts it.

See, you just used "misunderestimated" ironically, and I didn't even notice until now.
How many people live in Brazil? A brazillion?

No, it's cool. I'm chuckling over it.

[HERVEPA]

2. Conflating refute and repudiate. Refute is the word you're looking for.

And just tell her less than 10% of what Cruz says is true, and you are going to ignore anything said by a teabagger from now on.

[EOTE]

7. I think it's a joke.

Especially concerning the reference to the asshole half-governor.

[Blue_In_AK]

9. I was actually referring to our asshole full term and a half govenor

looking for his next full term, but at least you get that it was a joke.

[HERVEPA]

24. Argh. Didn't see the quotes around it.

Not as familiar with all her screw-ups as you folks are.

[Blue_In_AK]

25. The quotes weren't there when you first replied.

Sorry if I sounded snarky. I'm just so sick of having to educate these low-info relatives who should know better.

[HERVEPA]

29. Oh. I feel better now.

[Zen Democrat]

3. Refudiate as in Sarah Palin's made-up word?

Just who is the "largest private provider of cancer treatment in Austin, Texas." I'd like to know. Why aren't these people coming to M.D. Anderson in Houston. The No. 1 cancer hospital in the world.

[Hoyt]

4. To your question, apparently some providers are not sure they'll get big enough cut out of Obamacar

http://www.democraticunderground.com/107813327

[Blue_In_AK]

15. Thank you for that link,

particularly to response #8, which I'm considering copying and pasting to my dear husband's brother's clueless wife, just to get a rise out of her. They're very, very wealthy and she's a spoiled princess, so I'm not terribly sympathetic.

[Blue_In_AK]

8. Are you people really so dense

that you don't recognize a joke when it's right in front of your face? How does my bemused use of the word negate my serious question?

[Luminous Animal]

11. Some people don't know you, Blue. I got it!

And I'll see what I can find out for you.

[MADem]

12. Go back and edit your op, put "quotes" around the word and then they'll leave you be! nt

[pinboy3niner]

17. Good strategery! nt

[dionysus]

18. people shouldn't be casting asparagus at such an obvious joke. morans...

[MADem]

20. Har har!!!!

You know, you are one of the best "punsters" I have ever encountered, you have a very quick wit and you're always right on the money...you should write for a comedian, or become one yourself!

[hobbit709]

31. Some people are sarchasm challenged.

sarchasm
the gulf between the author of sarcastic wit and the person who doesn't get it

[libdem4life]

10. Ask her first if you misunderestimated what she said.

[Blue_In_AK]

16. Best answer yet.

[sinkingfeeling]

13. Here's the real story. They won't be an in-network provider..

http://www.kfoxtv.com/news/features/top-stories/stories/texas-oncology-opts-out-obamacare-marketplace-2319.shtml

In a statement posted on its website, Texas Oncology officials said the company would not participate as an in-network provider for the Affordable Care Act.

[Luminous Animal]

14. Unfortunately the full article is behind a paywall but I found this:

American-Statesman Staff

Austin’s largest provider of cancer treatment won’t participate in health insurance plans offered though the marketplace set up by the Affordable Care Act, leaving some patients facing substantially higher medical bills.

The decision by Texas Oncology, which is also the largest independent cancer practice in Texas, is not unique. Other Central Texas health care providers, from smaller cancer treatment centers, to solo practitioners, to Austin Regional Clinic — one of the area’s largest physician practice groups — are holding off on joining some of the ACA networks because they are unsure how the law will affect them and their finances

http://www.statesman.com/news/news/some-central-texas-medical-providers-opt-out-of-ob/nbnLh/

[Blue_In_AK]

22. On further consideration,

I'm just going to ignore her. She's got five of her friends co-signing everything she's saying -- "Tut, tut, oh, how AWFUL. We need to revolt!" Etc. etc. and I just don't have the energy to explain how it's the provider's greed that's causing the issue.

You know, there just aren't enough miles between me and her.

[Ilsa]

23. There was a thread in the Texas forum.

It said, so what, they won't get much business, and that their clinic is a lousy one for medical care anyway.

It sounds to me like their business model promises failure. MD Anderson is two hours away.

[Blue_In_AK]

26. The Houston hospitals were always better.

I worked at the Methodist Hospital for a couple of years back in the late '60s.

[Warpy]

27. No, insurance companies before the ACA could cap health care payouts

and a lot of cancer patients lost everything trying to stay alive. That's why we got the ACA.

Tell her Cruz is a lying snake who will say anything to rile up ignorant people.

There's a reason the teabaggers chose that particular flag, you know.

ETA: in this case, some people will have to go to a real hospital instead of a fly by night clinic. However, their chemo will be paid for.

[Raine1967]

30. I'll Refudiate anyway.

Talked to a friend that works in the industry.

HE responded to this particular point:
In a statement posted on its website, Texas Oncology officials said the company would not participate as an in-network provider for the Affordable Care Act.

His response:

This is a case of what we call in the business, "Blowing smoke out of your ass."

ACA is not a payor.. If single-payor was part of the ACA, they could do that perhaps. But since Healthcare.gov is only a clearinghouse and steers customers to a mandated plan offered by, say BCBS of TX, they would be subject to all the network policies of said BCBS of TX.

Unless they are going to be anal enough to ask every patient, "How did you get your insurance", and then refuse treatment. But that might work until the patients started calling BCBS of TX to complain, in which case they would come down on Texas Oncology and tell them, "See our patients with valid coverage, or we will cut you off and send you NOBODY."

They will comply quickly, if they want to stay in business.

Hope that helps should you change you mind and respond, Blue_In_AK.

[Blue_In_AK]

33. Thanks, Raine.

I love that term of art, "blowing smoke out of your ass." What you say makes a lot more sense.