Krugman- Soon, Obamacare Will Become Benghazi

[n2doc]

OK, I just created an Obamacare account for myself (if I broke any laws, please, it was just investigative journalism). I went all the way through the process at healthcare.gov, stopping before the final step of actually applying (I don’t qualify, of course, because Princeton provides insurance), just to see how hard it was. And the answer is that it was no problem at all, with no delays.

I also used the information only feature to get a listing of plans in my area. Again, no problem. And healthcare.gov directs you to Kaiser for an estimate of subsidies and final cost.

Now, I know that this is only part of the story, and we’re still not getting clear answers on how well the 834 transmissions — which send the information to insurers — are working. But the visible parts of the process bear no resemblance to the horror stories of a few weeks ago.

Why did I carry out this little exercise? Well, I scanned the comments on today’s column and noticed a lot of people reporting having successfully enrolled in Obamacare — not at one of the well-functioning state exchanges, but at the supposedly disastrous healthcare.gov. Just anecdotes, I know — but anecdotes suggesting that the system is no longer the black hole of yore.

more
http://krugman.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/11/25/soon-obamacare-will-become-benghazi/

[ProSense]

1. Benghazi!

[Rozlee]

11. But...but...

"OOObaaaaaammaaaaaaccaaaaaarre!!!!" as a battle cry just doesn't sound as sexy as "Benghaaazzziiii!!!!" The first one would make conservatives sound like they were crying for their mothers. They probably like "Benghaaaazzziiii!!!!" because they think it makes them sound like ninjas or something.

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

18. Damn that Ben Ghazi

[arely staircase]

23. Ben Gazzara!

[JEFF9K]

2. There's only one Paul Krugman - unfortunately.

[meow2u3]

3. To paraphrase VP Biden

Everything out of the repukes' mouths will be a noun, a verb, and Benghazi.

[pampango]

4. I actually think it is already replacing Benghazi as "the devil made it happen" to many republicans.

Benghazi is still out there as a republican scare word but I hear Obamacare blamed for anything a republican politician happens to be criticizing.

[spanone]

5. everything is 'benghazi' to the reTHUGS

fueled by their hatred for President Obama

[Beartracks]

8. Don't forget to add "-gate" to make it scary!! n/t

[AAO]

12. Obamagate - The Great Liberal Conspiracy to Hide the Awful Truth!

[LiberalLovinLug]

24. Ha

Yes they might as well just put everything under one roof and call it "Obamagate". Basically includes everything and anything that President Obama advocates.

[AAO]

26. I expect it to be called "the Devil vs, The Saints".

Saints are 24 point favorites!

I should probably take a nap.

[Vietnameravet]

13. Well said!

[Skraxx]

6. I Hope The Roll Out Mess Emboldens the GOP into Doing Some Really Stupid Shit

I think it's a safe bet I'll get my wish. They actually have an opportunity here, but they will blow it. They smell blood in the water but they will misinterpret these numbers to mean the public supports their crazy ass shit, and they will shut down the government again, just in time to get creamed in the midterms.

[Proud Liberal Dem]

7. Soon?

and Republicans are STILL talking about Benghazi anyway (and will certainly ramp it up if Hillary runs in 2016).

[Cali_Democrat]

9. Krugman is a wise man

[PATRICK]

10. As with Benghazi

a truly fatal amount of responsibility goes to the GOP. But yes, this a one/two wild punch shadow boxing show drowning out the shrinking mainstream propaganda show. Simple: one for foreign policy, one for domestic, hoping for a collapse or a crack in armor so they can launch impeachment. Always looking to bully their way to a truly unbelievable- in every way- relevance in the upcoming election season.

Always always going by the adage "never give a sucker(aka the American citizen) en even break".

[Vietnameravet]

14. Impeachment??

Let em "bring it on" !!!

[quadrature]

15. so where are the price lists? ...nt

[alcibiades_mystery]

16. There are many Krugman fans 'round here who are probably measuring the bus clearance for the throw

They do not like Krugman's very - er - sensible "Obamacare 'disaster' is a lot of bullshit" direction of late. because our lefty friends actually want it to be a disaster! Krugman is correct. This is ultimately a little snag that will be forgotten in a year or less.

[allan01]

17. old news

next

[proverbialwisdom]

19. What about these anecdotes?

http://peoplespunditdaily.com/2013/11/23/side-effect-forces-substandard-medicaid-coverage-non-poor/

[proverbialwisdom]

21. WEAK article does not mention ACA's automatic Medicaid enrollment unless income criteria is met.

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/11/26/business/new-pitch-for-health-initiative-mind-your-mom-get-insured.html?_r=0

...Recruiting enough young people is a major goal of the Obama administration because insurers need healthy customers to offset the cost of caring for those with expensive medical needs.

<>

The mother-knows-best strategy isn’t entirely new. In 2007, when Massachusetts introduced its health care law, officials mailed greeting cards, timed for Mother’s Day, to the parents of young men between the ages of 18 and 26. Market research had shown this group was among the most resistant to buying insurance. “The idea was to trigger a phone call from the parent to the child to say, ‘Hey, by the way, do you have insurance?’ ” said Kevin J. Counihan, who served as chief marketing officer for Massachusetts’s health insurance marketplace at the time. “We made the hypothesis that we could best reach the young men through their mothers.”

The effort, Mr. Counihan said, was a moderate success: Many parents decided to pick up the bill for their sons’ health insurance. And more often than not, “we found they bought the most expensive plan because apparently nothing was too good for Johnny.” Mr. Counihan is now chief executive of Connecticut’s state marketplace and said he was still targeting the mothers of young men by focusing on churches and community groups where they are likely to be members.

<>

It is my understanding that income, not assets (personal or parental), trigger and limit choice cascade, and that this cannot be circumvented under ACA. THIS IS A MAJOR BUG which wrongly pushes many young, healthy persons into Medicaid or out of the ACA.

Related:

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/10/26/your-money/health-insurance-options-arent-limited-to-obamacare-exchanges.html?_r=0&pagewanted=print
http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052702303936904579175611438302596

[Demeter]

20. I do believe Dr. Krugman has fallen into a black hole he dug himself

but time will tell if his credibility is permanently impaired. He does have his blind spots. THis is one of them. Actually, this is two of them.

And a website is NOT Obamacare. The website is simply the gatekeeper.

[HoosierCowboy]

22. Play a joke on the Tea Baggers

...start a clothing company called "Ben Ghazi" and every time the Baggers mention the name, sue them for copyright infringement.

[Laelth]

25. A very nice comment following the article:

Henry Stites
Scottsdale, Arizona

My Blue Cross Blue Shield policy was cancelled. I went to the website, looked at the prices and called my agent. Blue Cross Blue Shield wanted to raise my rate from $110 bucks a month to
$378 bucks a month. The rates they had on the website were totally wrong. I tried to do this 3 years ago. I had 3 choices, and Blue Cross Blue Shield would not insure my wife due to a genetic high cholesterol. This time around I had 87 choices. My rate went from $110 bucks a month to $210; but, my coverage was much better. I have a $7500 deductible. I bought a side policy that covers that deductible. My wife's insurance went down to $268 bucks a month, and she has much better insurance. We also bought a side policy to cover her deductible. We cannot be dropped thanks to Obamacare. There is no set limit for our care thanks to Obamacare. As for the Republican Party and the nuts who run it I have this to say: Go to hell.

Hard to argue with that.

-Laelth