I have lost my last shred of sympathy for Obamacare haters.

[Daemonaquila]

I'll admit that on one hand, I really have problems with ACA. But on the other, I've never really had much patience with the GOP's issues over it. But after the conversation I just had, my only remaining response to right-wing Obamacare detractors is to point and laugh.

You see, I do disability law. I got a call today from someone who is in failing shape, yet still working full time. She has no insurance to pay for a surgery she needs. If she gets the surgery, she should be out of work 1-2 months. If she doesn't get the surgery, it will probably be many months, if not several years, before she is forced to start cutting her hours down significantly. In other words, someday she may be a candidate for SSDI if she does not act or simply is (as so many are) unlucky. Today? No.

I try to let people down as sympathetically as I can, particularly when a hint in the right direction can cause them to get their lives back on a less dire course. Having enough financial info from her to know that she would qualify for a substantial subsidy, I asked her whether she had looked into Healthcare.gov to get coverage that would pay for the surgery asap. Her answer was that she hates "that damned government program" so much that she won't have anything to do with it.

So, let's put this into perspective... SSDI. Is. A. Government. Program. But she hates Obama and Obamacare so much that refuses to even look into coverage because "it's that damned government program." Her plan was to try to get medical and financial benefits under a government program she is not entitled to access, so she could avoid getting medical benefits with the help of a government program that was created to help people exactly like her.

Because Obama is Socialist Fascist Muslim Satan, of course.

I totally get the concept of not doing certain things that might personally benefit me, at least in the short run, based on politics. However, this is just plain stupid. Moreover, it's hideously hypocritical. Seriously considering benefit fraud to avoid a program that could not be better tailored to your situation, lady, makes YOU one of those "takers" that you won't shut your gob about. So this is me, pointing and laughing.

[Bandit]

1. I certainly hope you told her that instead of just us.

We be the choir.

[Daemonaquila]

7. I did.

Not quite in those words, though. I usually explain it to them along the lines of "18 months from now, where will you be? Will you be better off, or struggling twice as hard? Can you think of another path that will put you in a better position, or will you be desperate and wondering why you didn't follow up on this conversation?"

[passiveporcupine]

11. how did she respond? n/t

[Daemonaquila]

14. A non-response.

I get that a lot from people whose politics are different than mine, but who still need me now or in the future. They look at my SB1070 poster and get all frowny but say nothing, or, as in this case, side-step the Obamacare chat pretty pleasantly with an airy "Well, I'll have to keep doing what I can... but I just can't see that being an option." Well, ok then. But we'll both remember that in a year when you come back after having to quit your job and truly having no money to pay for coverage... or for a roof and groceries.

[JustAnotherGen]

2. The stupid

Hurts sometimes.

[Berlum]

3. Poor sucker. She has swallowed all the Republicon lies.

Now she's gagging on them, but will not spit them out for a taste of the truth.

How Republicon is that?

[Autumn]

4. Are you not allowed to tell her SSI IS a government program?

[Daemonaquila]

8. She knows it is.

And of course I point that out. The important part, I guess, is that it's not Obamacare.

[tblue37]

27. But it doesn't have the name of a (gasp!) black man attached to it! nt

[TheMathieu]

10. Whatever you need to do to feel better.

That man is doing more for you than you will ever admit.

[Cha]

23. I can't reply to solarhydrocan because his whiny post has been hidden..

as well it should. but, thank you for your reply to him, TM.

[Whisp]

6. those bags of hammers...

dumb as catshit
and prowl, ahem, all over.

[TheMathieu]

9. As a proponent of single payer, me too.

The ACA was the most progressive piece of legislation passed in this country in at least 30-40 years.

Does it leave much to be desired? Of course.

Does it have flaws? Of course.

Is it a huge leap forward? Yes, so shut up and be patient.

For the right-wing opponents, we are not going backward... only forward.

[treestar]

12. Amazing how stupid people can be

And lacking in perspective, as that person is.

[bluestateguy]

13. I have heard similar anecdotes before

People with irrationally right wing and libertarian philosophy to such an extent that they won't sign up for Obamacare out of principle. Even when they are very sick. They actually would rather waste away and die than sign up for Obamacare and get well.

What can you but shrug and move on.

[Isoldeblue]

15. It seems that if you're able to think

past your nose, you then become a democrat. If not, then you're shit out of luck and become a repub.

[TxDemChem]

16. I am so with you! It's exhausting to watch people

Behave like this. Kudos to your professionalism.

[madrchsod]

17. i had a intensive care nurse ask my opinion of "obamacare"

i was in ic recovery after my heart stent. for some reason she asked my opinion on obamacare. i said its a good program but i think that medicare for all would be much better. i really could`t offer all the details because medicare is my main focus.



i have no sympathy for people for people who would rather suffer than to accept money that they have paid to the government to help them.

[Daemonaquila]

18. "who would rather suffer than to accept money that they have paid to the government to help them."

This is EXACTLY the point. These folks may grouse about not getting their disability benefits because they paid into the system, even if they aren't eligible by any stretch, yet it somehow eludes them that they also are paying into the system so that subsidies are possible. The subsidies are MUCH LESS expensive than disability, for the most part, though this is technically something of a red herring because the SS taxes are not part of the general funds. But beyond the technicality, if they take those cheaper subsidies, get medical care, and get better, they have a better life, stay in their jobs, and keep paying into the economy. All of this *should* be a GOP win/win... but they'd rather die than have any program promoted by Obama be successful.

[gulliver]

19. The Republicans are the ones doing the laughing.

It's over though. Obamacare is going to be a big hit. People are going to see that the Republican hysteria over the threat of Obamacare is exactly like the Republican hysteria over Iraq. If a Republican cries wolf, relax. People are getting the picture.

[Gary 50]

20. Right wing family members...

My brother, recently deceased, was a lifelong right wing Republican. He hated Democrats, welfare, taxes, unions, liberals, government regulations, etc. He lived the last 18 years of his life exclusively on Social Security and got his healthcare through the VA. His daughter and her four siblings have the exact same political views. Did you know that the Government shutdown was the fault of Democrats because they wouldn't vote with the Republicans? That was one of her pearls of wisdom from our recent telephone conversation. She is living on the edge economically and hates the "fact" that people on welfare have it so much easier and better than she has. She recently applied for disability. She was denied but found an organization, liberal no doubt, which is helping her re-apply. Does she have any inkling of the hypocrisy of hating all things liberal but using liberal institutions to make her life better? Nope. You see she really really needs the help but everyone else who benefits from any government aid is a slacker-taker who is abusing the system. How can otherwise intelligent people be so brainwashed? I love my niece but talking to her makes me want to bang my head into a wall until the pain goes away.

[ErikJ]

21. What's the difference between a Republican and a hemorrhoid?

[Armstead]

22. It's kind of like all those commercials to "get help for your SS disability" on Fox News

There's a disconnect there.

[The Wizard]

24. Pointing and laughing

is very effective. Way back when I was in the Army we had a sergeant from Mississippi who made life miserable for us Yankees. We started snickering when ever we saw him. It didn't take long before he was in front of the Commanding Officer in tears because the men were laughing at him. Ridicule is a great tool to take down a tyrant. It will also make fools take another look at themselves or stop talking about subjects of which they have no knowledge.

[MyOwnPeace]

25. It's all what you believe..............

I was a Principal in a district that had its fair share of "Special Ed." students. We needed to meet with the parents of the students every year to discuss the progress of the child and have an agreement regarding the educational future of that child.
One year we had a grandmother in for the conference regarding her grandchild's IEP (required paperwork for all identified students - parents/guardians must sign off/agree to the Learning Support program for the following school year).
After the conference where the continuing educational program was explained (what we were going to do to help their child) we had both the Mom (who had been a graduate of the same school district and had also been identified as a "special needs" student) and Grandma (who came along to help the "Mom" understand what was going on) sign off (agree) to the program of Learning Support the next school year.
We worked hard at explaining that we were doing what we believed was the best for their child - we wanted to help the students be the best that they could be. Since Grandma's daughter had been through the program we felt that everybody would be understanding what was going on.
When we finished the meeting and everybody was ready to leave, Grandma floored me with this:
"I want to tell you, this Learning Support stuff you are doing is SO much better than that Special Ed. stuff that you used to do."
NOTHING had changed except the "wording." We just smiled and said "Thank you" and continued doing what we believed was best.
"They" don't want "Obama-care" but they WANT the benefits of the program.
HELLO!?!?!?!?

[RKP5637]

26. Often the stupid is so great you have to walk by it, there is no hope for them, they are

just brainwashed losers in the scheme of life.

I used to talk to people and one of my professors asked me why ... he said they are a waste of your time, they will never understand you, and they don't want to. You must learn to ignore them and walk on, because they will drag you down, they are negative energy in the scheme of life ... something like that.

Some people wander in lower orbs of life, this has been so for eons, and they will wander there forever. Some can rise up, but many stagnate there. In my lifetime I've never seen it more prevalent than over the past decade or so. Your post about her was a fine example of such.

[gwheezie]

28. Paying for preventative care costs the tax payer much less than acute care

It boggles my mind that people don't get this, we pay for the uninsured, I'd rather insure them.
If anyone thinks going to an er is the answer to the uninsured, they are stupid. Just plain stupid.
A few years ago, someone I know who wasn't insured and had untreated hypertension went to the er for c/o his neck and arm tingling, because his bp wasn't sky high he was told it was a "pinched nerve" so he was given motrin and discharged to follow up with his doctor, well he didn't have a doctor. And he refused the ct in the er because he couldn't afford to pay for it. Anyway, he called his wife to pick him up and before they got home, his stroke evolved to the point he became permanently disabled, well he has insurance now because he can't work and has mcaid. If he had been given a ct scan and treated for his evolving stroke, he would have saved his speech and motor ability and been able to go back to work at his job. If this had happened now, if he had obamacare he could have been treated prior to things getting so bad, he would have had his ct covered by insurance. He would not be costing us so much more for the rest of hs life. Not to mention the effect this has had on his quality of life.

[Douglas Carpenter]

29. that is the kind of dingbat irrationality manufactured by the likes of Fox News and the rightwing

infotainment industry. It was loony enough during the Clinton days and now it has gotten even loonier

[mnhtnbb]

30. I know a woman who

was doing nothing but moaning and groaning about the health.gov site and the fact that
it wanted HER to sign up for Medicaid. No way was she going to do that! She claims
to be an independent...but she's really a Repub on almost every issue...so she
ended up accepting a huge premium hike from her private insurance for a worse plan
than what she was eligible for under the ACA.

Why wouldn't she sign up for a subsidized plan? Because she's a trust fund 50ish woman
who basically "retired" to live off her trust fund (doesn't count as income) and her income
results from her dog walking and doing odd jobs small business.

Funny, huh? She lives in the red state of Utah.

[Skittles]

31. excellent assessment

yes indeed