My Cousin, A Trump Supporter, Just Changed His Mind.

[msanthrope]

Last edited Fri Mar 17, 2017, 10:18 AM - Edit history (1)

His daughter is 26 years old and pregnant. And completely uninsurable thanks to two bouts of childhood leukemia.

And he cried when he asked me "How is she supposed to live?" He'd already called his Congress Critter and asked that question, and got no help from the staff.

"She isn't supposed to live, Matty. She's an actuarial nightmare, a drain on resources. That's the thing when Nazis are in power... They really do believe in eugenics."

And he got it..... that's the thing, isn't it? When you elect Nazis, you must be ready for the self-cleansing purges that will come for you and yours, too.

Edited to add......should have sent him this.....

Link to tweet

[hatrack]

1. Too bad the instrument had to be so blunt and heavy . . .

Too bad he wasn't paying attention a year ago.

Too bad he doesn't know a prancing fraud of a con-man when he sees one.

Too bad . . .

[msanthrope]

19. oh he was paying attention.....

To Hillary Clinton's fucking emails. To her Goldman Sachs speeches.

[hamsterjill]

72. Then he wasn't paying attention well enough.

He was falling for fake lies, and like too many, probably eager to believe what was being fed to him.

I'm sorry for the predicament his daughter is in, and I sincerely hope that things work out for them. That's what is called being a Democrat - because I sincerely MEAN that, and that's a big difference from the Republicans who actually do want people to suffer and die.

[adigal]

121. We are going to see Darwin's Law in super-fast motion

Those who voted for him are the ones who are going to be harmed the most and the first. Maybe even die. Sad!

[rivegauche]

89. But pussy-grabbing was OK I guess.

Blatant evidence of corruption, treason, lying, serial sexual assault, on and on.. but HRC's emails were just too much.

I have zero respect for fools like this.

[msanthrope]

93. oh he simply refused to acknowledge that that even existed..

Or it was really just boys being boys and who Among Us would want everything recorded......

He really thought the truck was going to go to Washington and Shake crap up... He just thought he was going to be part of the privileged few that it didn't impact

[Honeycombe8]

95. Trump ran on "Repeal Obamacare!" so how could he think...

his daughter would be able to get insurance?

It boggles the mind.

I'm wondering what my elderly parents think about the possibility of cuts to Social Security & Medicare that are looming. They're YUGE Trumpers ('cause he's against "them A-rabs&quot .

[MN_Caucus]

127. that's it.. he wasn't thinking

he was reacting to everything the hate-talk was telling him.
the corporate media spoon fed him because likely he just wanted to relax after a stressful day at work.
he WASN'T thinking, and that's the problem.
Americans don't think anymore.
we're too tired and stressed from work.
We're not taught to think anymore.
We are a doomed society if this continues.

[The Sand Reckoner]

144. The people who SEEM to be voting against their own interests really aren't

Because their real interest is in seeing their hate of black, gays, Muslims, Hispanics, liberals and everyone else not like them reflected in who they vote for.

Fuck them all. May they all win the Darwin Award.

[Honeycombe8]

146. I would've disagreed with you a year ago.

But now, I think that's it. They are blinded by hate and fear.

I say that based on some Trumpers in my family. You wouldn't believe the things I've heard from them, although I try to avoid politics with them.

[Ilsa]

39. Both candidates had been showing us who they were for

The last four and a half decades.

45 hasn't ever done anything for anyone else unless there was payback for himself, whereas HRC gave up bug law firm money to help poor women and kids in AR.

While 45 was ripping off contractors and banks, the Clintons were paying their bills and taxes and being good charitable citizens.

While the Clintons were fighting for justice, 45 was discriminating against POC in his housing units and would not retract his vicious assault against the young bkack men wrongfully accused of rape, even after they were cleared.

I could go on and on. People were gullible, hearing only what they wanted to hear during the campaign instead of seeing how horribly Dump was living his life.

[lark]

90. Worse than gullible.

They were aggressively stupid and ignored 100% of reality. He has a record. He's been sued 77 times for cheating vendors and workers out of pay. He's been sued 23 times by the government for destruction of documents that were under subpoena, after he received the subpoena. He's been sued 22 times for sexual harassment and most were settled out of court with large payments by him. He got caught on tape proving he's a sexual predator. He said that Obama was worse than Putin and expressed starry eyed admiration for this hater/killer at every opportunity. And yet, people say they didn't know. BS, they didn't want to know and took no responsibility for knowing. They were misogynists and ready to believe the worst of the woman and ignored everything dirty and evil (and there was plenty of evidence) about the guy. They are the ones who put this country killer in office and I have no pity for them.

I do pity the poor daughter, she doesn't deserve what she will be going through and it's heartbreaking that people like her dad caused this.

[erronis]

116. Totally. I hope if there is an eternity that your words will cycle constantly.

That's why I don't want to believe in more than one life. Sure-as-shit, someone will wish all my transgressions delivered forever. (Not sure where all the electricity comes from for these marquees, but these folks may have harnessed dark energy.)

[Fantastic Anarchist]

137. Fuck them. I have no pity for them either.

Only when something affects them do they see the light.

No, assholes, you have empathy before tragedy strikes, not after and all of a sudden.

[JHan]

80. +++++

[nikibatts]

149. He heard what he WANTED to hear.

[DemocratSinceBirth]

2. To Ryan and Trump she is a useless eater.

[msanthrope]

12. She's a taker.

Her pregnancy is high-risk, and the fetus she is currently carrying has a high risk of complications......, and possible developmental problems.

They genetic testing back early next week, and I really hope it's good news.

[Amimnoch]

46. BUT, she MUST have that baby

before its needs can be disregarded.

[msanthrope]

49. Sadly, they already fear complications and developmental issues.

She already has had two bouts of cancer. She turns 27 2 months before she's due.

She's scared and I am scared for her.

[adigal]

122. Who did she vote for?? nt

[msanthrope]

133. She didn't, I think. nt

[adigal]

134. Well, I hope you get her registered and to the polls to undo her father's vote

I just don't understand people voting against their own self-interest. I mean, OK, I do - I would do better financially under Republicans' no tax fantasy land, but I want a society that is livable, so in voting for more taxes for me, I am willing to pay my part to make that society that way. But to vote your own healthcare away? Crazy!

[karynnj]

70. Is she insured now?

If so, why would that change before the end of the year?

[msanthrope]

74. she turns 27. nt

[karynnj]

83. You go off your parents plan when you turn 26.

http://obamacarefacts.com/obamacare-under-26/

Some companies may let the kids stay on until the end of the year - others may drop you when you turn 26. (We were on two different employer plans when different daughters turned 26 -- one was on til the end of the year, the other her birthdate.) It is turning 26, not 27 that makes the difference under ACA.

(If she were going to be 26 and 2 months and on her parents' plan, COBRA would be a no brainer -- even if she dropped it after the baby was born. As expensive as it is - it would be worth it. )

[msanthrope]

84. this is insurance through his employer.

They gave her an end of coverage date which is the last day of the month of her 27th birthday. I did ask him to go in and speak to his HR representative...... and I just texted him now to remind him to talk to her about getting cobra. It would be a very expensive option but an option none the less.

[Tanuki]

87. Might this be considered a "qualifying event" that could enable her

to obtain her own ACA plan outside the open enrollment period? Is she working? Might she qualify for Medicaid due to the pregnancy? Putting politics aside for the moment, I am sorry they are going through another health crisis. Dealing with a child's leukemia has to be horrific for all concerned. It is hard to fathom that your cousin didn't take the threat to healthcare to heart until now.

[msanthrope]

96. this is why I've asked him to go to his HR person....

He can't be the only employee in this company who is facing similar problems and she might be able to direct him where to go in his state.

There's not all that much I can do for him other than try to point him into the direction of where to find resources.

[cwydro]

120. Did she plan to have this pregnancy?

Is the father involved?

[msanthrope]

132. Didn't ask her. Let her know that I was there for her. nt

[karynnj]

135. Less expensive than the cost of the doctor and hospital when the baby comes

If his plan is a good one, it might also be the safest option and she can drop it when she gets other insurance. Not to mention, losing that plan is a qualifying event and she could check to find a plan on the market that includes the hospital and the doctor.

[workinclasszero]

47. Yup

Just another drain on insurance companies obscene profits.

It's Trumpcare for her unfortunately and the knowledge that her Daddy voted for it.

[Blanks]

3. Trump's just doing what he promised. eom

[Applan]

9. Wait

Didn't he promise cheaper, better healthcare for everybody?

[msanthrope]

14. there will be cheaper and Better Health Care, once we eliminate

All the sick old and poor....... it's Actuarial eugenics..... just eliminate out all the fucking people who actually need health insurance and then.....profit!!!!

[Blanks]

31. He promised lots of things...

That's the response you get from conservatives who haven't been affected yet.

They are pleased by the mean-spiritedness.

[maddiemom]

75. As Dick Chney would say:

SOO...?

[jaxind]

4. That's the Thing, Isn't it?

It's only when the rethuglicans get hit personally, that they start to smarten up!

[AJT]

20. "Hey, wait a minute! I'm one of the people whose

supposed to be throwing OTHER people under the bus!"

[Phentex]

26. always been this way...

it's maddening. And people say we shouldn't call them stupid.

[Eyeball_Kid]

32. I vacillate between being hard-nosed about this and being compassionate.

That one is affected by a personal story as it relates to public policy is human nature. A lot of us get involved in politics BECAUSE or our own personal stories. Those stories generate compassion, and a passion for change. There's nothing wrong with that. To criticize a Trumpy supporter for switching allegiance away from Trumpy because of a personal story is to criticize people of all political persuasions who get active in politics. The relative of the author of the original post in this thread can no longer use the pretense he once used to affirm his own political biases. That's good. He's adjusting to his own emerging reality, and a sad and tragic one it is.

[Ezior]

43. They only notice this once THEY are affected

They lack the empathy required for good politics.

It just makes me mad how some people are happy to let other people die ("illegal aliens", muslims, refugees, etc) and then start crying when one of their own relatives may die for exactly the same reason, "lack of empathy". THINK BEFORE YOU VOTE! It's always "me, me, me!" for some people. This makes me sick.

[Juliusseizure]

51. Exacty this - 62 million voters need to be personally affected

before they object to immoral policies. I have little empathy for people who have little empathy for others.

[Ligyron]

110. They may well get that opportunity.

I just hope enough of them have an epiphany before the '18 elections.

[paleotn]

119. It's because....

deep in their hearts, if they have one, they care for no one but themselves.

[KingCharlemagne]

5. Trump views his daughter solely as a pussy to be grabbed, so your cousin gets no

pity or compassion from me.

[msanthrope]

13. No.... but I pity his daughter and her baby. nt

[KingCharlemagne]

16. I hear ya. Thank you for reminding me not to

harden my heart excessively.

[msanthrope]

18. Oh......don't get me wrong......

My cousin is a racist, misogynistic asshole who deserves every shitty thing coming his way..... he's never had an ounce of compassion for anyone else. And I've learned that what I need to do is not waste in emotion on him..... the only help he's ever going to get from me concerns his daughter and his grandchild. If it were him losing his insurance? I'd laugh and hang up the phone.

[KingCharlemagne]

21. I'm reminded of a quote by Stalin (who, believe it or not, had a

few smart things to say):

The death of one person is a tragedy, the death of millions a statistic.

Now that was a hard-hearted motherfucker.

[Fantastic Anarchist]

139. He did have some witty things to say.

Like:

"It's not the vote that counts, but who counts the votes."

Or paraphrasing:

"Ideas are more dangerous than guns. If we don't let the citizens have guns, why would we let them have ideas?"

[Johnny2X2X]

6. Eff him

This is a typical Trump voter. He's all for taking things away from other peoples' children that might cost them their lives, but now he only gives a shit because it's his family that is threatened.

The absolute worst type of person. This type of sociopathy infects about 80% of Trump voters.

[CountAllVotes]

7. Exactly

When it is one of their own, oh the pukes do cry cry cry

[SammyWinstonJack]

8. Nailed it!

[msanthrope]

11. Oh......my pity is for his daughter and her baby.

I had to bite my tongue at Thanksgiving... When he told me how he was waiting for Hillary Clinton to be locked up.

[Eyeball_Kid]

34. IMO, it's people like your cousin who often make the most passionate political activists.

Your cousin may have gotten lost in the mix between his own emotions and Trumpy's charisma and bombast. But it's the end result that's more important here, IMO. Being angry at him for voting against his own best interests (and believing in Trumpy's/the GOP's false promises) won't help him re-integrate his re-emerging values as a compassionate human being. The man's being threatened with the real loss of his daughter and grandkid. This is where it gets real. And it's likely a time of genuine and intense outrage and sadness for his entire extended family.

[NCjack]

64. Is your cousin striking back? Has he stopped all contributions to Republicans? Has he

changed his political party registration from REP to DEM? Will he send money to DEM candidates? Has quit the NRA and bought at least the cheapest membership in AARP, UCLA, SPLC? Has he asked all of his extended family and friends to do the same? If all of the people who are complaining about being screwed would resign the REP party and join the DEM party, they will notice that. Protesting and crying in public helps, but resigning the REP party kicks them in the gonads. That reduces the pleasure they get in screwing you.

[Maru Kitteh]

69. Where did you hear "re-emerging values as a compassionate human being?"

He is concerned because there is a threat to the continuation of his genetic line. Like most right wing misogynistic racists, his concern is pure self-interest and nothing more.

[leftstreet]

117. You're thinking of empathy

Sounds like he's had plenty of 'values as a compassionate human being' when it came to himself or his loved ones

Just not anyone else

[LenaBaby61]

60. When he told me how he was waiting for Hillary Clinton to be locked up.

So, what does he think of Flynn, the traitor who shouted "Lock her up" at their Nazi convention about Hillary?

Yeah, I know he's not a traitor. He's just making $$$, and your cousin thinks Hillary STILL needs to be locked up.

[Grammy23]

67. It remains to be seen if he is a traitor.

This story is still unfolding at an excruciatingly slow pace. There have been lies, compounded by more lies by multiple people in this saga. But truth has a way of emerging no matter how much the lying liars struggle to bury it. So maybe Lock him Up is in his future. We can only hope.

[msanthrope]

68. I didn't ask dot dot dot too upset about his daughter, and frankly that's a fight for another day.

Not that I'll be forgetting it anytime soon though...

[LenaBaby61]

94. Not that I'll be forgetting it anytime soon though...

[msanthrope]

101. I'm Sicilian... I may wait in the tall weeds for 20 years,

But trust me I don't forget anything.

[Bengus81]

59. 1000+

[LOL Lib]

128. Yup...no pity for the shortsighted Trumpkins.

I do not know in this case if the daughter was a trumpkin, so I do feel compassion for her. The father gets zero fucks given. He should have listened to the candidate that wanted to improve upon the ACA. Instead he trusted the amateur who wanted to replace it. "We are gunna win so much!"

[A HERETIC I AM]

10. "I can't believe that Tiger bit me in the face"

Said the person who voted for the Tigers biting people's faces party.

[KingCharlemagne]

23. LOL. Seen this many times, but it still provokes a giggle! :) - nt

[smirkymonkey]

36. +1000

[barbtries]

15. i hope he turns his despair into action

because only the people can turn this ship of catastrophe around.

[msanthrope]

17. we discussed that... He's actually going to his congressperson's local office today.

I suggested going to town halls writing personal letters to his congressperson he'll even going to Washington if he needed it.....

[ecstatic]

22. Did he know that ObamaCare and the ACA were the same thing?

I'm confused as to why he supported trump and the repubs who have vowed to dismantle the ACA on day 1. Was he unaware of the protections it provided to people like his daughter? How is that possible?!

[msanthrope]

29. he thought the only people who were going to lose insurance

Were the illegal aliens and welfare recipients who got Obamacare.

And let's not kid ourselves here...... a very highly respected poster here at du got quite a few Recs decrying the fact that Obamacare didn't cover pre-existing conditions.... and refused to apologize and retract that misinformation. It's not just conservatives who fall for fake news.

[bettyellen]

55. Yes and they STFU once they had their insurance settled...

I'm seeing a lot of people who were taken in by Wikileaks and RT quite silent about Russia too. Their CTs are more important than democracy.

[lunasun]

56. Yep I just posted about these types of voters. Did he get his daughter to vote Trump ?

She should have at least been aware of the issues trump was proposing
I would think I just don't know anymore
http://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=view_post&forum=1014&pid=1730622

[msanthrope]

102. I don't think she voted at all. nt

[CincyDem]

153. Reading the thread left me feeling bad for his daughter, but this...

...leaves me feeling like she was almost as much of a collaborator as dad.

He reminds me of Rob Portman - staunch homophobe...until his son came out and Ms. Portman explained the fact of life to Rob. Now, he's a great supporter but only because of the experiential learning.

Folks like this can't learn from the experiences of others (lack of empathy maybe??) so they've got to feel the pain themselves.

Too bad. Probably good people but certainly not good citizens of a country based on the pre-2016 American principles.

[msanthrope]

154. I was young and stupid once. I'm hoping she grows up a bit. nt

[CincyDem]

155. I was young and stupid once too. Now my wife tells me one of them has changed. :-)

Here's to hoping you're right about her future.

[herding cats]

77. Is he a racist?

I'm asking because most of the people I ran into who believed undocumented people and welfare recipients were the ones going to lose their healthcare were also racist.

I wasted so much breath explaining how "illegal immigrants" weren't enrolled in the ACA in the first place. They didn't believe me. It was all about 'leeches in our society who don't want to work and just mooch off the system' in their minds. More often than not they'd end up letting a racial slur or statement slip in that made me realize what they really meant.

[msanthrope]

97. yes......he's the type of racist that

Will tell you how he hates illegal aliens but his friend Carlos who works at the sandwich shop down the street is a really really great person and hard worker. He's got a black friend too and a Jewish friend too. These people are the exception to the rule. This means he is not racist.


Yes this is how he thinks.

[IronLionZion]

24. They haven't repealed the ACA yet

So your niece should be able to get coverage for pre-existing conditions and the other patient protections, at 26 she should be able to get a plan she could afford. They haven't shut down Planned Parenthood or community clinics yet. Or if she lives or moves to a state that expanded Medicaid.

My family is mostly liberal. I did have a cousin who qualified for Medicaid when he fell on hard times because his state had expanded it for the ACA. He would not have qualified under the old system.

[msanthrope]

33. There's no Planned Parenthood

Within hundreds of miles. And he freaked out entirely when I suggested that she go to Planned Parenthood, as he had no idea that they actually provide prenatal care. No information on his State website or anything that he can find on healthcare.gov. his Insurance Company has already notified him by letter that his policy will no longer cover her.... and he's gotten various answers from them, about buying her a separate plan..... everything from their pulling out of the particular state, to they're not sure they have to insure just anybody. His policy is through his employer, so I suggested he go to Human Resources this week and see if they have any suggestion. He has absolutely no idea how to go about this. And he's in a state that didn't expand Medicaid.

As a last-ditch method, I listed for him every single relative in a blue state.

[Eyeball_Kid]

41. The ACA is still federal law. Were I in his shoes, I'd want to consult with a lawyer for a possible

lawsuit against the insurance company for violating the terms of the ACA. Insurance companies can't refuse pre-existing conditions based upon a possibility that the law might change. She still gets coverage, and no lifetime ceiling on costs, until and if the law is repealed.

BTW, the repeal of the ACA is NOT a certainty. A growing faction in Congress favors keeping the ACA by changing its name and altering its parameters.

[msanthrope]

45. Yeah....he called me because of my law degree.

There's the law, and then there's the insurance companies who can fuck around with bureaucracy. They can obfuscate, they can obstruct, they can give misinformation over the telephone, knowing that they can run amok and free because no regulator will check them now.

That's why I suggested he go into his human resources person, and see if they had any suggestions, or had other employees in a similar situation.

The problem is, she's had no actual damage....yet.

[yardwork]

65. Have you seen the letter from his insurance company?

Once children turn 26, they are no longer covered in their parents' health care plans. The 26 year old has to find her own insurance. Thanks to the ACA - which is still in effect until or when Congress repeals it - your cousin's daughter is insurable. Pre-existing conditions no longer disqualify people. She needs to look into her options and find a policy to purchase. He could help her pay for it.

Before the ACA, she would have been uninsurable and he could not have included her in his plan once she turned 18. Obamacare has helped her a lot. If it is repealed, she will be in trouble but right now she still has options.

[msanthrope]

73. this is exactly what I've explained to him....

The problem seems to be that when he's called his insurance company...... or tried to get information from his State he hasn't been successful in hooking up with anybody who will offer him a rate or a plan. His insurance company has given him a few different stories everything from they're not sure they have to cover her to they don't know if they're staying in the state. What I think is happening is that the insurance company is taking advantage of the fact that nobody knows what the repeal is going to say

[yardwork]

79. Well, that's one of the problems with the ACA.

Thanks to Republican starvation tactics, it's not as helpful as it could be. He voted for that.

[lostnfound]

103. If he is on a marketplace plan she can stay on it until December

"If you’re covered by a parent’s job-based plan, your coverage usually ends when you turn 26. But check with the employer or plan. Some states and plans have different rules.

If you’re on a parent’s Marketplace plan, you can remain covered through December 31 of the year you turn 26 (or the age permitted in your state)."

There's also a special enrollment period if you are pregnant, according to healthcare.gov
It may depend on her zip code though.

[Blue_true]

138. Enrollment under the ACA is closed and by the time it reopens,

Trumpcare could be the new law of the land relative to healthcare. His daughter could be screwed.

[IronLionZion]

143. Qualifying Life Events

https://www.healthcare.gov/glossary/qualifying-life-event/

There are 4 basic types of qualifying life events. (The following are examples, not a full list.)

Loss of health coverage
Losing existing health coverage, including job-based, individual, and student plans
Losing eligibility for Medicare, Medicaid, or CHIP
Turning 26 and losing coverage through a parent’s plan
Changes in household
Getting married or divorced
Having a baby or adopting a child
Death in the family
Changes in residence
Moving to a different ZIP code or county
A student moving to or from the place they attend school
A seasonal worker moving to or from the place they both live and work
Moving to or from a shelter or other transitional housing
Other qualifying events
Changes in your income that affect the coverage you qualify for
Gaining membership in a federally recognized tribe or status as an Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (ANCSA) Corporation shareholder
Becoming a U.S. citizen
Leaving incarceration (jail or prison)
AmeriCorps members starting or ending their service

[Fla Dem]

25. Was he actually remorseful about supporting Trump.

Was he upset with himself because he didn't think through all the ramifications of a Trump administration. That all he could see was someone promising to stop Mexicans and other Central Americans from crossing the border, stopping Middle East immigrants and refugees from coming to the US. Does he still believes Trump can "MAGA".

I sympathize with him for his daughters situation, but there will be millions like her.

[msanthrope]

35. He's very upset about Trump going to Mar-a-lago.

Listen, don't ask but yeah he said he does regret voting for Trump..... but mainly because Trump is a fucking embarrassment now.

[Eyeball_Kid]

42. His changing opinion is a personal example of what's happening nationally. Better late than never.

[LenaBaby61]

62. He's very upset about Trump going to Mar-a-lago.

"Yeah he said he does regret voting for Trump..... but mainly because Trump is a fucking embarrassment now."

That racist, circus clown's ALWAYS been a fucking embarrassment. Your cousin's only just now noticing because the racist, circus clown is fooling with someone your cousin loves. Like many are saying, he STILL probably doesn't care about what happens to others, especially those "lazy darkies"

[Blue_true]

141. Not like Trump didn't campaign as an embarrassment. nt

[Posting Anonymously]

27. Fuck You Trump

Yesterday, I walked past the Nazi Storm Troopers who are festooned with machine guns to protect Trump Tower from an irate U.S. population. I yelled as loud as I could, "FUCK TRUMP". When they turned their heads in my direction, I yelled it again, "FUCK TRUMP". The only thing these sub-humans (what's with weapons? it's disgusting) understand is verbal bludgeoning and maybe if everybody starts turning up the volume, they'll get the message. Why not organize a 1,000 man column to walk past the Tower with the same message to the Nazi's, "FUCK TRUMP". By the way, there was a nice fellow across the street selling Trump opposition buttons. Something has to be done about this madman Trump...the guy is the craziest thing we have seen in society for a long time. The opposition right now is totally inadequate. There ought to be daily demonstrations against this morally depraved lunatic, pathological liar and sociopath and those demonstrations should include MILLIONS. Why isn't anybody organizing anything massive demonstrations, calculated to get the job done.

[smirkymonkey]

40. That was brave!

I'm glad you are ok! And I'm glad you did it. Hopefully a lot of them were behind you and are just doing their jobs. Was it Trump Tower in NYC? Most New Yorkers can't stand him anyway.

And by the way, welcome to DU!!

[HopeAgain]

28. They ended the Man in the High Castle this season...

with the Obergruppenführer's son turning himself in for extermination because he has a genetic anomaly. The Trumpers never realized that this is what they are doing to themselves...

The testosterone laced budget, Sebastian Gorka, anti-Muslim, anti-Latin actions, I really do think we are moving into a type of fascism, just in a more subtle way...

[msanthrope]

37. Actuarial Eugenics. That's the Repeal. nt

[Roy Rolling]

30. You had me at "Congress Critter"

Tee hee. One of my favorites.

Now that mine is a GOP cheerleader, he gets more specific treatment by being a "Congress Weasel" now. "Critter" rhymes, but ignores the good critters. LOL

[Bettie]

38. They always wake up

when it is going to hit them personally.

When it is other people, they don't care at all.

[Eyeball_Kid]

44. That's human nature, Bettie. A lot of people, including those on the liberal side of the spectrum,

become activists BECAUSE of their personal stories. It's often not a philosophical or altruistic argument that wins the day.

[msanthrope]

48. how many children had to die before America turned against the Iraq War?

Not Iraqi children, mind you but the children of America who died in a useless War.

[Bettie]

57. Yeah, I get that

but I keep thinking that basic decency will win.

I'm always disappointed. There is much less good in people than I ever imagined.

[Juliusseizure]

76. I wouldn't label it human nature

That's too broad. Some people are just more empathetic than other people. Trump's brother, for example, who died an alcoholic was a decent person by all accounts. My sister, a Trump tard, is a hell of a lot different than I am. He

[mountain grammy]

50. Because a woman president would be so much worse

than a fascist.. for sure!

[DonCoquixote]

52. there is an old, often quoted saw

that the GOP like to use, "a liberal is just conservative that has not gotten mugged yet."

Well, now we can turn this on its head.

"A conservative is just a liberal that has not had to beg medical insurance to save the life of a loved one, and been rejected."

[ailsagirl]

53. "Oh, I know..."

[H2O Man]

54. Recommended.

[Bengus81]

58. How is she supposed to live?? VOTE FOR DEMOCRATS!!

Sorry but I'm out of sympathy for these people...............

[karynnj]

61. Lots of missing facts, but she might have options

1) As you state that she will be 27 years 2 months when she delivers, she turned 26 last year. Did she have coverage through her father's plan? When did that end - if his company carried her until the end of last year, there is still time to elect to pay for COBRA to continue receiving that plan. (That would be expensive, but with the known costs she will incur - maybe cheaper than not having insurance.)

2) Did she have insurance on her own or with a spouse? If she got insurance for 2017, that will not immediately go away.

3) If she neglected to get insurance in 2017, even under ACA, the window for 2017 insurance is closed - unless she very recently lost coverage. If she had a plan through the end of 2016, she is VERY near the end of time when she could use that as a qualifying event to get coverage for herself on the exchange.

So sorry to hear of her problems.

[msanthrope]

82. well this is precisely why I've asked him to go in and talk to the HR representative

She's currently covered under her father's employer's plan. Theyve indicated to him that there is a coverage stop date...... effectively her birthday.


He's been attempting to get insurance for her through the insurance company, but also been pursuing options through the state..... and what's hitting him Square on the face is that at this point because his State didn't expand Medicaid, and there's limited options in his state, and he can't seem to get the right information from any source because nobody wants to commit to anything becauseof this fucking ongoing repeal.

He thought it would be a simple as calling up his insurance company and simply buying her a policy..... and he only started sweating bullets when one person from the insurance company said that they were waiting to see if pre-existing conditions were going to be repealed. At any rate, nobody would give him a price.

[karynnj]

86. It sounds like she is 25, not 26 --- and still on his policy at this point

Even if she is 26 and the company allows her on until her birthday, they might be required to offer coverage under COBRA. In addition, losing insurance is a qualifying event that allows her to get insurance outside the enrollment window. It is likely that 2017 coverage will not be impacted by any repeal legislation, but if your cousin is speaking to his state (or the federal if the state did not set one up) ACA office, he knows FAR more than I do.

If his company has a benefits coordinator, he should ask if COBRA will be available. What that does is allow you to buy at the rate it costs the company plus a small markup for handling the plan that she has been on. This will not be cheap because it will be an individual plan because she can not be on your cousin's family plan. (We covered a daughter under COBRA before ACA passed - she lost coverage when she took a year of college because she was sick and the plan then was not just age based. )

Best wishes to her and her family. It is terrible that when they already have so much to deal with medically, that they also have to deal with insurance.

[msanthrope]

99. no she's 26.

I suspect that a bit of what's going on is that last year he knew that her coverage would be ending, but he thought it was going to be an easy matter of calling up his insurance company...... and now because he can't get a straight answer, and because the insurance companies are taking advantage of an almost stall because of the repeal, he's panicking.

But it hit him last night... When he said to me "what happens if they take away the pre-existing condition thing?" And I was very blunt... I told him he would have to find an insurance company who would take her after having two previous bouts of cancer.... and he's freaking out even more.

[karynnj]

104. I would bet that she was not the only person to let insurance drop without getting new coverage --

and the timing really sucks -- not just because of the Trump generated chaos. It also sounds like your cousin's plan may not have been through an employer.

If it was and if they covered her through the end of the year, depending on when they notified her of COBRA, it may be near the end of the time when she could get it. (I know that both my husband's and my company took at least a month to get the notice out.)

"You, your spouse and your children have 60 days to decide whether to buy COBRA. This election period is counted from the date your eligibility notification is sent to you or the date that you lost your health coverage, whichever is later. Your COBRA coverage will be retroactive to the date that you lost your benefits (as long as you pay the premium)."

http://www.cobrainsurance.com/know_your_cobra.htm

It would be very expensive and they would need to pay for 3 or 4 months immediately - as it is retroactive. ( the good thing here is the coverage is retroactive too.)

[TheOther95Percent]

145. Repealing Pre-existing Conditions and Finding Affordable Health Ins. - Good Luck With That

I worry for my sister who is a breast cancer survivor in her 50s. She gets her insurance through the ACA and she definitely didn't vote for Trump. She would be uninsurable in the private market.

This is why I can't crow about the people who voted for him getting hurt. It will too many people I care about.

[renate]

85. I think you can get on the ACA after the deadline if your circumstances have changed

And I believe that turning 27/losing your old insurance counts as a changed circumstance.

[karynnj]

88. Losing insurance does count -- I think turning 26 is when you lose being on a parent's policy.

which is what is confusing.

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

63. And I suspect he wouldn't give a flying fuck

if it were someone else's pregnant, soon to be 27 year old pregnant daughter who couldn't get insurance.

And as several others have already pointed out, the ACA is still in effect, meaning pre-existing conditions can't be a reason to refuse coverage. He needs to make a few more phone calls.

Or, you could simply point out that he can pay for all of her bills himself. Remind him that self-sufficiency is a highly respected Republican value, and he shouldn't expect anyone else to pay for her problems.

[lostnfound]

111. True. And a safety net is only good for corporations and billionaires who want bailouts.

[greatauntoftriplets]

66. I hope for a positive outcome for your cousin and her baby.

Drumpf ignores the fact or doesn't care that real people are being hurt by his policies.

[LisaM]

71. I'm sorry for him, and his daughter.

I hope this nightmare ends and they get on track.

[Adrahil]

78. I'm torn.

On the one hand, no one should have to feel the anguish he is feeling.

On the other, what the fuck did he THINK he was voting for!? FFS.....

[CakeGrrl]

148. Reading through the above posts, he voted for

the same thing a lot of Trump supporters voted for, but a lot of people are slow to admit: He liked the anti-immigrant, ban-the-Muslims, kick-lazy-welfare-people-off-the-government-teat message he was hearing.

Their main driving force isn't "economic anxiety", it's really "stick it to the people who aren't like me", and "make things the way they used to be".

RW hate radio did its job well. People were programmed to believe that lazy minorities siphoned their hard-earned tax dollars here at home, and brown people abroad were a monolithic bunch of terrorists.

Combine that with GOP lies about the ACA and everything else, and a lazy media who didn't shed more light on matters, and along comes Trump, who knows exactly how to sell to that crowd.

I agree that the only thing this Trump supporter cares about is the threat to his own personal inner circle. That the only misgiving he has is that Trump repeatedly visits Mar-A-Lago tells me he's good with Trump's policies that don't touch him personally.

[Adrahil]

152. Exactly correct. Mores the pity. NT

[gratuitous]

81. Excellent!

Another vote that can be turned against these assholes. Yeah, we all wish your cousin had wised up sooner, but now that he is wised up, keep feeding him information to support his new-found political consciousness. Presuming he has and keeps friends who share his former views, he can infect them with the contagion of kindness and empathy. When one of his old friends says something particularly cruel and heartless (something he once would have agreed with enthusiastically), your cousin can start his response with, "You know, my daughter . . ."

Let's encourage these conversions and welcome newcomers.

[Vinca]

91. Sadly, they never "get it" until it lands in their laps.

[xor]

92. I've know a die hard Trump supporter who had a similar reaction last week

But like, this isn't new information because we had many discussions about this. In fact, just a few days before she was in tears over it, she was telling me how if people bought health insurance instead of an iPhone (apparently got that off Fox News), then they wouldn't need everyone else to support them.

Even though she was upset last week, I'm not sure if she still feels that way. It seems like all it takes is for Trump or one of his lackeys to say "nonono, it's the best plan in the universe" and it's taken as fact without further thought.

[lunatica]

109. It's very common abuse victim reaction to go back to the abuser

[flying-skeleton]

98. Holy Mother of God .....

Holy mother of god, I'm tired of reading quotes from people who live in places where the local economy went to hell or Mexico in 1979, and who have spent the intervening years swallowing whatever Jesus Juice was offered up by theocratic bunco artists of the Christocentric Right, and gulping down great flagons of barely disguised hatemongering against the targets of the day, all the while voting against their own best interests, now claiming that empowering Donald Trump as the man who will "shake things up" on their behalf was the only choice they had left. You had plenty of choices left. You were just too dumb and blind to see it staring you in your face. Now, the ShitGibbon you championed and voted for has come home to roost, strip you and your family of your health care (for starters) and feed on your carcass. And NOW you want to atone for your misguidedness to garner sympathy? Well, good luck cause you ain't getting it from me, that's for damned sure !!

[msanthrope]

100. so now you understand why I sent my cousin information on CHIP....

Making sure to note to him that his grandchild would be covered by a plan that Hillary Clinton started.

[Multichromatic]

105. Healthcare.gov

I lost my job and lost my insurance last year and that was a qualifying event.
I was able to go on the ACA website: https://www.healthcare.gov/ and
get healthcare. I was on medicaid for 2 months and then on a marketplace plan.

Cobra would have cost $500 a month, my marketplace plan costs $25 a month.
Healthcare.gov still works for now and you can call them at 1-800-318-2596.

This would let you cousin's daughter get around HR and Cobra and they
could look at the options NOW.

I hope they can get the help she needs.

[LovingA2andMI]

106. Many Voted For Trump...

Because They Wanted To White Guy In The White House No Matter How Much He Lied Because They Were Pissed The Black Guy Ran The White House Like A President Should For Eight Years.

And because of this, I literally feel no pity for the FACT, they---got---played By Cheeto. None....

[lostnfound]

107. Maybe she is eligible for CHIP. It sometimes covers pregnant women.

This is a little old but is a starting point. CHIP covers pregnant women up to 133% of poverty line in a lot of states.
http://www.marchofdimes.org/materials/chip-coverage-for-pregnant-women-may-2014.pdf

Newer link, government website:
https://www.medicaid.gov/medicaid/outreach-and-enrollment/lawfully-residing/index.html

If she is on her own at age 26, an unsubsidized marketplace plan will probably be $500 to $700 per month with low deductible, or else $300 or so with a high ($7500) deductible.

If he lives in a state with a republican governor, that's probably what she can get, because of lack of Medicaid expansion, if she isn't above the poverty line. Great to show him the difference between the states with democratic governors and the ones that tried to kneecap Obamacare.

[msanthrope]

114. Oh yrah......I sent him CHIP info...along with the fact HRC started it. nt

[lunatica]

108. That's really tragic for his daughter

I'm afraid there's much more heartbreak and lost lives to come because of Trump.

I feel bad for him. He obviously didn't know what he was doing. I feel much sorrier for his daughter though.

[Fantastic Anarchist]

112. I hate to say this ...

But people like your cousin only get it when it affects them. They don't give a shit when it's other people. Your cousin is an asshole like the rest of the morons that voted for Trump.

[mickmten]

113. All is not lost...

there's always the tax break she might get. That's always the bright side of any Republican bill, isn't it? But she has to keep the receipts, schedules, donations and all the other documentation her CPA might require. It's all good. (In my mind I'm seeing Ryan smiling and smiling.)

[sarcasmo]

115. "Oh I know" the rubes fell for a snake oil salesman.

[TexasBushwhacker]

140. But while they regret voting for Trump

good luck finding one of them that wishes they voted for Clinton.

[adigal]

118. Oh, well. Tell him that I hope he lives in a blue state, they may step in for her

Otherwise, he was TOLD what Trump would do, so I really can't spare any compassion for them. My compassion is for those who fought Trump's election and will suffer.

[DownriverDem]

123. Sadly, too darn bad

We were all warned. It's not just the trump supporters. We wouldn't be discussing trump if folks had realized much of what Bernie wanted was in the Dem Party Platform. Those ideas are what Hillary ran on. I will never get folks not voting for HRC. We are all going to suffer thanks to folks who were blind to the truth about the Dems.

[TexasBushwhacker]

124. The thing is, we are all "actuarial nightmares"

Perhaps not young, healthy white males, but everyone else is. If we aren't now, we will be.

[classykaren]

125. That must be a win for him.

[Hekate]

126. I'm so sorry about your niece, msanthrope. I hope she survives okay...

All the rest I can't even think of what to say, except I'm sorry, and it's sad to see the the cruelty of some of the responses here, though in many cases I think it is borne of sheer frustration.

[msanthrope]

131. I don't think a single actual DUer would ever turn my cousin, or his daughter away.

We are expressing frustration. Horror.

Love and kindness. Right?

[Blue_true]

142. Your idea about relatives in blue states may be her best hope.

She is more likely to live near a Planned Parenthood in a blue state, there she can get low cost prenatal care. If she moves soon enough, she may qualify for medical assistance with the birthing hospital bills and get the baby inexpensive care after he or she is born.

[The Sand Reckoner]

150. It's all a matter of priorities

I would spend all the love and kindness, all of the energy and resources I had helping as many people who didn't vote for this lying, bigoted, psychopathic piece of crap as possible before I would help a single one who did. Once I've helped each and every one of the Clinton voters who needs it (once Trump and his Nazi horde are done with them), then and only then, if there's anything left, Trump supporters can get in line. Until then, they can revel in the sublime justice of living in the world they said they wanted.

[wryter2000]

129. They should both call their Senators

We only need three Republicans to jump ship, and many are already leaning toward voting against this abomination.

[Skittles]

130. only when his daughter becomes one of THOSE PEOPLE

does he GET IT

I feel bad for him and his daughter but the selfishness of Trump voters is mind-boggling

[Warren DeMontague]

136. ...

[Doreen]

147. When it happens to your own only then do you care.

[Major Nikon]

151. I watched a good part of that interview

Most of it was Tucker giving Trump a handjob. This short excerpt was his attempt at not throwing all softballs and pretty much the only example. I'm sure in retrospect he regrets overshooting the mark.