The latest media meme: "Obamacare failure may save Trump".

[Funtatlaguy]

Omg....CNN and MSNBC are unwatchable today.
Obamacare rates going up 22% in 2017.
Can Trump successfully hang this around Hillarys neck?
They are all practically orgasmic.
For them, this is better than ten dumploads from Wikileaks.
They are saying this could be the thing to turn it all around for Trump.
I may vomit.

[writes3000]

1. No one watches these shows. It's virtually dead air.

[bmstee01]

2. Why the fuck

Would they release this before the election?

[helpisontheway]

3. Thank u! Stupid! This might gain traction..at least

people have already started voting. NOTHING IN THIS WORLD could EVER persuade me to vote for Donald. However, people that are struggling with healthcare costs might.

[tavernier]

8. My thoughts as well

Can someone explain the reasoning?

[MANative]

12. New premiums visible on the website exchanges as of today, when open enrollment begins. nt

[tavernier]

13. Ok, that makes sense.

Was the campaign prepared for the lousy timing, though?

[alcibiades_mystery]

15. Um, because this is the standard enrollment period for health insurance?

Derp.

If you're making decisions between employer and ACA plans, the enrollment periods have to coincide. Duh.

None of this is hard.

It's the same reason company enrollment periods coincide. Why now? Because that's when we set enrollments for the next year? Have you never done this before? Are you completely new to benefits enrollment procedures?

In any case, government would have no reason and no business "hiding" relevant information until after an election, and to suggest they should or would reads as awfully trolly. Just saying.

[helpisontheway]

17. I asked the question because I did not know

I don't know about enrollment periods and the stuff you mentioned because my husband is retired military. We have Tricare Prime and it automatically continues unless we want to change to Tricare standard or something. And we can make changes at any time. Anyway, someone said it was posted on the website so now I understand.

[alcibiades_mystery]

18. Well

I wasn't responding to you. Are you the same as bmstee01?

How odd.

[mrsv]

4. We won't need Obamacare if Trump wins

[doc03]

5. It sure won't help and the media is going to try and make it

an issue the next couple weeks.

[Awsi Dooger]

16. Yep, and also plastered in Trump commercials

It will cut into Hillary's margin somewhat but I expected a slight tightening anyway

[alcibiades_mystery]

6. Good luck with that

[The Prince Of Truth]

7. Do not worry about it, most people are focused on tonight's game.

[semby2]

9. Pathetic

The press is pathetic. They can't even discuss the actual issues involved here (which are important and should be discussed). Instead they can only report on horse race politics. They don't know how to do anything else.

If they discussed the actual issues in depth, it would benefit Democrats generally.

[wisteria]

10. Hillary Clinton has said it needs work.

Bill Clinton said Obama care needs work, the media even went after Clinton for suggesting this. But, they are already on record- ahead of this report, talking about the cost and lack of choices. And, No matter how many Affordable care act problems there may be, they do not make up for Trump's behaviors, temperament, and lies. How many people would be stupid enough to vote for Trump just because of this?

[NoGoodNamesLeft]

45. Yes, she has...but she needs to remind people of that and reassure voters

Because if she doesn't the people impacted by the rate increase will vote their wallets and in favor of the one who wants to repeal Obamacare and save them money.

This issue could lose the presidency for Clinton.

[lapfog_1]

11. Last death rattle by the MSM

mostly Fox, CNN, MSNBC... to make this look competitive for Trump.

The campaign is over. They know it. Only Donald and his most highly paid surrogates insist otherwise.

However, we must get out every voter that we can... Hillary must keep her foot on the slain beast. Let Obama (both of them) take care of the down ballot races. Let Elizabeth and Bernie and Joe take care of the Senate and House. Beat Rubio. Beat all of them. But get out the vote.

We need to go all Shaka Zulu on their ass.

[budkin]

14. They are salivating at the prospect of

"The greatest presidential comeback of all time!"

[vadermike]

19. Ummm

No But HRC and dem congress will tackle this January 21sr bet your bottom dollar they will !!

[stopbush]

20. Most Americans aren't on Obamacare. Most people get it thru their job.

The majority of people on Obamacare are on the Medicaid expansion. Those people pay no premiums.

This will effect only those people who are buying insurance thru the exchanges, which is a very small % of Americans.

This won't effect people in all those red states who didn't take the Medicaid expansion.

[Demsrule86]

25. My daughter is on Obamacare...her premiums did not go up. nt

[Demsrule86]

26. By the way, we looked into medicaid as my daughter had two broken ankles last fall,

You do pay something...you do pay a premium...it is just a subsidized premium that you can afford and usually there is no deductible or a very low deductible.

[stopbush]

32. I was on Medi-cal in 2014. I was out of work at the time.

I paid no premiums and had no deductible.

[Demsrule86]

39. Well everyone here I know who is on it pays a premium.

There are no deductibles . Of course, that is moot since despite Kasich's bullshit...they have one office who does unemployment, medicaid and social services here in Ohio...you can't even talk to them and have to wait for them to call...they kept asking for a W2...well my daughter couldn't work as she had broken her ankles (both), and thus had no W2...eventually we were able to use scholarship money as income and put her on Obamacare which has worked quite well. It was January with no action from the Medicaid folks...and to add insult to injury...they audited her that spring in school...another gift from the Kasich Minions where they 'randomly' pick people to force them to prove they are not liars and somehow gaming the system....basically saying she had other unreported income; she didn't. It took so long she lost her scholarship money...but she is a good student and the school stepped up. We play by the rules and follow the law. But here in Ohio...everyone is guilty until they prove themselves otherwise...thanks to Kasich and the GOP. They get away with it by pitting people against each other.

[stopbush]

41. Each state runs Medicaid the way they want, so there are differences.

We're lucky here in CA as the Ds run the show.

[NoGoodNamesLeft]

47. Many states did not expand Medicaid, though, and didn't set up an exchange

That is the problem. Florida is one of those states that did nothing...and is a battleground state.

This issue MATTERS.

[Joe941]

21. We need to take this seriously...

I can not afford ACA anymore. I'm getting killed on it. We need to push single payer to fix this!

[Demsrule86]

23. Certainly we need to fix it...

But unless we get the house there is no chance for single payer. However, the only thing worse is no insurance...going back to pre-existing etc.

[Joe941]

27. I predict we win both houses easily. This is going to be a...

GOP blood bath.

[Demsrule86]

40. I hope so...I don't know how much longer we can sustain the gridlock

in DC...and now the GOP has turned their attention to destroying the Supreme Court. They will not sit judges...why we don't need a Supreme Court...they are fascists at heart and dangerous as hell which they will unleash on this country unless we stop them.

[NoGoodNamesLeft]

48. Hillary can improve it by providing a public option

But her campaign needs to TELL VOTERS THAT or she will lose. My GOD I wish people here would take this seriously. I know people on the left think it's not a big deal and that everyone should know that...but do you know what? Swing voters Hillary NEEDS to vote for her DON'T just know that.

She.needs.to.reassure.voters.

[Demsrule86]

24. And you have 83 posts...

Welcome to DU...hmm...

[Eleanors38]

30. The newcomer (?) may be right. I'll take single-payer UHC in a moment.

[emulatorloo]

34. We all would. What is the political roadmap you have in mind?

Mine is evolving Obamacare.

[Eleanors38]

35. Evolving Obama Care is always an option, but my outlook is broader...

It would encompass a fundamental reform of the Democratic Party so that it provide a true alternative to the corporate outlooks which characterize both parties. That's another story. At a minimum, O Care should move toward incorporation within Medicare/Medicare, including competitive drug pricing, and cost ceilings. Most people don't want to give up LBJ's plan, and if all care came under its rubric, it would be politically easier to sell, and would move us closer to single-payer.

[emulatorloo]

37. The Democratic Party isn't the reason we don't have single payer

Insurance company lobbyists, Koch Brother type astroturfing like Americans for Prosperity, and the mighty Republican lie machine which ran an disinformation campaign to confuse and delude the public..

That's based on living through and observing the ACA battle Yes there were a handful of conserva Dems who weren't helpful. But if you are pointing the finger at the Democratic Party as the major culprit I just can't agree.

Nothing in my mind has changed in the political landscape and Republicans are never going to vote for single payer. That is why Republicans have to go.

I think that folding Obamacare into Medicare is a great idea, I think we are pretty much on the same page in where this this needs to go. People do know what Medicare is and they like it. Much harder for bad actors like Koch and insurance companies to lie and smear Medicare.

[Eleanors38]

55. It is not so much about "culprits," it is about the weakness of the Party...

due to its lack of clear, bright-line agenda which it can use to gain (or more accurately keep) a large constituency; in short, the Party is too weak to deal wth the cast iron mentality of the far right, let alone with the other players you mention. I commend Obama for trying, but he ain't no LBJ (IMO, he is too far "left" for what constitutes Party leadership).

[Fast Walker 52]

54. there are easier fixes than single payer, the main obstacle is the GOP

[Demsrule86]

22. My daughters insurance is not going up.

She is on Obamacare...one the other hand, my insurance through a job is going up by 1/3. Blame the GOP for not trying to make Obamacare work...you can not throw millions off their insurance...and most folks want it fixed not done away with so I don't think it will matter except to those who would vote for Trump anyway. I have not noticed anyone but Trump campaign on doing away with Obamacare. Both social security and Medicaid face issues when they first began...and this may very well lead to single payer in the end which thanks to Wiki, we know Hillary Clinton favors.

[PearliePoo2]

28. The panel on CNN was talking about this and one guest brought up the point that...

Dump is vague on a solution. He just says he'll "fix" it and care will be cheaper...blah...blah...blah. No specifics.
That's right. What the orange baboon offers is a big, fat, fucking "Nothing-Burger". All bullshit, as usual.

[Eleanors38]

29. Ahh, they're trying to pump political gas from the belly of a dead horse.

[doc03]

33. The media whores have rounded that 22% up to 25 % n/t

[CTyankee]

36. This whole thing is not the fault of Obamacare. It is the fault of Congress for stripping Obabacare

down and making it as difficult as they can for people in states where they desperately need it.

The facts were laid out by a guest on Morning Joe today. Joe sat in wooden silence...

[Blue_Roses]

38. Exactly.

nt

[NoGoodNamesLeft]

42. I've been pointing out for two days that this issue is IMPORTANT and she needs to address it

Since I'm not a democrat or even a liberal I have been attempting to point this out on here. I'm a true moderate swing voting Independent who is able to see both sides of political issues.

The Obamacare rates increase and problems MATTER to swing voters...the swing voters Hillary NEEDS to win. She NEEDS to get on top of this NOW.

To do that all she needs to do is say she recognizes that the rate increases and some insurers pulling out is a problem and that the program needs to be adjusted to fix any problems that arise. She just needs to cite the ways in which all major social programs have evolved over time for the same reason...Social Security faced the same type of issues. Then she just needs to spell out a few ideas or plans to address specific parts...and she needs to make this an official press release so the media talks about how she has a plan.

Right now Trump and his surrogates are beating her up on this issue and her campaign has no official response. It IS hurting her and it WILL only get worse.

It needs to be dealt with RIGHT NOW.

[Fast Walker 52]

53. I'm sure she's addressed it-- really, it's the fault of the GOP who won't fix it

And it's why we really need a new congress.

http://www.politico.com/magazine/story/2016/10/problems-obamacare-misunderstanding-healthcare-reform-214364

Good over-view of the current state of Obamacare and politics around it.

[Blue Idaho]

44. Looks like it wasn't even a one day story...

The good news about Trump is - he will step on his own messaging each and every day he's out there. Did you hear he wants to sue all the women he molested? Did you hear he wants to sue NBC for releasing the audio of him talking about wanting to grope, fuck, and fondle any woman close enough for him to grab just because he can? Yeah - me too...

[Joe941]

46. Maybe bump up the penalty big time...

So the young healthy people out there are forced to pay into the system. Its too expensive for me - we need to get more people in the system for it to work well!

[NoGoodNamesLeft]

49. No...that is a horrible idea

There needs to be a public option that allows people to pay on a sliding income based scale. This will force insurance companies to become more competitive.


I looked at Obamacare and I can't afford it and keep a roof over my head. The deductibles are too damn high. I would be paying a monthly fee for something I could not even use because I can't afford the deductible. If you fine people like me who cannot afford it and live in states that did NOT expand medicaid or make their own exchanges you would make my family homeless because we could not pay rent and the premiums. You can't just penalize people like that...it's the ONLY reason jackasses in the GOP get elected in the first place.

[Joe941]

51. I can't afford it either.

I won't have health insurance in 2017. Hope this gets fixed and I'm healthy in 2017!

[NoGoodNamesLeft]

52. It won't get fixed by Trump, that's for sure. Hillary and a Dem. Senate and House will fix it

She's a task master, so if it can be fixed, she'll be the one to do it...but she really needs to make a statement about this. It's SO important.

[Blue Idaho]

50. Maybe find out why the biggest increases

Seem to be found in states with GOP governors and legislatures?