Affordable Care Act (AKA Obamacare)

[pioneer98]

But, hey, at least insurance companies are still getting their money.

Interestingly, most of the giant insurance companies are choosing not to compete on the exchanges Obamacare is creating. So yeah, "insurance companies" are still getting money, but they are smaller, startup-types that are really trying to compete in the exchanges. I read that Cigna, UnitedHealth, Aetna, etc, all chose not to offer anything on the exchanges (in Califonria at least - I assume they'd make the same decision elsewhere). I think it shows 2 things: 1) It shows these insurance companies are unwilling to innovate and would rather sit back and defend their employer-based insurance turf. We'll see how that works out - it could be a tragic mistake for them in the long run and 2) It's more circumstantial evidence that shows that Obamacare may actually be a pretty big break from what we've had in the past.

I agree that Obamacare is not a cure-all, and just a first step. I'm sure you can find problems of waste in single-payer systems, too. There is no "perfect" system...but almost anything is better (cheaper, with better outcomes) than what we have in the USA.

[Joe Shlabotnik]

That said, there are certainly cases where people just need to die and not be artificially kept alive. Maybe those instances are what the scare tactics were aimed at. I don't know. But...at some point people need to face reality and not be so afraid of death.

I agree with you but man oh man. My brother's second child was a girl with a non-functioning heart. She was kept alive for 6 months and multiple surgeries to try to fix things. I don't know if I could have held on like they did. One of the most heroic things I've seen. And right now, a 14 year old friend of my daughter's is fighting for her life against leukemia and complications of chemo that have her hanging by a thread. The updates we get from the parents are heart-wrenching. She's had pneumonia and the last week has seen her have many small strokes. The girl is suffering incredibly and the doctors are surprised she's still alive. My wife and I wonder what the best course of action would be. We both believe death shouldn't be feared and how much suffering is too much? I don't know how you make those kinds of calls.

[heyzeus]

Next time someone tells you that the shutdown is the right thing because "52% of Americans are against Obamacare!!!!" just show them this.

http://gawker.com/kimmel-asks-americans ... 1433866673

oh, and this.

http://www.nbcnews.com/health/whats-nam ... 8C11270154

[pioneer98]

Next time someone tells you that the shutdown is the right thing because "52% of Americans are against Obamacare!!!!" just show them this.

http://gawker.com/kimmel-asks-americans ... 1433866673

oh, and this.

http://www.nbcnews.com/health/whats-nam ... 8C11270154

It's totally fine to take this stance on Obamacare based on one misinterpreted poll. But gay marriage or immigration or wars or anything else? Polls on those topics must be ignored, along with any polls that say Republican candidates are losing an election.

[Valpo Cardinal Fan]

The Affordable Care Act scares me but I'm all for Obamacare.

The one that scares me the most is Boehnercare and the inevitalbe mispronunciations.

[IMADreamer]

I knew a guy who fell once during sex and had to get Bonercare. Sounded painful.

[Valpo Cardinal Fan]

A friend of my wife is an ER nurse. One time this guy came in with an engorged penis (blood vessels broken, torn muscles and in extreme pain). After getting his pain under control they finally asked him how he got it in that condition. He said it impressed the girls when he "cracked" his penis like a knuckle. Eventually he did it one too many times. He had to have surgery to repair the muscles and blood vessels.

A mid-phallus injury?

[pioneer98]

The Onion - How Obamacare Exchanges Work

What will these plans cost?
The price of liberty, freedom, and the American way of life.

Who is eligible to receive insurance via these exchanges?
Definitely not Nana. In fact, you’re better off just saying goodbye to Nana now and getting it over with.

Who provides the insurance?
Walmart.

Will I be able to see any doctor I want?
No, your physician is Dr. Michael Possin. Call his office for an appointment.

Will my spouse be covered?
Carol said yes? Oh my God, congratulations!

[Socnorb11]

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2013/10/0 ... w#comments

Dear GOP,

For a crowd that loves to bray about the Constitution, it seems you have misplaced your copy. How else to explain your bizarre efforts to destroy the world unless you get your way?


You don't like the Affordable Care Act. You've made it obvious. But it was passed the correct way, in a Congress that generally doesn't pass s***. It made it through the House, and it made it through the Senate. It wasn't passed in the "dead of night", nor was it "rammed down" anyone's throat like you jokers like to claim. It passed only after an excruciating 14-months of debate and negotiations. But all your hysterical shrieking about death panels and communism couldn't stop it. Finally, the president signed it into law.
Us liberals weren't thrilled when it passed. Just relieved. We didn't get anything near what we wanted. After all, we're not in the business of fighting for Heritage Foundation-created ideas championed by the likes of Newt Gingrich and first adopted by Republican governors (the guy you nominated, in fact!). If we couldn't get single payer, we at least wanted a public option—an expansion of Medicare for all. But alas, we went to D.C. with the Congress we had, not the one we wanted. And really, given the dysfunction in D.C., it's amazing we got anything at all.

So now that the law is about to be fully implemented, you're still not happy. You're still shrieking about death panels and communism, and even the death of freedom! Yeah, yeah, we get it. The 42 (or whatever) votes in the House to repeal Obamacare have made it very clear.

But here's the thing: If you want to truly get rid of the law, you have to do it the proper way, as specified in that Constitution you pretend to cherish. Those House votes? Those are a good start! Great job! You're a third of the way there. Because you still have to get that bill passed by the Senate. And then, you have to get the president to sign it. And if the president doesn't sign it, then you have to overturn that veto which requires a two-thirds majority, which you don't have even in the House.

So what are your options? Certainly not shut down the government and threaten a national default on our debt. That's not in that Constitution (seriously, read it!). Your options are to win some elections. Hold that ill-gotten gerrymandered-fueled majority in the House. Get a simple majority in the Senate and then get rid of the filibuster. Seriously, get rid of it. I won't complain. Then win the presidency. You'll have a better shot at that if you don't nominate Ted Cruz, and you might want to broaden your appeal by being less of a bunch of [expletive]. But really do what you must. I'm not in the habit of giving you guys advice. Just anvils.

What I do want to do is remind you that there's a right way to get rid of laws, and the undemocratic, extra-constitutional way you are trying to do it now.

If you really truly believe that America is behind you, then you're golden. 2014 and 2016 will bear that out and you'll have all the governmental control you'll need to repeal to your heart's content. So put your trust on that American public you so fervently believe is behind you and let the chips fall where they may.

[Radbird]

What else did you expect from the Daily Kommunist?