"Obamacare"

[kim carnes]

I like the law.  The fact that people from both parties hate it tells me that its a good all around law that doesn't favor one side over the other, and as a moderate, thats what I strive for.  Kudos to Obama (i'm being serious).

[john "teach me how to" dougie]

I like the law.  The fact that people from both parties hate it tells me that its a good all around law that doesn't favor one side over the other, and as a moderate, thats what I strive for.  Kudos to Obama (i'm being serious).

If both parties dislike it that means it's a bad law and never should have passed, and this one wouldn't have if the truth had been told. Nobody actually read and understood what it was, and still don't. A good law is one that gets at least a majority of both parties to vote yes after reading.

[Rage Against the McKee]

You know, one of the major PR blunders of Obamacare is that a lot of the self-insured who are getting screwed happen to be journalists. Oops.

Another liberal gets a face full of reality: http://observer.com/2013/11/my-obamacare-cancellation/

"Seething at a President I helped elect."
By oscar Barcott

We received the letter in the mail a couple months ago. The good people at Regence Bluecross Blueshield were pleased to inform us that due to Obamacare our current low-monthly premium, comically-high deductible medical policy would no longer exist come January 1, 2014. Pleased, because a new and better plan would be offered in its place. Old monthly premium: $578 for a family of four (non-smoking, helmet-wearing, and paternally snipped). New premium: $1,123. A 94% increase.

Once the sound of boiling blood dissipated, in my head I heard my Republican friends chuckling at the sight of a liberal Democrat hoisted ten stories high on his own petard. How’s the view up there, Obamacare Ollie?

For the past 15 years my wife and I have made our living as freelance writers. (To young readers, I say: Do not do this. Your bliss is marvelous, but its following will need to be supported by a banker, plumber, union machinist or tenured faculty member.) As such, our health insurance is our own concern. Over the years we’ve held on to our coverage by letting our co-pay and deductible rise and our covered procedures fall. You may be aware that the three-tiered state exchange policies are labeled Gold, Silver, and Bronze, reflecting their price and level of coverage. If our policy still existed it would fall into the column of Wood.

But Wood we had—and Wood we liked. No more. O.K., into the state exchange we go. I voted for it. Fair enough.

...Back to the exchange website. Enter birth dates, zip code, tobacco use, yadda yadda, monthly income. Stop. Ponder.

Which month, brother? For that matter, which year? Do you want gross, net, before SE (self-employment tax, a k a Social Security payments) or after? AGI (adjusted gross income) from last year’s 1040?

For every business futurist who hails the coming of the independent contracting economy, the future that is The Brand of You, there are thousands of us out here actually building The Brand of You. It ain’t an easy hustle. If you want to get an idea of our monthly and yearly incomes, imagine a sine wave drawn by a drunken sailor. Last year my wife and I, we made out all right. This year’s kinda lean. Which year did the exchange want? Unclear.

I went to a friend and colleague—let’s call him Peter—for advice. He also had his individual medical policy cancelled because of Obamacare. “I’m stuck on the same question—income,” he told me. Peter does a little writing, a little farming, a little this and that to keep the ship afloat. “I got through to the exchange, and the woman there told me to just estimate what my income would be this year.” In other words: Make it up. If he overestimated, he’d be screwing himself out of a subsidy, Peter said. If he underestimated, he’d be hit with a big fat bill. He wasn’t sure he wouldn’t also be accused of fraud. So he called his accountant, who’s also a lawyer.

That only got him so far. At a certain point in the conversation, the accountant/lawyer had to get off the phone. “I have to stop answering your questions,” he told Peter. “I can’t ethically advise you, because honestly I don’t know the right thing to do. Nobody does. There are no answers. Right now it’s a complete clusterfuck.” 

Last week the frustration of people like Peter and me—Obamacare supporters who lost their current plans—was heard by the White House, which promptly panicked. On Thursday, President Obama announced a policy change that would allow insurance companies like Regence to keep customers like me on the old Wood plan for one more year. To that I say: Hah! Thanks for nothing.

The idea that an insurer like Regence can, or will, spin on a dime and revive our ol’ $587 Woody within the next six weeks is absurd. It skews the market and undermines the entire premise of the Affordable Care Act – which is that by balancing the halt (allowing pre-existing conditions) and the hale (forcing robust young adults to get in the pool), the exchanges will over time produce a system that offers quality health care at a price my family can afford. :captainobvious:

Why wouldn't they just go off your reported income from the previous year? That would be the only figure that makes any sense whatsoever.

[star seed 7]

I like the law.  The fact that people from both parties hate it tells me that its a good all around law that doesn't favor one side over the other, and as a moderate, thats what I strive for.  Kudos to Obama (i'm being serious).

If both parties dislike it that means it's a bad law and never should have passed, and this one wouldn't have if the truth had been told. Nobody actually read and understood what it was, and still don't. A good law is one that gets at least a majority of both parties to vote yes after reading.

i dunno... everyone hates speed limits, but they are probably pretty good to have.

[john "teach me how to" dougie]

I like the law.  The fact that people from both parties hate it tells me that its a good all around law that doesn't favor one side over the other, and as a moderate, thats what I strive for.  Kudos to Obama (i'm being serious).

If both parties dislike it that means it's a bad law and never should have passed, and this one wouldn't have if the truth had been told. Nobody actually read and understood what it was, and still don't. A good law is one that gets at least a majority of both parties to vote yes after reading.

i dunno... everyone hates speed limits, but they are probably pretty good to have.

Are speed limits voted on?  I would try another analogy.

[kim carnes]

I like the law.  The fact that people from both parties hate it tells me that its a good all around law that doesn't favor one side over the other, and as a moderate, thats what I strive for.  Kudos to Obama (i'm being serious).

If both parties dislike it that means it's a bad law and never should have passed, and this one wouldn't have if the truth had been told. Nobody actually read and understood what it was, and still don't. A good law is one that gets at least a majority of both parties to vote yes after reading.

i dunno... everyone hates speed limits, but they are probably pretty good to have.

Are speed limits voted on?  I would try another analogy.

U smell, how is that for an analogy you conservative nut job

[john "teach me how to" dougie]

I like the law.  The fact that people from both parties hate it tells me that its a good all around law that doesn't favor one side over the other, and as a moderate, thats what I strive for.  Kudos to Obama (i'm being serious).

If both parties dislike it that means it's a bad law and never should have passed, and this one wouldn't have if the truth had been told. Nobody actually read and understood what it was, and still don't. A good law is one that gets at least a majority of both parties to vote yes after reading.

i dunno... everyone hates speed limits, but they are probably pretty good to have.

Are speed limits voted on?  I would try another analogy.

U smell, how is that for an analogy you conservative nut job

 

[star seed 7]

 

[K-S-U-Wildcats!]

California says "no" to "the fix." http://talkingpointsmemo.com/dc/covered-california-obamacare-fix-decision

Seems like the blue states are generally balking at the fix because it undermines Obamacare, while the redder states are more inclined to at least try to accommodate the fix... because it undermines Obamacare. For example, Missouri's insurance commissioner announced that it will allow its insurers to keep offering their old plan - whether they can or will is another matter.

[kim carnes]

California says "no" to "the fix." http://talkingpointsmemo.com/dc/covered-california-obamacare-fix-decision

Seems like the blue states are generally balking at the fix because it undermines Obamacare, while the redder states are more inclined to at least try to accommodate the fix... because it undermines Obamacare. For example, Missouri's insurance commissioner announced that it will allow its insurers to keep offering their old plan - whether they can or will is another matter.

   @ the red states

[Fake Sugar Dick (WARNING, NOT THE REAL SUGAR DICK!)]

We need to pass a law that makes it illegal for insurance to be expensive.

[Rage Against the McKee]

We need to pass a law that makes it illegal for insurance to be expensive.

Maybe we should just get rid of insurance altogether.

[wetwillie]

We need to pass a law that makes it illegal for insurance to be expensive.

Maybe we should just get rid of insurance altogether.

survival of the fittest, i like where you are going with this.

[star seed 7]

We need to pass a law that makes it illegal for insurance to be expensive.

Maybe we should just get rid of insurance altogether.

it's mind blowing that health insurance is even a thing.

[K-S-U-Wildcats!]

We need to pass a law that makes it illegal for insurance to be expensive.

Maybe we should just get rid of insurance altogether.

it's mind blowing that health insurance is even a thing.

Totally, right? Healthcare should be free for all.

[Rage Against the McKee]

We need to pass a law that makes it illegal for insurance to be expensive.

Maybe we should just get rid of insurance altogether.

it's mind blowing that health insurance is even a thing.

Totally, right? Healthcare should be free for all.

Maybe it just shouldn't cost as much as it does.

[john "teach me how to" dougie]

We need to pass a law that makes it illegal for insurance to be expensive.

Maybe we should just get rid of insurance altogether.

it's mind blowing that health insurance is even a thing.

Totally, right? Healthcare should be free for all.

It makes even more sense that auto insurance be free for all since you have no control over other cars.

[Rage Against the McKee]

We need to pass a law that makes it illegal for insurance to be expensive.

Maybe we should just get rid of insurance altogether.

it's mind blowing that health insurance is even a thing.

Totally, right? Healthcare should be free for all.

It makes even more sense that auto insurance be free for all since you have no control over other cars.

So you have complete control over your health? Why do we have emergency rooms?

[Fake Sugar Dick (WARNING, NOT THE REAL SUGAR DICK!)]

God, idiots. If you make getting sick illegal nobody needs insurance. Clearly the solution here is more government intervention, e.g. making it illegal to get sick.

[Fake Sugar Dick (WARNING, NOT THE REAL SUGAR DICK!)]

I mean, its illegal to get in a car wreck and as a result we have none of those.  If getting sick were illegal only criminals would get sick and who cares if a criminal dies.

[Rage Against the McKee]

Serious responses only, FSD.

[Fake Sugar Dick (WARNING, NOT THE REAL SUGAR DICK!)]

How is my response any less serious than the subject of the OP?

[Rage Against the McKee]

How is my response any less serious than the subject of the OP?

Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't realize that you actually wanted to criminalize getting sick.

[Fake Sugar Dick (WARNING, NOT THE REAL SUGAR DICK!)]

How is my response any less serious than the subject of the OP?

Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't realize that you actually wanted to criminalize getting sick.

Seems like a practical alternative to criminalizing not buying insurance.

[Rage Against the McKee]

How is my response any less serious than the subject of the OP?

Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't realize that you actually wanted to criminalize getting sick.

Seems like a practical alternative to criminalizing not buying insurance.

Maybe in your mind it does.