Learning the Hard Way
Over on Blue Delaware, pandora breaks down the Republican efforts to repeal the Affordable Care Act along with defunding Planned Parenthood.
If you, like me, have taken the time to “debate” merits and pitfalls of the Affordable Care Act with individuals opposed to it, take a look at this.I found this Facebook comment thread screenshot this morning. It’s not mine, I can’t vouch that it isn’t Photoshopped, but it does describe the level of understanding of the ACA most of its opponents share.
I hate to say it, but the only way the message will get across is if the ACA is repealed with no replacement and everyone on it loses their insurance. At least, it seems like the only way the message will be heard. Though, I’m partially expecting the newly insurance-less to blame Obama for their loss of coverage.
Excuse the foul language, please. (click image to enlarge)
Tags: ACA, Obamacare, Repeal, Republicans
Wow. Sadly, what would have been an Onion article a few short years ago, is reality now.
“Man who gets insurance through the ‘ACA’ thrilled with ‘Obamacare’ repeal”
If Obama and Clinton are for it, the entire brainless GOP (leadership and base) is against it. It may literally be time for President Obama to call for the repeal of the ACA with no replacement… and definitely NO SINGLE PAYER!
That comment. OMG, that comment. It says so much. I. Can’t. Even.
Thanks for the link, Brian!
“I hate to say it, but the only way the message will get across is if the ACA is repealed with no replacement and everyone on it loses their insurance. At least, it seems like the only way the message will be heard.”
We didn’t get the New Deal until we had starved for five years. It’s time for the hostages to stand up and fight for themselves.
The worst outcome will be if insurance and pharma companies demand that a version of Obamacare is kept up with even more corporate subsidies and even less consumer protection. Call it “junk Obamacare.” I don’t think we can keep Democrats from supporting that (and therefore owning it).
yeah well fuck that because I got my health insurance on the exchange and if I go without health insurance shit’s gonna get real ugly
Right off the bat things were doomed because foolish people decided to disregard the name “Affordable Care Act” and instead call this “Obamacare” which has always bothered me. If President Obama is somehow connected to anything then it has to be full of error, right? For 8 years this President has had to have the patience of a saint to deal with a congress who for the most part fought him every step of the way on nearly every single idea he presented.
No piece of legislation is ever perfect, but this one did a lot to benefit millions of people. And those people need to raise their voices, they need to be heard. The poor, the elderly and the young, all demographics which are so often forgotten about.
ACA expanded Medicaid for the poor. Now these are people with incomes at or below 138 percent of the federal poverty level. (Look up poverty levels and tell me if you could afford to pay rent let alone healthcare…http://familiesusa.org/product/federal-poverty-guidelines)
ACA made it so that those with pre-existing conditions cannot be denied. Now let’s think about this, what large portion of our population might have a pre-exisitng condition? Our seniors, our elderly, right? Medicare improvements made thanks to the ACA include access to preventive services and prescription drug coverage has lowered the out-of-pocket costs of millions of seniors. (Source: http://www.ncpssm.org/PublicPolicy/Medicare/Documents/ArticleID/216/How-the-Affordable-Care-Act-Helps-Seniors) 57 million senior citizens and disabled Americans are enrolled in Medicare.
And the young adults who have trouble getting a job straight out of college or high school. They will lose insurance, because it is the ACA which allowed them to remain on their parents insurance until the age of 26 years old.
Heaven forbid we make things easier for young people with college debt, older people living on fixed incomes or households who are living in poverty. How dare a President even suggest helping all of these millions of people!? It’s an outrage.
No. Not it’s humane. It’s compassionate. And any single person reading this blog knows someone who has been benefited by the ACA, and could some day end up being one of those millions of people.
End. Rant.
The equally stupid companion to this tragic misunderstanding:
“I’m not on Obamacare – I have Medicaid.”
The white trash rubes can’t even distinguish between the ACA and Obamacare..
Always fun to watch libs root for the suffering of working class folks who don’t understand the nuances of our health care debate
This post by Brian and the comments above by Mouse and Puck are pretty indicative of why we lost working class folk to trump or (more often than not) indifference to voting.
When people don’t understand complicated policy or political double talk, it’s our duty to explain these things, not ridicule.
I don’t think anyone is rooting for it. I think at this point nobody knows what else to do. Don’t let the crude anonymous internet comments fool you.
Also, I wouldn’t describe the expression ACA = ObamaCare as a nuance necessarily. We fought to get the working class and the poor subsidize/free health care and some seem not to care. Which I think you’ll agree is strange.
It’s also our duty to call out those that are just flat out wrong, even after multiple attempts at education. Any belief that you can re-educate everyone is delusion. There are those who will always double-down on what they “feel”. And nothing you say or do will change that. Hence the title of my post. Some have to learn it the hard way.
” some seem not to care. Which I think you’ll agree is strange.”
Nobody cares about good health care until they need it. And then there are the people who have it and don’t realize how it is paid for.
Hey Delaware Left: Define ‘working class folk’ for us please so we get a better handle on who we lost to Trump and/or apathy.
I never said that “we can re educate everyone” I said that we should try, but thanks for the strawman. The OP got duped by republican framing of the ACA and instead of attempting to explain, the anon commentators turned it into a dogpile. That shit drives people away which sucks when that clearly had the potential to be an ah ha moment for the OP.
Anyway, I’m glad that when I called you out you doubled down on what you felt
Wisdom doesn’t come easy. Often it requires being hit by the two-by-four of life.
In the context of this argument? I’m referring to the working class midwest voters that did not turn out in Wisconsin, Michigan, Iowa and Ohio. Turnout in all of those states fell by at least 2% in all of those states that went from Obama to Trump.
http://www.nytimes.com/2016/11/21/us/many-in-milwaukee-neighborhood-didnt-vote-and-dont-regret-it.html?_r=0
Is a nice boots on the ground report of the general feeling in Milwaukee, where Hilary didn’t bother to campaign or appeal to the (mostly) poc working class
Well Delaware Left, here’s the thing. I also didn’t say that *you* said we could re-educate everyone. You fashioned that straw man.
In all my experiences in educating upon and discussing the ACA, I have never been the first to engage in such a discussion. And I know I’ll never be the last, either. Again, the point of this post was and is the “a-ha moment” for some may only come once they no longer have what they depend on. For some, the a-ha moment is occurring now that Republicans have complete control over the federal government. And still for others, the a-ha moment came months ago when they walked into a doctor’s office and were able to get preventative care with $0 copay.
When I post about educating people and you respond “Any belief that you can re-educate everyone is delusion,” Who am I supposed to infer is the “you?”
I’d suggest taking accountability for the strawman, or spending some time working on your sentence structure so that your point comes across more clearly.
“When I post about educating people and you respond “Any belief that you can re-educate everyone is delusion,” Who am I supposed to infer is the “you?””
I can’t really help you with that. Thankfully, we have comments sections to help work things like this out in the event readers have questions.
DL, your suggestions are noted for future reference.
This is not necessarily a state issue but a federal one. If it was up to me, I would repeal the Second Amendment and replace it with guaranteed free healthcare for all.
When was the last time you “needed” a gun? When was the last time you needed healthcare?
I rest my case.
The Republicans, will come out with something much better than, the UN-Affordable Care Act.
Least we forget Jonathan Gruber’s statement; “the stupidity of the American.” people.”
I’ll be in that merry throng losing their insurance if the ACA goes down and I dare say thousands of fools will indeed blame Obama. Yes, their that stupid. A great many don’t even associate the ACA with Obamacare. It will hurt me greatly but I’d love to see them repeal and not replace the ACA, insurance markets would freak as would doctors and hospitals across the nation with phones exploding in offices all over Washington. If we’re going to suffer there should at least be some entertainment.
@Anono: How could we forget it when you display that stupidity every time you visit? You have never demonstrated any intelligence at all.
Ban this joker unless he comes up with an intelligent comment.
@Delaware Left: What makes you think any of these people can, or want to be, educated? Where’s the evidence?
How do you propose to educate these people, and to what end? How are you going to cut through the barriers they live behind that hasn’t been tried already?
@Anonymous. It’s a fact that Jonathan Gruber, made that statement in reference to the ACA and the American people!
I think it’s important for all to have AFFORDABLE healthcare! There are many parts of the ACA that I agree with; including per-existing conditions, keeping your children on till they are 26 and some other features.
Over the past years, my healthcare has gone up, 12%, 22.5% and 16.3%. My deductible has also rose significantly!
I’m hoping that something can be worked out, BETWEEN BOTH PARTIES, to come up with something better.
I know your mad at the outcome and for the record, I did not vote for Trump! Maybe it’s time to work together for the good of ALL!
Have a nice Day!
Yes, he made that statement. He clearly was talking about you.
I’m not “mad about the outcome.” I’m furious that people as stupid as you think they have a place in the conversation. You don’t.
The GOP had their chance to work on the ACA, which was a conservative plan in the first place. They had no complaints when Mitt Romney put it in place in Massachusetts. They opposed it solely because a Democrat was in office, and they didn’t want him to get credit for any bipartisan success. Why should Democrats act differently?
I don’t care who you voted for. My problem with you is that you’re not very educated and not very bright, but it doesn’t stop you from forming ill-informed opinions.
So, because the Republicans did not work with Obama. Then the Democrats should not work with Trump, now?
When then, will it be time to work together for the good of ALL?
Wow, you’re a quick study.
You don’t work with fascists. You destroy them.