How to Protect Yourself From Obamacare

[Conan71]

Looks like the state legislature approved the Oklahoma Obamacare opt-out today.  It will go to a vote of the people in November. 

I know it may be a waste but 59% of the public (according to CNN today) and 37 State governments on the record, is a pretty strong case for repeal.

Any time 216 or so Americans make decisions like this for another 304mm Americans and massive amounts of of time and money have been spent to affect the outcome, to the seeming benefit of some corporate interests and a relative minority of the people, this is going to be the outcome.

The states have somewhat of a leg to stand on here since Medicaid is essentially administered through state-sponsored programs which, ostensibly, provide coverage currently for many of those 32 million Americans who don't have health insurance.  Yes, I understand Sooner Care is not the best thing in the world, but I honestly cannot see how these mandates are going to make things better.  Insurance companies aren't a vastly better alternative to getting lost in a government shuffle.

[fotd]

Tear it up....

[Red Arrow]

Well, at least now that health care has passed, we can find out what's in it.  That is, unless Speaker Pellosi was telling an untruth about not knowing what's in it until it was passed.

[nathanm]

That's a conservative paper.

A conservative paper touting an "analysis" by "minority staffers," no less.

We'll see what the climate for repeal looks like in 2011, when people can see with their own eyes what's happening rather than relying on partisan fearmongering.

And Gaspar, the TSA isn't very large when you compare it to all the private employees who were previously performing that function. The number is large because it is one organization (that I hate with all my being!) employing the entirety of the day-to-day airline security apparatus, plus a bunch of other people for other modes of transport.

As for now, I'm happy we'll finally get some cost controls on insurance company administrative overhead. They'll be forced to bargain down prices with drug makers and medical device manufacturers, as it'll be the only way to actually grow their share of the health care pie. Between that and the incentives to get more doctors into general practice, I think the bill can do a lot of good, even discounting the insurance subsidies and what have you.

I had, somewhat to my shame, bought into a lot of the less insane Republican talking points about what was missing from the bill. Turns out, they were lying once again.

[Conan71]

Cost controls??!!  What stretch of the imagination led you to that conclusion?  I'm waiting for the excuses to start once people who bought this load of crap see it for what it really is. I'm 99% certain that any modifications brought in the Senate to placate Republicans will be blamed, not the original pile of a bill.

[nathanm]

Cost controls??!!  What stretch of the imagination led you to that conclusion?

When you stop foaming at the mouth, please explain your question so I can understand where your objection lies.

And just for fun: Polls show that the majority of Americans either support the healthcare bill or don't support it because it's not liberal enough. Only 36% oppose it because it is too left-wing.

[guido911]

How to Protect Yourself From Obamacare?  I do not know about you, but I am becoming Amish so i can get an exemption.

[JeffM]

Cost controls??!!  What stretch of the imagination led you to that conclusion?  I'm waiting for the excuses to start once people who bought this load of crap see it for what it really is. I'm 99% certain that any modifications brought in the Senate to placate Republicans will be blamed, not the original pile of a bill.

Thank you for showing your TRUE PARTISAN HACK SELF.  
Oh, yeah... you're a moderate....  

[JeffM]

How to Protect Yourself From Obamacare?  I do not know about you, but I am becoming Amish so i can get an exemption.

Don't let the door hit ya where the good Lord split ya.......

[JeffM]

When you stop foaming at the mouth, please explain your question so I can understand where your objection lies.

And just for fun: Polls show that the majority of Americans either support the healthcare bill or don't support it because it's not liberal enough. Only 36% oppose it because it is too left-wing.

+10

[Conan71]

Show me the cost controls. They don't exist from what I have managed to read of it so far.  How does forcing insurance companies to accept risks which they deemed unreasonable before siluddenly make them more cost efficient, therefore driving down drug and treatment costs?  Talk about voodoo...

59% of Americans oppose this legislation. That's the most relevant poll at the moment in taking the pulse of America.

Polish this turd all you like. It will always be a turd. FYI Caterpillar is saying this legislation will increase their payroll costs by $100mm per year. Mexico & China are going to love this bill. Almost makes me wish I had a contruction business in northern Mexico. Ooops almost forgot about even more call center jobs going to the Phillipnes and India when mandates hit. Come on Cap And Trade!  Let's see how much more business  we can send outside the US. 

[guido911]

Don't let the door hit ya where the good Lord split ya.......

Are you STILL coming in here? You really must be a glutton.

[JeffM]

 

[nathanm]

Show me the cost controls. They don't exist from what I have managed to read of it so far.  How does forcing insurance companies to accept risks which they deemed unreasonable before siluddenly make them more cost efficient, therefore driving down drug and treatment costs?  Talk about voodoo...

59% of Americans oppose this legislation. That's the most relevant poll at the moment in taking the pulse of America.

Polish this turd all you like. It will always be a turd. FYI Caterpillar is saying this legislation will increase their payroll costs by $100mm per year.

OK, I'll show you cost controls:

Require health plans to report the proportion of premium dollars spent on clinical services, quality, and other costs and provide rebates to consumers for the amount of the premium spent on clinical services and quality that is less than 85% for plans in the large group market and 80% for plans in the individual and small group markets. (Requirement to report medical loss ratio effective plan year 2010; requirement to provide rebates effective January 1, 2011)

I take it Caterpillar chooses not to provide its employees health insurance? Or are they planning to pay the increased payroll tax on their executives out of company funds?

And regarding polls: No, including people who oppose it because it's not liberal enough is completely disingenuous. It's like saying Hitler and Stalin were buddies.

Given a better bill, I would oppose the reform as passed. There was no better bill, so I'm happy we got what we did.

If you're trying to prevent offshoring of jobs, opposing health care reform is not the way to go about it. Single payer is. As are restrictive tariffs on imports coming from countries where workers make too little money. The numbers are not in our favor on that front no matter what we do. Unskilled labor is simply not economical to do here when there are other options. I wish it weren't true, but that's the cost of free trade.

Edited to add: And if the bill is so bad for business, why is the stock market at a 17 month high? 

[guido911]

Cost controls??!!  What stretch of the imagination led you to that conclusion?  I'm waiting for the excuses to start once people who bought this load of crap see it for what it really is. I'm 99% certain that any modifications brought in the Senate to placate Republicans will be blamed, not the original pile of a bill.

I really wish you would stop with the sugar coating and tell us what your real feelings are about this bill.