It is a fact that implementation of a law as complex as the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare) would be slow and complex. It becomes even more complex when there exists a Republican Party that is intent on sabotaging it for fear that it will lead to the creation of a completely new healthcare paradigm. They fear a paradigm where obscene profits are not made on the backs of the sick. They fear a paradigm where the sick can no longer be commoditized but instead healed.
To date most of the news on Obamacare that matters have been good. It was reported that rates in California, Oregon, and New York were much less than expected. The New York Times Editorial Board reported in their article ‘The Good News On Insurance’ the following.
Before the House vote, officials in New York State said they had approved premium rates for 2014 that are at least 50 percent lower on average than those currently available. In New York City, individuals who now pay $1,000 a month or more will be able to find policies on the health exchanges — online marketplaces where they can comparison shop for plans — for as little as $308 a month.
The Obama administration followed with an analysis on Thursday showing that individual premiums in 10 states — including California, New York, Ohio, Colorado, Virginia and Washington — and the District of Columbia will be 10 percent to 18 percent less, on average, than projections the administration derived from estimates by the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office. (Because these are averages, some people in these may pay more.) The costs for most individuals buying coverage on the new exchanges will be reduced even further by federal premium subsidies available on a sliding scale, for those with incomes up to $94,200 for a family of four. [source]
What is evident is that in states where politicians drop ideological obstructions and work in concert with the law to help their citizens, the moral thing to do, progress is made. For those in states where politicians’ ideological blinders are worn, their citizens suffer. Texas is a state where over 25% of its population is uninsured and many more are underinsured, yet Governor Rick Perry refuses to accept Obamacare dollars to expand Medicaid that would help millions of Texans under false ideological pretenses.
The implementation of Obamacare will not be easy. It will have many snafus. The mainstream media which should be a fair arbiter in political debates concentrate on snafus and Republican obstruction tactics instead of informing citizens of the realities about Obamacare. Obstacles placed by Right Wing Republicans who have never offered a credible solution to America’s healthcare debacle are not covered with the analysis warranted, an analysis that would illustrate that in healthcare chaos their backers reap large financial rewards.
To be clear, Obamacare is the best option America has now. It forbids insurance companies from rescinding policies that ultimately promotes personal bankruptcies. It prevents insurance companies from denying coverage even if one has a pre-existing condition. It lowers rates by creating exchanges where insurance companies compete for customers (this is working in real terms). It forces insurance companies to include disease screening with their plans at no additional cost. It allows children to be on parents’ health insurance policies till age 26. It prevents insurance companies from just pocketing ones premium, requiring them to spend at least 80% of premiums on healthcare. It subsidizes premiums based on income to ensure affordability for the rich, the middle class, and the poor.
As problems are encountered a responsible congress should act to fix not sabotage it. Forget about the media and the naysayers. Learn what Obamacare has to offer you here. Unfortunately those opposing the bill have nothing to offer. The media is derelict in its duty to inform the citizenry of that fact.
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