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Obamacare has had one significant, lasting effect: culturally, the idea is now that everyone should have access to health care. That's the default. Bringing

by Frondo 10y ago

Obamacare has had one significant, lasting effect: culturally, the idea is now that everyone should have access to health care. That's the default. Bringing in a public option will be an easy, natural next step, if not for Clinton, then for whoever succeeds her.

VonGuard 10y ago
If Clinton brings us single payer, I will worship at her altar forever. She used to promise this stuff in the 90's, but basically gave it all up when she actually went into politics and gained public office, later saying single payer will not work. If she does get us single payer, she's the greatest trojan horse ever in American politics.
- nappy-doo 10y ago
  > If she does get us single payer, she's the greatest trojan horse ever in American politics. Arguably, that'd be Trump instead of Clinton.
  - VonGuard 10y ago
    I think Trump is more of an infected pot of filth catapulted over the walls... Not sure he's hiding much.
    - jessaustin 10y ago
      I'm torn. Sometimes I think Trump would be the most average President ever, and sometimes I think we have no idea at all what he would do. I'm quite sure it's unlikely he'll do anything that he's campaigned on. Wall-building is work.
sweettea 10y ago
I believe statistics say that expanding Medicaid added 8 million covered folks, about 15% of uninsured Americans, and otherwise Obamacare has only gotten an additional few percent of uninsured Americans to become insured. I don't think the norm is that everyone should have access to health insurance any more than it was before due to Obamacare's negligible increases in coverage. [http://www.heritage.org/research/reports/2014/10/obamacares-enrollment-increase-mainly-due-to-medicaid-expansion http://www.heritage.org/research/reports/2014/10/obamacares-...]
- Frondo 10y ago
  Oh, I'd agree completely that, as an implementation of universal health care, Obamacare falls far short. I always say, it's better than what preceded it, but that is a pretty low bar to achieve. (My own story: I had my gallbladder out in 2004, and from that time on was denied personal health insurance for BS "pre-existing condition" reasons...until Obamacare.) But while the implementation is pretty poor, the idea behind it is significant: everyone should have access to health care. Not just tied to a job, not just if you've got lots of money. It isn't working great, but that's the goal at least. I know there are still lots of people who come back with opposition to that idea (even in these comments a few people are trotting out the whole "universal health care is slavery" junk), but whatever, there are people who oppose all kinds of things. Obama shifted the playing field of expectations, and good things will come as a result of that. That's all I'm trying to say.
  - harryh 10y ago
    (My own story: I had my gallbladder out in 2004, and from that time on was denied personal health insurance for BS "pre-existing condition" reasons...until Obamacare.) Probably you were denied personal health insurance not for BS reasons, but because the insurance companies knew they would (probabilistically) lose money insuring you. But now under Obamacare, if they participate on the exchanges, they are obligated to sell to you. So, shockingly, we see that most companies operating on the exchanges lose money doing so. Your inability to get coverage before and the problems that Aetna is having today are very closely related.
    - eecc 10y ago
      you're suggesting the guy should throw himself off a cliff?
      - harryh 10y ago
        I'm not suggesting he do anything. In fact, I think his story is a great example of what makes the economics of health care so challenging. I was merely pointing out a connection from his personal story to the general topic of conversation that a lot of people don't seem to realize.
danielweber 10y ago
I have low-income friends who have no more access to health care now than they did 8 years ago. They either wade through Medicaid paperwork, or have huge deductible plans, or just have no insurance at all. (I don't know what they are doing about the penalty.)

by Frondo 10y ago

VonGuard 10y ago

If Clinton brings us single payer, I will worship at her altar forever. She used to promise this stuff in the 90's, but basically gave it all up when she actually went into politics and gained public office, later saying single payer will not work. If she does get us single payer, she's the greatest trojan horse ever in American politics.

nappy-doo 10y ago
> If she does get us single payer, she's the greatest trojan horse ever in American politics. Arguably, that'd be Trump instead of Clinton.
- VonGuard 10y ago
  I think Trump is more of an infected pot of filth catapulted over the walls... Not sure he's hiding much.
  - jessaustin 10y ago
    I'm torn. Sometimes I think Trump would be the most average President ever, and sometimes I think we have no idea at all what he would do. I'm quite sure it's unlikely he'll do anything that he's campaigned on. Wall-building is work.

sweettea 10y ago

I believe statistics say that expanding Medicaid added 8 million covered folks, about 15% of uninsured Americans, and otherwise Obamacare has only gotten an additional few percent of uninsured Americans to become insured. I don't think the norm is that everyone should have access to health insurance any more than it was before due to Obamacare's negligible increases in coverage. [http://www.heritage.org/research/reports/2014/10/obamacares-enrollment-increase-mainly-due-to-medicaid-expansion http://www.heritage.org/research/reports/2014/10/obamacares-...]

Frondo 10y ago
Oh, I'd agree completely that, as an implementation of universal health care, Obamacare falls far short. I always say, it's better than what preceded it, but that is a pretty low bar to achieve. (My own story: I had my gallbladder out in 2004, and from that time on was denied personal health insurance for BS "pre-existing condition" reasons...until Obamacare.) But while the implementation is pretty poor, the idea behind it is significant: everyone should have access to health care. Not just tied to a job, not just if you've got lots of money. It isn't working great, but that's the goal at least. I know there are still lots of people who come back with opposition to that idea (even in these comments a few people are trotting out the whole "universal health care is slavery" junk), but whatever, there are people who oppose all kinds of things. Obama shifted the playing field of expectations, and good things will come as a result of that. That's all I'm trying to say.
- harryh 10y ago
  (My own story: I had my gallbladder out in 2004, and from that time on was denied personal health insurance for BS "pre-existing condition" reasons...until Obamacare.) Probably you were denied personal health insurance not for BS reasons, but because the insurance companies knew they would (probabilistically) lose money insuring you. But now under Obamacare, if they participate on the exchanges, they are obligated to sell to you. So, shockingly, we see that most companies operating on the exchanges lose money doing so. Your inability to get coverage before and the problems that Aetna is having today are very closely related.
  - eecc 10y ago
    you're suggesting the guy should throw himself off a cliff?
    - harryh 10y ago
      I'm not suggesting he do anything. In fact, I think his story is a great example of what makes the economics of health care so challenging. I was merely pointing out a connection from his personal story to the general topic of conversation that a lot of people don't seem to realize.

danielweber 10y ago

I have low-income friends who have no more access to health care now than they did 8 years ago. They either wade through Medicaid paperwork, or have huge deductible plans, or just have no insurance at all. (I don't know what they are doing about the penalty.)