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Obamacare: America's Third-Fastest Expansion of Health Insurance

37 points by nikunjk 12y ago

GabrielF00 12y ago
If the supreme court rules against the administration in King v. Burwell we'll see an absolute mess. Given the dynamics in Congress, there's no way that Congress will do a simple amendment to clarify that states that use their own exchanges get subsidies. There's no way that Obama will accept Congress gutting his biggest achievement. It's possible that some of the 34 states effected will create their own exchanges - and hopefully the courts will delay the ruling for enough time to allow this to happen smoothly - but in many states the animosity towards Obamacare is so strong that this will not be possible. It seems likely that the result will be that millions of people will suddenly lose access to health care. And when that happens a lot of people who have chronic conditions will just stop going to the doctor and filling their prescriptions. The American Public Health Association says that this will result in an additional 9,800 deaths per year (the figure is likely to be lower than that depending on how much mitigation can be done).
- zzalpha 12y ago
  And in those states where the animosity is that strong, hopefully democracy will prevail and the state will reflect the will of the voters, either by resisting an exchange because the people don't want it, or by voters altering the makeup of their state government so that an exchange will be established. Obamacare doesn't fundamentally implode if a large number of red states opt out. But you gotta wonder what will happen if suddenly large numbers of folks in those states lose their coverage. http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/jurisprudence/2015/03/red_states_will_suffer_if_the_supreme_court_overturns_obamacare_in_king.html http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/jurisprudenc...
- deleted 12y ago
  [deleted]
- bnolsen 12y ago
  losing access to health insurance != losing access to health care. they aren't the same thing. I like having access to health care. obamacare has been making sure people are insured (sort of like having stock options) while actively denying people actual care. Targeting doctors who break quotas and other very bad things have been going on.
- deleted 12y ago
  [deleted]
rebootthesystem 12y ago
Obamacare is an abomination that needs to die a quick death before it does more damage to our country. People are getting insured on the backs of those nobody is talking about: The families who got royally shafted. The financial promise was a savings of $2,500 per family. Reality at my household and many others is quite different. Our premium went from $600 per month to over $1,200 a month. Our deductible from $5,000 per year to $9,000. And our co-pay is higher. This is otherwise known as a royal shafting. That's at least $12,000 per year instantly burned in exchange for exactly nothing. That's $12K per year not available for my kid's college fund or to buy any goods or services or to save away for a rainy day. The law, the process used to pass it, the lack of transparency and the lies to the American public make this nothing less than a disgusting abuse of power for political gain. I know most of you "kids" don't get it. Perhaps you can't imagine what it is like to have a family and, out of nowhere, have your government reach into your pocket and steal tens of thousands of dollars from you. And, at the same time, provide you with worst medical care options, having lied to you about all of it. Unkess you have that perpective my position is unlikely to make any sense to you. And the reasons for my deep sadness because of what we've allowed politicians to do to our country (regardless of affiliation) might not register with you for a decade or more. The damage done to this country by the current administration will require at least 25 years to repair, if ever. In about three decades you 20-somethings might just start to u derstand the significance of having entrusted the country to a man hardly qualified to run a cookie baking operation.
- portlander12345 12y ago
  A brief note: my partner's life was changed by access to Medicare. She has a common genetic condition that, had it continued to go untreated, would have left her crippled, unable to work, and in chronic pain within just a few more years. (She is 32). But the progress of the disease can be halted with medication. As it is, her life has been redeemed, yet she will still live with pain and impairment that could have been avoided if she could have received treatment as soon as symptoms started. My point is, it's unfortunate for you that you have to pay more. I hear you. But if money is the biggest thing you're worrying about, you've got it good. Do you _deserve_ to be healthy, when others are not? Did you earn your good genes? To put it bluntly, my partner's basic ability to function is more important than your kid's leg up in the economy known as a college fund. Look, your premiums are too damned high, it's true. The US spends an absurd amount on healthcare, with price gouging and profiteering on all levels. Obamacare was the politically-possible bandaid on this system. We should use it as a stepping stone to something that brings both cost and care into line. Even so, health is a value categorically above money, and it's important to keep that in mind.

37 points by nikunjk 12y ago

If the supreme court rules against the administration in King v. Burwell we'll see an absolute mess. Given the dynamics in Congress, there's no way that Congress will do a simple amendment to clarify that states that use their own exchanges get subsidies. There's no way that Obama will accept Congress gutting his biggest achievement. It's possible that some of the 34 states effected will create their own exchanges - and hopefully the courts will delay the ruling for enough time to allow this to happen smoothly - but in many states the animosity towards Obamacare is so strong that this will not be possible. It seems likely that the result will be that millions of people will suddenly lose access to health care. And when that happens a lot of people who have chronic conditions will just stop going to the doctor and filling their prescriptions. The American Public Health Association says that this will result in an additional 9,800 deaths per year (the figure is likely to be lower than that depending on how much mitigation can be done).

zzalpha 12y ago
And in those states where the animosity is that strong, hopefully democracy will prevail and the state will reflect the will of the voters, either by resisting an exchange because the people don't want it, or by voters altering the makeup of their state government so that an exchange will be established. Obamacare doesn't fundamentally implode if a large number of red states opt out. But you gotta wonder what will happen if suddenly large numbers of folks in those states lose their coverage. http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/jurisprudence/2015/03/red_states_will_suffer_if_the_supreme_court_overturns_obamacare_in_king.html http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/jurisprudenc...
deleted 12y ago
[deleted]
bnolsen 12y ago
losing access to health insurance != losing access to health care. they aren't the same thing. I like having access to health care. obamacare has been making sure people are insured (sort of like having stock options) while actively denying people actual care. Targeting doctors who break quotas and other very bad things have been going on.
deleted 12y ago
[deleted]

rebootthesystem 12y ago

Obamacare is an abomination that needs to die a quick death before it does more damage to our country. People are getting insured on the backs of those nobody is talking about: The families who got royally shafted. The financial promise was a savings of $2,500 per family. Reality at my household and many others is quite different. Our premium went from $600 per month to over $1,200 a month. Our deductible from $5,000 per year to $9,000. And our co-pay is higher. This is otherwise known as a royal shafting. That's at least $12,000 per year instantly burned in exchange for exactly nothing. That's $12K per year not available for my kid's college fund or to buy any goods or services or to save away for a rainy day. The law, the process used to pass it, the lack of transparency and the lies to the American public make this nothing less than a disgusting abuse of power for political gain. I know most of you "kids" don't get it. Perhaps you can't imagine what it is like to have a family and, out of nowhere, have your government reach into your pocket and steal tens of thousands of dollars from you. And, at the same time, provide you with worst medical care options, having lied to you about all of it. Unkess you have that perpective my position is unlikely to make any sense to you. And the reasons for my deep sadness because of what we've allowed politicians to do to our country (regardless of affiliation) might not register with you for a decade or more. The damage done to this country by the current administration will require at least 25 years to repair, if ever. In about three decades you 20-somethings might just start to u derstand the significance of having entrusted the country to a man hardly qualified to run a cookie baking operation.

portlander12345 12y ago
A brief note: my partner's life was changed by access to Medicare. She has a common genetic condition that, had it continued to go untreated, would have left her crippled, unable to work, and in chronic pain within just a few more years. (She is 32). But the progress of the disease can be halted with medication. As it is, her life has been redeemed, yet she will still live with pain and impairment that could have been avoided if she could have received treatment as soon as symptoms started. My point is, it's unfortunate for you that you have to pay more. I hear you. But if money is the biggest thing you're worrying about, you've got it good. Do you _deserve_ to be healthy, when others are not? Did you earn your good genes? To put it bluntly, my partner's basic ability to function is more important than your kid's leg up in the economy known as a college fund. Look, your premiums are too damned high, it's true. The US spends an absurd amount on healthcare, with price gouging and profiteering on all levels. Obamacare was the politically-possible bandaid on this system. We should use it as a stepping stone to something that brings both cost and care into line. Even so, health is a value categorically above money, and it's important to keep that in mind.