# What is your ongoing opinion of the Affordable Care Act? (Title Edited) **URL:** \ **Category:** Politics & Elections\ **Created:** [January 17, 2013, 11:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-ongoing-opinion-of-the-affordable-care-act-title-edited/647561 "2013-01-17T23:21:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 122
**Author:** ![adaher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@adaher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adaher)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2014, 2:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-ongoing-opinion-of-the-affordable-care-act-title-edited/647561/2422 "2014-05-24T14:04:38Z")
Every single one of the changes the President has made to ACA has been to get through the next election. Not to make the bill work better. If he actually prioritized making ACA work, he’d have pulled the band-aid off. A good example is the letting people keep their insurance in many states. While he had to do something to sorta keep his promise, defusing that little political problem created a real policy problem and thus a new political problem that he’s now solving in a way that will create other problems when the policy ends three years from now(just in time to get through the 2016 election). ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2014, 11:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-ongoing-opinion-of-the-affordable-care-act-title-edited/647561/2423 "2014-05-24T23:55:49Z")
> [@adaher](#): > > Every single one of the changes the President has made to ACA has been to get through the next election. Not to make the bill work better. If he actually prioritized making ACA work, he’d have pulled the band-aid off. Bull. Or cite. Every. Single. One. Cite. You make blanket claims like this, with such a history of factual wrongness, you better cite each one. ---
**Author:** ![jasg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f0a364/32.png) [@jasg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jasg)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2014, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-ongoing-opinion-of-the-affordable-care-act-title-edited/647561/2424 "2014-05-24T23:56:40Z")
This VOX article - [21 things Obamacare does that you didn’t know about](http://www.vox.com/2014/5/23/5735674/21-things-you-never-knew-obamacare-did) - pointed out a couple of things I had not seen before. Like in 2016, states can agree to let their residents buy approved ACA insurance plans across state lines. ---
**Author:** ![adaher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@adaher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adaher)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2014, 3:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-ongoing-opinion-of-the-affordable-care-act-title-edited/647561/2425 "2014-05-25T03:38:29Z")
> [@iiandyiiii](#): > > Bull. Or cite. Every. Single. One. Cite. You make blanket claims like this, with such a history of factual wrongness, you better cite each one. 1. The risk corridor change 2. Delaying the Medicare Advantage Cuts that were due in Oct. 2008. 3. Delaying when insurance companies had to submit their new premiums(didn’t work, thus the risk corridors change) 4. Allowing people to keep their plans in some states 5. Changing the latest Medicare Advantage cuts 6. Making it so that anyone can get out of the individual mandate this year by claiming hardship(evidence not necessary) 7. Delaying the employer mandate That’s just off the top of my head. I’d turn this challenge around on you though. Show me one change to ACA made by the administration that WASN’T politically motivated to just delay pain until after an election. ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2014, 11:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-ongoing-opinion-of-the-affordable-care-act-title-edited/647561/2426 "2014-05-25T11:46:07Z")
> [@adaher](#): > > 1. The risk corridor change > 2. Delaying the Medicare Advantage Cuts that were due in Oct. 2008. > 3. Delaying when insurance companies had to submit their new premiums(didn’t work, thus the risk corridors change) > 4. Allowing people to keep their plans in some states > 5. Changing the latest Medicare Advantage cuts > 6. Making it so that anyone can get out of the individual mandate this year by claiming hardship(evidence not necessary) > 7. Delaying the employer mandate > > That’s just off the top of my head. I’d turn this challenge around on you though. Show me one change to ACA made by the administration that WASN’T politically motivated to just delay pain until after an election. Fail, dude. ---
**Author:** ![2ManyTacos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/2/3da27b/32.png) [@2ManyTacos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/2ManyTacos)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2014, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-ongoing-opinion-of-the-affordable-care-act-title-edited/647561/2427 "2014-06-01T16:05:05Z")
As proof that I’m open to contrarian points of view, here’s a remarkably cynical article from Forbes that [paints a number of “alternative” futures for the ACA.](http://www.forbes.com/sites/theapothecary/2014/05/31/five-alternative-futures-for-obamacare/) Look, this jackass is obviously coming at this with his own stupid perspective, but for conservative anti-ACA crusaders, his vision likely resonates as gospel. Seriously, though, I cannot imagine that rampant ACA hatred will last beyond this year’s elections, let alone as another “referendum” in the 2016 POTUS race. I mean, I know that the idea of wiping Obama’s legacy from the history books makes the rightwing lunatics of this country absolutely crazy with glee, but the general public would not stand for that nonsense. Beyond that, as proof of my unrelenting nerdiness in terms of ACA issues, I actually went ahead and bought [this book](http://www.amazon.com/Fighting-Our-Health-Rockefeller-Institute/dp/1930912242/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1401638576&sr=8-1&keywords=fighting+for+our+health) the other day, which chronicles from the grassroots perspective the passage of the ACA in 2010. Looking forward to reading it. ---
**Author:** ![jasg](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f0a364/32.png) [@jasg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jasg)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2014, 10:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-ongoing-opinion-of-the-affordable-care-act-title-edited/647561/2428 "2014-06-01T22:27:53Z")
IMO, when you see ‘Contributor’ as a Forbes correspondant, it just is code for ‘Clickbait’. No journalism there so I just move along. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2014, 5:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-ongoing-opinion-of-the-affordable-care-act-title-edited/647561/2429 "2014-06-02T17:56:11Z")
I like the way McConnell wants to get rid of Obamacare altogether, but keep Kynect. 😃 [Some discussion](http://www.dailykos.com/story/2014/06/02/1303795/-NYT-Republicans-replace-repeal-with-incoherent-nbsp-mishmash?detail=hide) about how they’re looking like Wile E. Coyote holding the bomb they were gonna get the Roadrunner with. ---
**Author:** ![Fear\_Itself](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fear_itself/32/19637_2.png) [@Fear\_Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fear_Itself)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2014, 3:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-ongoing-opinion-of-the-affordable-care-act-title-edited/647561/2430 "2014-06-04T15:44:30Z")
[Four additional insurance companies rush to ready new Obamacare plans in New Hampshire.](http://finance.yahoo.com/news/obamacare-hampshire-going-change-drastically-135743694.html) During the first open enrollment period, there was only one insurance provider offering Obamacare plans in New Hampshire. When the second open enrollment begins in November, there will be five providers competing for the business of the newly insured, expanding the number of doctors and hospitals in the network. Obamacare will be a positive campaign issue for New Hampshire Democrats in November. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [June 4, 2014, 5:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-ongoing-opinion-of-the-affordable-care-act-title-edited/647561/2431 "2014-06-04T17:49:01Z")
Not good news for Scott Brown, whose entire campaign platform is “Repeal it all, then restore the parts you people tell me they like (even if it’s all of it)”. The barn jacket and the pickup truck aren’t enough to overcome that. ---
**Author:** ![adaher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@adaher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adaher)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2014, 5:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-ongoing-opinion-of-the-affordable-care-act-title-edited/647561/2432 "2014-06-05T17:10:13Z")
Affordable Care Act- Still gaining acceptance. Just like Dan Quayle. Or not: > **[RealClearPolitics - Election Other - Public Approval of Health Care Law](https://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/other/obama_and_democrats_health_care_plan-1130.html)** > > RealClearPolitics - Election Other - Public Approval of Health Care Law Still no significant change in the polling. Slightly worse in the last few day, actually, although I’m sure it will revert to the norm. Elvis will of course see that as evidence of a surge of popularity. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2014, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-ongoing-opinion-of-the-affordable-care-act-title-edited/647561/2433 "2014-06-05T17:16:15Z")
Still not quite getting the part about wanting to go further \*not \*being the same as wanting to go back, I see. I refer you to your own record of accurate procognistication for the rest. ---
**Author:** ![2ManyTacos](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/2/3da27b/32.png) [@2ManyTacos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/2ManyTacos)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2014, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-ongoing-opinion-of-the-affordable-care-act-title-edited/647561/2434 "2014-06-05T17:45:51Z")
**Adaher** , I don’t how many times we can keep explaining this stuff to you before it finally begins to resonate. Yes, the ACA remains broadly unpopular; that’s partly due to the administration’s piss-poor job of selling the legislation, but even more due to the GOP’s targeted misinformation and smear campaign over the past five years. Still, the core _components_ of the ACA - aside from the individual mandate - have consistently garnered overwhelming public support, even as much of the populace doesn’t even realize that those same aspects of the law that they _support_ are the exact things that the ACA actually _does._ However, if you take into account the percentage of people who support the ACA and combine it with the number of individuals who feel that it doesn’t go far _enough_ to address the problem, then you have a distinct & pronounced majority which is broadly supportive of health reform in general. Even when considering the continued discontent surrounding the ACA writ large, the majority of the population DOES NOT want it to be repealed but rather streamlined and made more efficient. ACA backlash continues to resonate within the GOP base and amongst the Tea Partiers, but that hatred is a solidly minority position to have. ---
**Author:** ![adaher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@adaher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adaher)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2014, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-ongoing-opinion-of-the-affordable-care-act-title-edited/647561/2435 "2014-06-05T21:44:04Z")
Again, if that was true, the Democrats wouldn’t be having much of a problem right now. This election would be 1934, not 2010 all over again. ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2014, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-ongoing-opinion-of-the-affordable-care-act-title-edited/647561/2436 "2014-06-05T22:02:22Z")
> [@adaher](#): > > Again, if that was true, the Democrats wouldn’t be having much of a problem right now. It is true. That’s what the polling says. The polling also says that most of the country is not that focused on the ACA. A significant majority opposes repeal. ---
**Author:** ![adaher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@adaher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adaher)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2014, 10:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-ongoing-opinion-of-the-affordable-care-act-title-edited/647561/2437 "2014-06-05T22:05:50Z")
Well, if you think there’s no problem, then we’ll just find out this November. And no, the polling does NOT say there isn’t a problem, unless you define losing the Senate as no problem. Almost all of the expert analysts like Silver, Cook, Rothenburg, Sabato, etc. see those same polls and give the GOP a better than even chance to win the Senate. ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2014, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-ongoing-opinion-of-the-affordable-care-act-title-edited/647561/2438 "2014-06-05T23:08:55Z")
> [@adaher](#): > > Well, if you think there’s no problem, then we’ll just find out this November. And no, the polling does NOT say there isn’t a problem, unless you define losing the Senate as no problem. Almost all of the expert analysts like Silver, Cook, Rothenburg, Sabato, etc. see those same polls and give the GOP a better than even chance to win the Senate. I don’t think there’s no problem – there’s definitely a problem for Democrats. Not surprisingly, your political analysis in post #2433 is dead wrong. But it’s not because of the ACA – most of the public has moved on and accepts the ACA. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [June 5, 2014, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-ongoing-opinion-of-the-affordable-care-act-title-edited/647561/2439 "2014-06-05T23:56:01Z")
> [@adaher](#): > > Again, if that was true, the Democrats wouldn’t be having much of a problem right now. This election would be 1934, not 2010 all over again. There really \*was \*a 2012, I keep telling you. I’m really not making that up. ---
**Author:** ![adaher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/dec6dc/32.png) [@adaher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adaher)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2014, 3:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-ongoing-opinion-of-the-affordable-care-act-title-edited/647561/2440 "2014-06-06T03:36:52Z")
There was also a 2010. Losing two of the last three elections happens for a reason. And virtually no one thinks the Democrats can actually win the next election, as in win a majority of the votes. ---
**Author:** ![iiandyiiii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/iiandyiiii/32/7924_2.png) [@iiandyiiii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/iiandyiiii)\ **Post date:** [June 6, 2014, 11:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-ongoing-opinion-of-the-affordable-care-act-title-edited/647561/2441 "2014-06-06T11:41:49Z")
> [@adaher](#): > > Losing two of the last three elections happens for a reason. The Republicans have lost two of the last three elections. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-ongoing-opinion-of-the-affordable-care-act-title-edited/647561.md?page=121) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-your-ongoing-opinion-of-the-affordable-care-act-title-edited/647561.md?page=123)