I know I’m resurrecting this thread a bit early without much news to report, but I heard an interesting question from a pundit the other day that I’d like to see you guys stew on:
To what extent, if any at all, do you think that ACA implementation will play a factor in next year’s election?
I mean, a big part of me wants to believe that the political fight over the ACA is over, but then again, just turn on the news and you’re bound to see another GOP politician decrying the HC law for any number of frivolous reasons. Depending on how the law looks by this time next next year, then, when it’s no longer a far-off concept but finally a legitimate policy, it’ll be interesting to see how far the GOP can continue to take the ACA criticisms en route to political successes.
On the news front, I will say that it’s kind of the quiet before the storm; there’s not much going on aside from the recently-announced one-year delay of the SHOP marketplaces in the federally-managed exchanges. Here is a nice write-up of the two ways in which you could interpret the delay.
I imagine that all of the big ACA news is going to happen over the summer as the massive public outreach campaign finally begins. Now THAT will be interesting.
Fox News and other parts of the Conservative Entertainment Complex will run every possible negative story. Anyone hurt by it even indirectly, who wants to badmouth it will be given a platform as long as it fits the narrative. Lost your job because of it? Ok, as long as you blame Obama (and not your asshole former employer). Your insurance went up? Must be Obama’s fault. Your state doesn’t have control over it’s own exchange and is making rules you don’t like? Obama’s fault. (Not the state legislature that refused to enact it.)
I’m curious if the more mainstream will run positive stories of people being helped by it or not.
You have it backwards, unless you’re claiming that those voting for it did not think they’d take flak for it. If they knew they’d be hurt by it and voted for it anyway, it was boatloads more courageous than if they hadn’t regardless of whether or not it was right to do.
Some of the things they already implemented have helped people I know, including the age 25 shift for dependent children and parents insurance. I hope more of the law turns out to work as well.
The silver lining for conservatives is that it probably takes single payer off the table forever. Inertia is a very powerful force, especially when it comes to health care systems, and once a nation has UHC, it is very rare for it to change it. And when I say rare, I don’t think it’s ever happened beyond minor tweaks.
I know lot’s of families are happy about having their kids covered until 26, but I think the last thing this country needs is to prolong the sense of childhood. I think 21 or until the kid graduates college + 1 year makes more sense.
The old system allowed keeping the kid on the parent’s insurance 18 or until the kid finishes school. So unless that first job had benefits, the 18-20somethings couldn’t afford to get sick. (Most “starter” jobs don’t have benefits, even for college grads. And it’s extremely tough for people that age to get paid work of any kind these days.) The new rule covers a lot of people early, and doesn’t cost much since 18-26 year olds aren’t a population that tends to get sick. They now have access to preventative care, which can save serious coin in the future.
My kids can continue their meds for their chronic illnesses. My kids can get sick and not go bankrupt. I’m not just happy about this provision of the PPACA, I’m ecstatic!
I understand that. My problem with it is what it means writ large. We should not be encouraging people in their 20s to think of themselves as their parents’ responsibility.
And IMNAAHO we should not be giving adults citizenship on everything at 18 EXCEPT alcohol, but we do and have thousands of former teenagers alive because of that policy.
Note that kids don’t have to be on their parents’ policy, but they can be. If they happen to get jobs with good benefits, they can cover themselves at any time. The change in PPACA gives me the chance to keep paying my full premiums for health insurance to cover myself and my kids as I did before they turn 18. Even if my kids are out of school, even if they are flipping burgers for a “living”. The alternative is my kids wait until their asthma flares up and they go to an ER, where a freaking aspirin costs more than they’d make in a week.Raising the eligibility to 26 is a great thing! I think they still have to be my dependents, so the apron strings will be cut at some point.
BTW, welcome back to the boards adaher! I’ve missed you and your Romney championing and how he was definitely favored to win because the polls were all skewed. Your opinions are highly valued and I’m just elated that you finally decided to make your way back without nary a peep from you between Nov 6th and yesterday.
C’mon - give him a break! I know what it’s like to see POTUS candidates that I knew - KNEW FOR A FACT! - were superior to their opponents lose, and lose big time. “The American people can’t be stupid enough to elect/re-elect _______, can they??” Well, they were. I just fill different candidates in the blank than him.
I think it’s a serious problem that those on the right/left/center/apathetic divides in our current political culture have thinking so separated from the others that they cannot even begin to understand the positions and thinking of the other sides. I find the SDMB a good antidote.
WEll, I did mention that the polls could be right, but that they were predicting unprecedented minority turnout. That turnout did happen, but even the pollsters, when questioned, weren’t willing to stand by that aspect of their own polls until after the election proved them accurate.
I don’t think the public was stupid to reelect Obama, they thought he was better than Romney. Maybe this loss is a blessing in disguise the same way John Kerry’s loss was a blessing in disguise for Democrats.
You’re still peddling that line? Show us links to threads where you claimed exactly that, please, and then link us to pollsters denying what you claim they were denying. Thanks so much.
