The biggest Obamacare-related media scandal of the moment is, of course, the fact that some people who buy individual insurance policies have been receiving cancellation letters. The implication is that when Obama assured people that they could keep their policies if they liked them, he wasn’t telling the truth. The Washington Post‘s factchecker Glenn Kessler awarded this “Four Pinocchios”, which means that Obama’s claim was evidently the worst kind of political lying.
There’s no reason to spend time trying to explain Obama’s comment; the law created a system that bolsters private insurance companies, which make decisions all the time about modifying or canceling policies, usually without generating significant headlines. (As someone who knows a little about managing a small business healthcare plan, I never imagined that receiving a cancellation notice was a big news story.)
So a significant amount of media attention is being directed at the relatively small segment of the population that buys individual insurance. They are certainly being impacted, though the coverage is often less than helpful. As L.A. Times reporter Michael Hiltzik (10/30/13) showed, a woman whose cancellation letter has received tremendous attention has other options available to her; she could replace her current policy for less money, or purchase a more comprehensive plan for a little more.
But if these healthcare anecdotes are so interesting to the press (CNN was apparently going to interview former George W. Bush speechwriter David Frum because he received a cancellation letter), it’s worth considering one group that has been significantly less newsworthy.
Part of the Affordable Care Act expands Medicaid to families that previously made too much money to qualify. As the Kaiser Family Foundation (6/14/12) explained:
A key element of the Affordable Care Act (ACA) is the expansion of Medicaid to nearly all individuals with incomes up to 138 percent of the federal poverty level (FPL) ($15,415 for an individual; $26,344 for a family of three in 2012) in 2014…. By 2016, Medicaid, along with the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP), will cover an additional 17 million individuals, mostly low-income adults, leading to a significant reduction in the number of uninsured people.
This is a tangible benefit that, come January 1, means that many thousands of Americans (except those in states that are refusing the Medicaid expansion) will have insurance coverage that they did not have before. As Politico reported (10/29/13), thousand of people are already enrolling.
But how many of them have been profiled on TV newscasts? A quick search of the Nexis database of the three major networks for the month of October turns up nothing. On Meet the Press (10/27/13), host David Gregory invited two governors to discuss Obamacare, but waved away a discussion of Medicaid expansion when Kentucky Gov. Steven Beshear brought it up:
BESHEAR: We’ve signed up over 26,000 people so far.
GREGORY: Most Medicaid, though. They’re mostly–
BESHEAR: Well–GREGORY: –getting Medicaid. So it’s not the young and healthy people getting the insurance plans that are really necessary to make this system work, correct?
There was a CBS Evening News report (10/2/13) about those who are being denied Medicaid coverage because they happen to live in states where officials have decided not to participate in the expansion. That’s an important part of the story, too; but it is striking that the part of the law that expands coverage for so many poor and near-poor citizens attracts far less attention than anecdotes about those whose individual policies have been cancelled–and who may very well wind up with better policies as a result.
Diktat Obomber LIED in his first campaign about this issue by proclaiming he would NOT force US citizens to buy crappy insurance. Apparently a lot of liberals have conveniently forgotten that Obomber used to be in favor of single-payer. I guess those declarations were simply to gain the support of the obtuse Democrats, but the fact that ObamaCare is by White House admission RomneyCare, expanded–well, I guess that goes right over the heads of the DEMOCRATS now.
“Obomber?” well, the POTUS was in fact in favor of a single-payer system, and I’m sure he still is [have you asked him?] but it was Congress that forced the removal of any single-payer attempt from the current legislation. We can always amend the ACA to include Medicare for all at some future date. It is truly sad that even on the FAIR website that low-information RWNJs can earn a nickel to post hate filled garbage. Cheers!
Obama was never in favor of single payer and the public option was a bait and switch job. It is not only RWNJ it is also LWNJ, you know, the ones his press secretary said ought to be drug tested. The link is here:
http://fdlaction.firedoglake.com/2010/09/17/obama-mocks-public-option-supporters/
But Democratic supporters of Obama will deny this or, like the those of they mock as irrational religious snake-handling fundamentalists, see this not as evidence refuting their beliefs but as more proof in favor.
The State Run Media has already answered that question “no negative stories on obamacare will be published” Heck they have yet to publish any stories on the Canadian company that did the software development, that are personal friends of Michelle and won the %600M contract on a NO BID Basis
Well arguing that WE on the right who said all this would happen(while your president said it would not)were in fact right …but wrong at the same time,is ridiculous.It has happened.We were right.He was wrong.And more importantly he KNEW we were right as he was telling you we were wrong.That called a lie folks.No matter how you spin it.Also he told you that this would take the pressure off of Medicare/medicaidYet we now see (as foretold) that in some cases 90% are flowing into that base.And as predicted the costs are ballooning.4-5X that that was promised.And lets recall that unless everything ran swimmingly as far as massive signups by the youth,and decreasing premiums etc ,that it was unaffordable at the original cost.Ho hum ho hum……Hey all you guys who voted for this guy(and still would)I have some land I wanna sell you.Little wet but hey you can canoe from your front step to your back.All joking aside.I have never seen more intransient,stubborn,pig headed,rush en masse over the proverbial cliff lot than you bunch.You literally will die for him.Sad
Oh what a sad country I live in when people actually celebrate the problems with the Affordble Health Care Act. Yes, it was modeled on the Romney plan in Mass. and it seemed to work well there. “I told you so..” is a sad refrain which doesn’t accomplish anything. There are people who would rather be right to the most negative degree rather than work to find solutions.
How sad that some would rather have NO insurance for many at a time in this nation’s history when health care, pensions, salaries and and a livable hourly wage, or any kind of job security seems to be slip sliding away. Health care is a human right, and wow, it might take one big pandemic to remind some of you that it is to everyone’s benefit to have a healthy society.
I would like the news organizations to look back at how social security began. Today, social security is one of the most popular and best working programs, and yet, there were nay sayers and voices of doom screaming the entire time there too.. It takes a while for all things to work through and there will always be problems.OMG, I can’t believe some of the negaitive people in this nation. Nothing is ever perfect, but if those that complain actually thought things through, they would realize that all things,take time to refine. I am certainly glad that this nation is 237 years old, because , really, if the Congress we have today had to create the United States, it would never ever happen.
Well arguing that WE on the right who said all this would happen –
So the “uber-richt” moron trolls all worked to destroy the program, and then claim they had fore knowledge of it failing. This is like petty thug starting a fire in a building and claiming that they “knew it would happen”, because they were extorting the residents inside who refused to pay up for protection.
Glorriana and Padre…How dare you?Really how dare you?Those of us who screamed the loudest are not smug in I told you so’s.We are furious that even at this point you wont cut with this guy and join with us to find a solution.He is NOT the solution.His ideas are not the solution.Thy never were.They were a wish list.We want to stop arguing.In school when you give the wrong answer ,do you stand on that for the rest of your life?Do you blame everyone else for your wrong answer?Look you were taken in this time.We were not.I have been taken in before.I worked for Clinton.Liked a lot of things about him.I was very saddened that he lied before Congress,the Judiciary,and America about something so small.I realized he could be lying about a lot of things.Well now YOU have to learn.And join with those who were right(this time)We as Americans have to fix this.Together.Stop beating a dead horse.This is not fixable.The whole idea of Mitt Romneys plan was to taper a plan to HIs constituents.It was never a one size fits all.My lord your own government has opted out of this train wreck.Unions who voted him in are getting a grandfathered in clause.This is the heard of cronyism.Government is not built for this.It can only get worse.We in the tea party espouse the constitution.Whatever we do moving forward….this will be the flag we wave.This one time it could be YOU who steps over the isle,admits you were wrong,and help to effect a change in direction.This really has gone far enough hasn’t it?At what point will you quit flogging this dead horse as you blame others?I wish this had worked.I never believed it could.Is that wrong to not wish for the impossible,when it is so full of lies,and governmental over reach?We are not going to stop shoving these massive failures down the throats of those who wont break with this madness until we resuscitate you all back to your senses.At that point we will shake your hands.Say glad to see you back,lets get to work.
According to this AP piece
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/11/02/obamacare-insurance_n_4201750.html?utm_hp_ref=business&ir=Business
Some folks won’t be paying “a little more”, or “wind up with better policies as a result”.
Now, this is the AP, and we can reasonably surmise why there’s this focus on the three stories included.
But I think it points to a tendency among “progressives”, or whichever term you care to use, to dismiss what may be factual intel, however ill intended and selectively revealed, simply because it emanates from some right bastards (using a bit of Britspeak there, but it works the other way, as well), or from a corpress outlet that ably serves its masters.
And I think that diminishes the ability to righteously denounce the outright propaganda that suffuses so much of mainstream media discourse.
Now, I don’t know if these situations are anomalies, but even if they are, these are real people being harmed, and it points to the enormous contradictions inherent in the ACA, which was promulgated not simply to preempt a drive for true universal health care, but also to create an antagonistic association in much of the public mind with same, with “gummint run medicine”.
I think that this article might be shining some light on one of the tactics in that attempt.
If these stories are indeed indicative of the experience of many others, and even if they’re not, resentment may well build toward those who are being substantially subsidized, or covered under Medicaid expansion.
“Divide and conquer” is a time tested method of blunting solidarity between the middle class and the poor, and I think it’s reasonable to suppose it’s at work in this instance.
And lest you conclude that this is an ideological screed against the ACA, regardless of its benefits for many millions (as it concommitantly leaves many millions more up the proverbial creek)
I’m among those beneficiaries.
(I would be more so if the POS that occupies the Wisconsin governor’s mansion hadn’t “declined” the expansion of Medicaid in the state.)
So I’m keeny cognizant of whatever good may come from this
But that doesn’t impair my awareness of the much greater good that’s being subverted by it.
And even as we put the lie to the lies of the reactionaries regarding the ACA
We can’t lose sight of that fact
And the facts that illuminate it.
NPR’s On The Media did some coverage too: http://www.onthemedia.org/story/actually-you-cant-keep-it/
As usual, Obama negotiated against himself before even starting to sit at the table. I clearly remember Pelosi stating: “Single-Payer is off the table”. Having said that, I agree with gloriana. It is sad to see people expressing Schadenfreude over denial of healthcare to the least fortunate among us. The ideologue nutjobs are so in the head that they demonstrate sociopathic traits! I fear that “Libertarian” is a euphemism for “narcissism”.
I am equally annoyed by DP dittoheads. They defend Obamacare to the borders of denial (not the river). It is a corporate handout that allowed half the union to opt out of it thus leaving half the poor still uninsured. It also put no limits on premiums, so as soon as the system takes hold, insurance companies will jack up the premiums.
Typo: I meant “schadenfreude” and “narcissist”.