Tag: healthcare

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Healthcare ObamaCare Politics

ObamaCare Report – Republicans Have Been Lying To You All Along – Report

Some of you wouldn’t believe this, but Republicans have been lying to you all along… about everything… especially Obamacare, also called The Affordable Care Act.

Let’s begin with the meme threatening that healthcare reform will lead to a serious decline in full-time employment as employers reduce workforce hours to below 30 per week in the effort to avoid their responsibility to provide health benefits to their employees.

It turns out that there has, in fact, been no such rush to reduce work hours. Indeed, numbers released last week reveal that precisely the opposite is taking place.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), the number of part-time workers in the United States has fallen by 300,000 since March of 2010 when the Affordable Care Act was passed into law. What’s more, in the past year alone—the time period in which the nation was approaching the start date for Obamacare—full-time employment grew by over 2 million while part-time employment declined by 230,000.

And it gets even more interesting.

Despite the cries of anguish over the coming destruction of private sector work opportunities at the hands of Obamacare, it turns out that the only significant ‘cutter’ of work hours turns out to be in the public sector where cops, teachers, prison guards and the like are experiencing cuts in work time as cities, states and universities seek to avoid the obligations of the health reform law.

Correct me if I am wrong, but is it not the very same folks who strenuously oppose Obamacare who are constantly screaming for smaller government? Are these not the same people who have, for as many years as I can recall, been carping about swollen government payrolls?

But the false narrative that has been peddled to make us believe that the private sector can’t wait to lower our hours of employment turns out not to be the only false note being played by anti-Obamacare forces.

For months now, we have been pounded with the story of the millions of Americans who have lost their non-group, individual health insurance policy due to cancellations forced by Obamacare.

Yet, a new study just out by Lisa Clemans-Cope and Nathaniel Anderson of the Urban Institute tells a very different story.

More

 

 

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Healthcare ObamaCare

Another Milestone – Obamacare Hits The 5 Million Mark for Enrollees

The Obama administration announced Monday that more than 5 million people have signed up for new insurance plans under the health-care law, suggesting new momentum for the program as the deadline to get covered this year approaches.

About 800,000 people selected health plans on the state and federal insurance marketplaces in the beginning of March, officials said in a blog post — almost as many as signed up during the entire month of February. The figure brings the administration closer to Congressional Budget Office projections that 6 million people would enroll by the end of March.

Officials had predicted that the pace of enrollments would pick up this month, because March 31 is the last day to sign up for a marketplace plan and avoid a fine. The health law requires most Americans to have health insurance or incur a penalty of $95 or 1 percent of their income this year, whichever is higher.

The Congressional Budget Office had initially projected that 7 million people would sign up for new health plans by the end of March. Analysts revised that estimate last month, after it became clear that enrollment would be depressed by the technical difficulties on HealthCare.gov and a number of state-based insurance Web sites.

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Entertainment Healthcare ObamaCare Politics

An Interview Like No Other – President Obama and Comedian Zach Galifianakis – Video

President Obama made a special appearance at Funny or Die’s studios and was interviewed by non other than comedian Zach Galifianakis. You just know this was not going to turn out well or, maybe it did.

The no holds bar interview touched on all the hot topics of the day; where’s the birth certificate, being born in Kenya, why Michele Obama married a nerd, etc. Just all the normal things the American public is interested in.

Questions like, “Is it going to be hard in two years, when you’re no longer President and people will stop letting you win at basketball?” And, “so how does this work, do you send Ambassador Rodman to North Korea on your behalf? I read somewhere that you’d be sending Hulk Hogan to Syria or is that more of a job for Tonya Harding?”

But there was a point to all this. Coming up on the March deadline for enrolling in the Affordable Care Act, the president brought the attention back to healthcare.

“That’s the thing that doesn’t work?” Zach asked.

All in all, a very funny piece from Funny or Die, and definitely a must see.

Between Two Ferns with Zach Galifianakis: President Barack Obama from President Barack Obama
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Politics veteran

Breaking News – Senate Republicans Blocked Veterans Health Care

Of course this is not Breaking News, we’ve seen stuff like this happening all the time with these Republicans! Republicans have gunned for our veterans and anyone who does not have a LLC following their name. This week however, they blocked a veterans health bill because they claimed the needed a way to pay for it.

This latest Republican action against the veterans got Jon Stewart steamed… and confused!

Stewart pointed out many of these senators didn’t have a problem voting for Iraq War authorizations that cost quite a bit of money, but what really set him off was senators trying to attach an Iran sanctions amendment to the bill, with one complaining it’s the only way to get what they want. Stewart mockingly said, “You’re right, you’re the victim here, you’ve been denied something you need by an impersonal bureaucracy.”

He concluded by saying that on the “shame-ometer,” “I think these senators may have just tweeted out a picture of their enormous balls. Now can we kick them out?!”

Video

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Politics repeal obamacare Teaparty

They Cheered, As Ted Cruz Promised to Take Away Their Healthcare – Video


As more and more Americans fall in love with finally being able to buy their own private healthcare through the Affordable Care Act or Obamacare, Republicans, led by the Texas Senator from Canada are determined to repeal the entire bill, kicking millions of people off their healthcare and putting Insurance companies back in the driver’s seat when determining who to insure and who to deny.

Ted Cruz, speaking on behalf of his Teaparty colleagues and congressional Republicans, continued their promise to take away your health care.

“I am absolutely convinced we are going to repeal every single word of Obamacare,” Cruz told a group of Teaparty members as they celebrated their 5th year of obstruction and regression.

“If you listen to the media, if you listen to Democrats — although I repeat myself — they will say the fight to stop Obamacare did not succeed,” Cruz said. “Really? Well, I’m a big believer the proof is in the pudding. Last fall, millions of Americans rose up and said, ‘Stop the disaster that is Obamacare.’”

Of course, Cruz cannot point to any documented proof showing the “million of Americans” who want to stop Obamacare. But it’s a good talking point and his brainless believers – some of them on government insurance – eat up his nonsense.

“I am hopeful, I am optimistic, I am filled with the promise that we’re going to turn this country around,” the Canadian born leader of the Teaparty said, “because there is a grass-roots revolution sweeping this country.”

Again, Cruz cannot show this so-called “grass-roots revolution,” because it doesn’t exist. In fact, new polling states that 64% of Americans are against the Teaparty. But this small fact never stopped this fella from lying before, so he continued. And the 300 or so in attendance loved every moment of it!

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Healthcare

President Obama Has a Message For YOU – Video

Millions of Americans have already signed up for affordable health insurance through HealthCare.gov.

But millions more are eligible for new or improved coverage. And if you’re one of them, make sure you get covered before March 31st.

President Obama recorded a message just for you — watch it now, then go to HealthCare.gov. Make sure you stick around for the end for a special surprise:

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Healthcare ObamaCare Politics

Again! Comedian Jon Stewart Schools Seasoned “Journalists” on CBO Report

Look! Up in the sky! It’s a bird, it’s a plane… it’s… JON STEWART! The Comedian who does a better job reporting actual news than the so-called seasoned “journalists!”

Let the debunking begin!

Okay. Okay. This one was easy. The debunking in this case had to do with a recent CBO report that Conservatives and even some on CNN took and run with. The report claimed that because of Obamacare or the ACA, workers will now be free to leave some jobs to pursue other things, because they will no longer feel the need to work to keep healthcare.

Simple, right? Wrong.

Conservatives and Republicans took this report to claim that “Obamacare was killing the American dream.” They even went on to manufacture false statistics claiming that millions of people would lose their jobs because of Obamacare forcing them out of the jobs market.

Doomsday!

Jon Stewart, the comedian, set things straight… again!

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Domestic Policies Healthcare Immigration Immigration Reform News Politics

The Six Year Itch

From where I sit, last year was worse for the Republican Party and for progress than it ever was for President Obama. Yes, yes, I know what the conventional wisdom said about the president’s fifth year, but really, I don’t necessarily buy it. As a matter of fact, I think that when all is said and done by 2017, many people won’t even remember what the fuss was all about.

For example, the health care website was a dud in October and November, but as we speak, over 3 million people have signed up for health insurance through the portal and Medicaid, and the goal of signing up 7 million people by the end of March is eminently attainable. The Republican blahblahgosphere will say that not enough young, healthy people have signed up and that the death spiral will begin any time now, but since they’ve been wrong about everything related to the law (remember when the election of Scott Brown meant the end of the ACA?), why would we want to believe them now?

On immigration, the critics say that because there was no final bill last year that this was a failure for Obama. Not if we get a bill this year, and it’s looking more and more likely that we will. Not because it was a bad idea last year, but because the GOP has finally realized that they are national election toast of they don’t do something to help the Hispanic electorate that is running very quickly away from their party.

Likewise for the minimum wage, climate policy, appointees and foreign policy. In every one of these cases, the president won’t get Congress to sign on to his initiatives, but he’s laying the groundwork for later years or, most likely, for his successor who will most likely be a Democrat. At this point, Obama can do the most for this country by executive order and that’s what we’re likely to hear on Tuesday.

Most presidents, if they are remembered at all, are usually known for one or two major laws that transform the country. The ACA will be Obama’s main accomplishment, but I could see him also being remembered for the Consumer Protection Board and the president who saved the American automobile industry. Immigration would put him in the top ten lists of great ones. The right-wing knows this and that’s why their last-ditch efforts to derail anything Obama wants to do will be loud and scary. But that’s all they’ll be for years to come.

In the meantime, we are living through a trying time with a leader that history will remember fondly.

For more please go to:
www.facebook.com/WhereDemocracyLives and Twitter @rigrundfest 

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Politics

Republicans New Plan – Kill Obamacare by Making it Unaffordable

Republicans are not ready to give up the fight to take away your healthcare. They have tried the failed strategy of repealing the entire Obamacare bill I’ve 40 tines already, and now,  they have a plan that just might achieve their ultimate goal of allowing Americans to die because they have no healthcare.

Their plan? To make Obamacare also called The Affordable Care Act, unaffordable. Their plan is to repeal a provision in the law that keeps premiums low, thus raising the oremiums.

The provision — called “risk corridors,” but dubbed the “Obamacare bailout” by the law’s opponents — seeks to stabilize costs by creating a pot of money that takes in funds from insurers who enroll healthier customers and uses it to pay out insurers who enroll sicker customers. It’s a safety valve that sunsets after 2016. The repeal push is clever messaging in a sense because it lets conservatives snatch the mantle of populism from liberals against wealthy insurance companies. But it comes with its share of dangers, too.

Last November, as TPM reported, Sen. Marco Rubio (R-FL) introduced legislation to repeal this provision. Since then it has picked up 13 Republican co-sponsors, including Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, and spawned two companion bills in the House, which are supported by numerous Republicans. The idea has been championed by conservative lobbying groups like the Club For Growth and Heritage Action, and pushed by writers including Charles Krauthammer in the Washington Post, Ramesh Punnuru in Bloomberg View and Deroy Murdock in National Review.

The conservatives are open about the end goal: collapse Obamacare by causing higher premiums on the law’s marketplaces for the newly insured, which progressive experts who support Obamacare agree may occur if the provision is scrapped.

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Mitch McConnell ObamaCare Politics

Breaking News: Mitch McConnell Loves ObamaCare – Video

McConnell is fighting for his political life. He is in the midst of a re-election campaign in Kentucky and that campaign is not going according to plan. According to a PPP poll, McConnell is in a virtual tie with his Democratic Challenger Allison Grimes.

Mitch is therefore looking for all the help he can find and these days and Kentucky is loving Obamacare, they just call it by another name. So guess what Mitch’s new plan is… be the proponent for Obamacare… um Obamacare by another name that is.

Here is the latest ad the McConnell campaign put out. Notice there is absolutely no mention of his countless oppositions to healthcare.

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Domestic Policies Healthcare Immigration Immigration Reform News Politics Teaparty

The Final Push

Far be it from me to argue with one of the greatest historical minds of the 20th century, but we essentially have an executive that serves a six year term, even if we get two extra bonus lame duck years for our efforts. So it has been with most other presidents, and so it probably shall be with Barack Obama. This is his sixth year; if it doesn’t happen this year, chances are that none of his high priority agenda items will become law in 2015 or 2016.

That’s why 2014 represents the final push for immigration, tax reform, a higher minimum wage, climate policy and every other item on the left-wing wish list. But this is not necessarily a bad thing. History has taught us that the first push rarely results in success when it comes to big change. Look how long it took to get healthcare reform. Sometimes the push is necessary if for no other reason than to get an idea in the public’s mind and to prepare them, or to follow their lead, when it comes to legislation.

Like marriage equality, which coalesced into a major civil rights issue in a short amount of time, the push for rights for all people goes as far back as Stonewall in 1969 and the Supreme Court’s ruling for and then reversal on, anti-sodomy laws in 1986 and 2003. Progressives have been highlighting income inequality and the rising gap between wealthy and not for decades. Now that cry is becoming a major force in calling for a higher, livable minimum wage that just could pass this year. After all, most people, even Republicans, support it.

The same will most likely be true of climate legislation, immigration, privacy and energy. More and more younger people realize that their world is changing and that the United States either has to catch up to other countries who are already addressing the problems or fall behind to our economic and social detriment. The far right is beginning to lose its grip on the Republican Party, and while I don’t see a more moderate wing surging anytime soon, I do see a less strident GOP in our future. That’s good news.

This year will see one or two major pieces of legislation, with the rest of Obama’s agenda left to the next Democratic president and a more willing population. I think we are moving in the right direction, but like anything done well, this will take time.

For more please go to:
www.facebook.com/WhereDemocracyLives and Twitter @rigrundfest  

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Healthcare ObamaCare

While They Complained about The Website, SinglePayer Went Into Effect

Did you notice the best part?

Did you see what happened when everyone was complaining about a website?

Single-payer got started in America!!!

Vermont is using authority granted in a provision under the Affordable Care Act to start a single-payer system. Most Americans still don’t know what the phrase “single-payer” even means. It had little support in Congress in 2009 and Senate “Democrats” like Nelson and Lieberman even killed the public option. But, the ACA had this sweet little provision that allowed states to set up a single-payer system and now people will see it in action. You know what that means.

As Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) opines, “The quickest route toward a national health care program will be when individual states go forward and demonstrate that universal and non-profit health care works, and that it is the cost-effective and moral thing to do.”

As many predicted, ACA is already leading to the kind of transformative progressive change Obama promised. The progressive movement will be responsible for showing the nation how well single-payer works after the Vermont system goes into effect. When public and non-profit insurance becomes the national norm, we’ll know where it began.

By David Cole in a comment on our Facebook Page.

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