ACA success saves lives; horrifies GOP
The success of the Affordable Care Act (ACA), now having brought 19 million Americans affordable health care, is a financial and literal lifesaver for those folks, but a bitter pill to swallow for the GOP, who five years ago bet the Republican franchise on its failure.
First the folks being helped
First the folks being helped
•8 million people have signed up for health coverage through the state and
federal marketplaces.
•3 million more have signed up for coverage through Medicaid.
•3 million now have coverage by staying on their parents’ plan.
•5 million people have signed up for ACA-compliant plans outside the
marketplace.
Four percent of all Americans are newly insured this year. Many of them are the young; healthy people whose good health will keep premiums down. The Congressional Budget office reports that by 2016 health insurance premiums will be 15% lower than previously expected. The population is responding favorably: 60% want the ACA to be kept in place or improved with a public option (Medicare for All) which proponents called for in the first place.
But sadly and tragically, GOP leaders, almost to a heartless man and woman, blindly ignore reality to stay faithful to their five year campaign to first, stop its passage, then defund it, now to gut it. Fifty-five votes in the House to do just that demonstrates to all with an open and fair mind the GOP's reckless disregard of their public trust. Twenty-four Republican governors have turned down federally paid expansion to Medicaid which locks out 4.8 million needy folk from coverage in one of the cruelest and cynical political posturings ever witnessed. Even the billionaire GOP candidate for Illinois governor says federally paid Medicaid expansion in Illinois was a bad idea. The hundreds of thousands of Illinoisans who've been given a new lease on a healthy and financially secure life would respectfully disagree.
The GOP House dead enders have done the math in their re-election campaigns and concluded there's no benefit to telling their cruel base the truth about the ACA. They'd rather keep feeding them lies and red meat scare stories to keep their fabulous career politician jobs. Alas, that is one moral sickness for which the ACA, health insurance and the finest doctors in the world cannot develop a cure.
federal marketplaces.
•3 million more have signed up for coverage through Medicaid.
•3 million now have coverage by staying on their parents’ plan.
•5 million people have signed up for ACA-compliant plans outside the
marketplace.
Four percent of all Americans are newly insured this year. Many of them are the young; healthy people whose good health will keep premiums down. The Congressional Budget office reports that by 2016 health insurance premiums will be 15% lower than previously expected. The population is responding favorably: 60% want the ACA to be kept in place or improved with a public option (Medicare for All) which proponents called for in the first place.
But sadly and tragically, GOP leaders, almost to a heartless man and woman, blindly ignore reality to stay faithful to their five year campaign to first, stop its passage, then defund it, now to gut it. Fifty-five votes in the House to do just that demonstrates to all with an open and fair mind the GOP's reckless disregard of their public trust. Twenty-four Republican governors have turned down federally paid expansion to Medicaid which locks out 4.8 million needy folk from coverage in one of the cruelest and cynical political posturings ever witnessed. Even the billionaire GOP candidate for Illinois governor says federally paid Medicaid expansion in Illinois was a bad idea. The hundreds of thousands of Illinoisans who've been given a new lease on a healthy and financially secure life would respectfully disagree.
The GOP House dead enders have done the math in their re-election campaigns and concluded there's no benefit to telling their cruel base the truth about the ACA. They'd rather keep feeding them lies and red meat scare stories to keep their fabulous career politician jobs. Alas, that is one moral sickness for which the ACA, health insurance and the finest doctors in the world cannot develop a cure.
posted by Walt Zlotow at 4:37 AM
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