Pipe dream? Obamacare

[mac]

Not posted in the original screed about this is the number--500,000 people. Not trivial, but not the end of the world. Spin, spin, spin. Analysis is always lacking. Ad hominem attacks? Constant. That term is pretty much the only thing I've learned from Mike Fick. Of course, applied only to others, never himself or those engaged in the same against Obama. We can always count on the right for unwitting irony and hypocrisy.

[techno900]

From my morning paper in Raleigh NC.

"About 200,000 North Carolinians had signed up for the health insurance through February.

North Carolina's enrollment is the fifth highest in the nation. But it's increasingly apparent that in North Carolina, where more than 1 million are eligible for individual health coverage, the majority will opt out.

The federal data also show that 91% of the NC enrollees will receive government subsidies to help them pay for health insurance. That's one of the highest subsidization rates in the nation, trailing Wyoming's 92% and Mississippi's 93% and tied with Idaho and Arkansas.

About 25% of the NC enrollment so far are in the 18-34 age bracket, same as the national average."

In a nut shell:
800,000 of the 1,000,000 eligible will opt out and pay a fine.
91% that have signed up will get subsidies.
9% are full price paying enrollees.

NC may be atypical, but it looks like a disaster to me. I am sure that the 200,000 getting the subsidized insurance are happy, but at what cost????

These numbers will improve in the next two weeks, but I doubt that it will be enough to make any difference.

[boggsman1]

Techno....here's a news flash. Many Americans cannot afford health insurance. This causes unquantifyable damage to the economy , and more importantly, people's lives.

[techno900]

boggs said:

[boggsman1]

Techno...yes , all valid concerns. No argument here.

[windoggi]

[uwindsurf]

[swchandler]

techno900,

I often wonder why you're dependably on the worst end of the "glass half full" side of the situation. Does it surprise you that a good number of folks that have been irresponsible for years would change their ways when the ACA penalty is so insignificant in the scheme of things? I'd say that the government isn't steamrolling everyone to make things happen immediately. When you think about, there's a sort of fairness being employed in the roll out of the ACA, with a longer term goal to ensure much broader base of health coverage overall. I believe that will be an important element to help stem raising healthcare costs and to provide a reasonable bearing for competition. With capitalism at the source of everything, we have to believe that private health insurance and private medical providers will give us the best outcome. Really it's not a government controlled healthcare system like some on the right would want you to believe. The government is only establishing standards and regulations for everything to happen. We have laws and framework for a reason.

Yet, you seem the think that we're on the wrong road. With all the negative Republican talking points about the ACA, I'm thinking that it's hard to be a Republican that could think differently. Unbelievably, all in the absence of any viable alternatives being offered, folks like yourself chant for ending the ACA. Ironically, conservatives against a path that requires that folks take responsibility for themselves, and for those less capable around us.

[MalibuGuru]

I've always felt there should just be 100 clinics spread around the 100 largest cities around the nation that only took care of uninsured. Broken bones, cancer and the like. They should not take care of Viagra, abortions, and dozens of other peripheral issues. This would be free to any family making less than $40,000. Reduced cost for family making less than $60,000. Perhaps a $50 copay for each visit.

Then, everyone else could have their private plans. I guarantee that this approach would be cheaper than Obama care.

[pueno]