Healthcare reform is working.

[mfcorey1]

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dawn-josephson/my-backyard-meeting-with-_b_740750.html

My Backyard Meeting With President Obama

Who would have thought that a short one-paragraph post on MomsRising.org about my personal experience with the new healthcare reform act would lead to me meeting President Obama! But that's exactly what happened. About a week after I posted the exciting news that my family's new health insurance cannot exclude my son's pre-existing condition (thanks to the new law), I received a call from the White House asking me for more information about my situation.

[zipplewrath]

1. For some

Not for most.

[HughMoran]

3. I just have to point out

[zipplewrath]

5. There's always an up side

Virtually any legislation "helps" someone. The GOP is fond of trotting out the fraction of people "helped" by some piece of legislation. It is something akin to what advertisers do with "testimonials". They sell all manner of snake oil with that method. They get the person who lost 120 lbs on their diet plan. This was really no different. They find someone who benefitted, as intended, by a particular feature of the bill. Never mind that it represents at best 1% of the insured, and doesn't represent the uninsured at all. But we aren't suppose to pay attention to the 10's or 100's of millions that weren't affected, only the million or so that were helped.

Health Care costs continue to rise at roughly 6% per year. That hasn't changed and is going to hurt alot more people than were helped by this feature.

But I understand, we're not suppose to notice that.

[HughMoran]

9. Well, enjoy!

[zipplewrath]

10. Pretty much where we're all headed.

HCR didn't address any of the core issues, and so we are now all running towards a big hole. See ya at the bottom. Of course by then the GOP will probably be in control so they'll get to pull us out. Can't wait to see what kind of mandates and cadillac taxes they dream up.

[HughMoran]

12. You're a real joy!

I always feel more enthusiastic about life after I read your posts.

[zipplewrath]

15. Denial

It ain't just a river in Egypt.

Ignorance is bliss too I hear.

Basically in life one can choose to take the blue pill or the red pill. I understand taking one means you get to ignore reality.

[HughMoran]

16. Assuming that people who don't see the half-full glass as empty are ignoring reality

is more than unfair, it's ludicrous.

But, if it makes you happy, have at it! :thumbsup:

[zipplewrath]

17. This is more than half

It's a nice metaphor. But there's nothing "half" about a 6% rate of inflation. There's nothing "half" about the fact that this bill affected at best 20% of the population and at worse 8%. There's nothing "half" about near zero progress on universal health CARE.

The OP was titled "Health Care Reform is Working" or some such silliness and that is absurd on any scale and there is nothing "half" about it. This is especially true for the singular, anecdotal story presented.

Anyone representing health care reform as halfway to anything, except complete collapse, is in serious denial.

[HughMoran]

18. I feel for you

There must be something that's good in the world. No?

[zipplewrath]

19. Yup

Not the Health Insurance Industry Stimulus Package. But I saved 15% on my car insurance. And my little bro' has a new girl friend. Great smile. Skinny little thing. And for once she seems to like him, instead of him just worshiping her. Kinda nice when a relationship isn't based upon blind admiration.

[Cronus Protagonist]

2. Does that mean I've alread started accruing new debt?

I'm wondering if I should be planning for that new $1200 a year invoice the health INSURANCE bill mandates... or has it been declared unconstitutional yet?

[kickysnana]

4. Most of my nieces and nephews are still uninsured...

but hey my copays dropped in half on my Part D but I don't save enough to pay for their health insurance and one has a baby on the way.

[zipplewrath]

6. No, no

Just pay attention to the shiney object.

[TBF]

7. I'm glad you were personally helped,

and promise to continue to speak out until millions more are covered as well. Best wishes for your family.

[spanone]

8. posting good news is frowned upon here.

[zipplewrath]

11. Especially when it ignores the larger problems.

It's a nice story, until it comes under a subject line like "health care reform is working". There was no health CARE reform, so it really can't be "working".

[Coyote_Bandit]

13. If it's working so well

then perhaps someone here would like to explain why a friend of mine is likely going to be bankrupted by her need for healthcare. She is self-employed and uninsured because she cannot afford health insurance. She has a kidney stone that is too large to pass. Large enough that it could block her ureter and cause her to lose her kidney. She requires medical intervention. Either traditional surgery or a lithotripsy. She can't afford either and likely will not have the option of receiving such care until the need for it becomes a medical emergency.

I haven't seen a doctor in over 15 years and don't expect that to change with the implementation of so-called healthcare "reform". Why? Two primary reasons. First, there is a shortage of healthcare professionals in this country and some areas have very limited access to health professionals. Imagine the nearest medical ofice being a couple of hours and nearly 80 miles away. Imagine having to travel 150 miles to see a medical specialist. Second, subsidies are pretty much useless to folks who cannot afford the remainder of the premium that is being subsidized.

It is unspeakably cruel to invite a starving and malnourished person to a banquet and then have such barriers that he is unable to partake of the bounty available. We've got a lot of barriers that prevent folks from accessing the healthcare system. The clusterfuck healthcare legislation that was passed does little to remove those. Certainly, many with pre-existing conditions have been helped - assuming they can afford the premiums their policies carry. The poor among us? The self-employed? Those who live in remote or rural areas? Not so much.

[Greyhound]

14. "unspeakably cruel".

That pretty much nails it. The HIIPPA is a corporate welfare program that rivals the DoD contractor's deals and that we're supposed to cheer as it bleeds us to death.

[area51]

20. +1

Each day, 273 people die due to lack of health care in the U.S.; that's 100,000 deaths per year.

We need single-payer health care, not a welfare bailout for the serial-killer insurance agencies.

We don't need the GingrichCare of mandated, unregulated, for-profit insurance that is still too expensive, only pays parts of medical bills, denies claims, bankrupts and kills people. Republinazi '93 plan:

"Subtitle F: Universal Coverage - Requires each citizen or lawful permanent resident to be covered under a qualified health plan or equivalent health care program by January 1, 2005."

"We will never have real reform until people's health stops being treated as a financial opportunity for corporations."

[Vinca]

21. I think we all agree that in isolated cases, people are being helped.

It's the rest of the people who are being left to fend for themselves that should be the focus of attention. The number of uninsured is rising, people are still suffering and dying from lack of medical care and for some idiotic reason the President and Vice President think we are whiners to complain about it. The box was checked on the legislation, but the legislation was horribly inadequate.

[Scurrilous]

22. Thanks.

K & R :thumbsup: