Courtesy of New York Times:
Unless you’ve been bamboozled by the frantic fictions of the right wing, you know that the Affordable Care Act, familiarly known as Obamacare, has begun to accomplish its first goal: enrolling millions of uninsured Americans, many of whom have been living one medical emergency away from the poorhouse. You realize those computer failures that have hampered sign-ups in the early days — to the smug delight of the critics — confirm that there is enormous popular demand. You have probably figured out that the real mission of the Republican extortionists and their big-money backers was to scuttle the law before most Americans recognized it as a godsend and rendered it politically untouchable.
What you may not know is that the Affordable Care Act is also beginning, with little fanfare, to accomplish its second great goal: to promote reforms to our overpriced, underperforming health care system. Irony of ironies, the people who ought to be most vigorously applauding this success story are Republicans, because it is being done not by government decree but almost entirely with market incentives.
Using mainly the marketplace clout of Medicare and some seed money, the new law has spurred innovation and efficiency. And while those new insurance exchanges that are now lurching into business will touch roughly 1 in 10 Americans (the rest of us are already covered by private employer plans or by government programs like Medicare), these systemic reforms potentially touch every patient, every taxpayer.
“This is the 90 percent of the story that doesn’t make the headlines,” said Sam Glick, who follows health care reform for the Oliver Wyman consulting firm.
Since the Affordable Care Act was signed three years ago, more than 370 innovative medical practices, called accountable care organizations, have sprung up across the country, with 150 more in the works. At these centers, Medicare or private insurers reward doctors financially when their patients require fewer hospital stays, emergency room visits and surgeries — exactly the opposite of what doctors have traditionally been paid to do. The more money the organization saves, the more money its participating providers share. And the best way to save costs (which is, happily, also the best way to keep patients alive) is to catch problems before they explode into emergencies.
Thus the accountable care organizations have become the Silicon Valley of preventive care, laboratories of invention driven by the entrepreneurial energy of start-ups.
The Republicans, and their Koch brothers and Heritage Foundation master, just failed to stop a law that is currently doing THIS for the American people.
Why they wanted to do so is for completely selfish, and indefensible reasons, and NOT to protect democracy or the rights of our citizens despite their transparent rhetoric.
So it seems beyond obvious to me that we as a nation should send a VERY strong message to these anarchists in the next few election cycles and purge their Representatives from both the House and the Senate. It is an endeavor that I believe will attract bipartisan support, and that ultimately the country will be very grateful for in the long run.
We tried the Palinization of America and we did NOT like it. Thanks for playing but now take your newly deflated ball and get the fuck out of here!
ALERT!!!! Conspiracy Theory Affordable Care Act Computer Glitches. Renegade, Rogue, Right-wing, Republican programmers screwed the system with nasty results.
ReplyDeleteBenghazi, Benghazi, Benghazi.....
RJ in Brownbackistan
I wouldn't be surprised if right wing extremists were flooding the healthcare dot gov website with inquiries to sabotage the Affordable Care Act.
ReplyDelete"The Palinization Of America." As the saying goes, "she can wish in one hand......"
ReplyDeleteLet's hope this Republican implosion can sway local political races as well. Here in Westchester County, NY, the incumbent Koch-puppet-operative County Executive has an intelligent and articulate nerd running against him. If you live in Westchester, please vote for Noam Bramson. Thank you.
ReplyDeletePEOPLE please stop calling our national health care initiative OBAMA CARE. It should be marketed to the uninsured and others in need as the Affordable Care Act or ACA. The ACA was passed by the House of Representatives and the Senate, which also had vital input and contributions from people across the health care industry. It was signed by the President and it is something that he should take pride in. But it should not be branded and presented to the American public as only his idea. Sure he cares, hence his take on calling it OBAMA CARE but to appeal to those in need of health insurance and to have widespread acknowledgement and acceptance, it needs to be branded and marketed for what it is, THE AFFORDABLE CARE ACT or ACA.
ReplyDeleteHow about a bumber sticker?
ReplyDeleteAffordable Care Act 4U - because Obama cares!
"Obamacare" was coined by people who, for whatever reason, hate President Obama They "thought" it would "taint" the act and make it less popular. They were wrong.
Delete. He, himself, took it as a badge of honor and dubbed it "Obamacare" proudly Because he DOES care.
No one's going to make me pry my "I heart Obamacare" bumper sticker off my car. I'll call it "Obamacare" because I know it bugs the heck out of the people who hate it.
The valiant fight by Ted Cruz against Obamacare
ReplyDeleteWill not be in vain
The fight will never stop until Obamacare is defeated.
The evil fight by Traitor Cruz against the health and wellbeing of millions of Americans
DeleteWill not be successful
The fight will never be won because patriotic Americans will ensure Obamacare is there to protect all Americans.
There, fixed it for you. Traitor Cruz lost. Get over it.
I respectfully ask you. How do you get your health care? How much do you pay per week? I am self-employed and get health care through my husband's employer. We pay $187.00 a week. My husband makes less than $45,000 in a job he's held for 16 years. Let me just say our Christmas tree is never overflowing with gifts. Yet, here's a simple economic lesson. If health care cost didn't eat up so much of our disposable income, we would be able to spend more and save more. Golly gee. That's one way the AFFORDABLE CARE ACT will boost the economy. And also lower the deficit...
Delete"The ACA and its companion reconciliation legislation contain a number of provisions designed to raise revenue to offset the cost of the health reform law. After the revenue raisers are initiated, the law is estimated to reduce the federal deficit by $143 billion over the 2010-2019 period and by a trillion dollars over twenty years, according to CBO."
Read more here.
http://www.acponline.org/advocacy/where_we_stand/assets/i2-how-is-the-aca-funded.pdf
Rafael Eduardo Cruz won't even use his real name, because it looks too Hispanic. He has FOOLED uninformed clowns like you who will follow anyone who says what you like. Sarah Palin hitched onto a Loser, and endorsed another Loser. That 'RILLY' tells you that Sarah herself is a Loser. You LOST, Get Over It. BWAHAHAHAHAHA.
DeleteCRUZ FOUGHT OBAMACARE JUST LIKE HIS FATHER FOUGHT FOR FIDEL CASTRO. Cruz is a Foreigner, but since he is not Black, it will not matter to you Racists. Cruz is a Canadian Citizen, FACT.
DeleteI would like to invite ANON 6:51 to my home to witness the next at home surgery I perform on my kid. That's what no healthcare looks like. My only requirement is that you wash your hands first. It is obvious you have blood on them.
DeleteTexasMel
I have read about these centers,but only because I read. Let's face it...how many of these media jerks are exactly like Chuck
ReplyDeleteTodd. The good ones are few and far between, entertainment is the rule of the day...Democrats do not scream 24/7. We do not have all these endless conventions, our own TV channel and the supreme court, not to mention ruthless billionaires that actively seek to control every aspect of this country. Bill Mahr said it all describing CA.....no GOP at every level and no NRA. They took their state back and raised taxes on the rich, it can be done. This budget debate will be just as nasty in Jan.....wanting a revenue increase will bring out good ole Grover and Patty Murray isn't going to approve anything without it. 2014 can't come fast enough.
Jesse, I don't want to give far right crazies more ideas, so I do not care if you post this on Immoral Minority. I'd just ask it be passed around to trusted folks via email or by direct message on Twitter. "Young are being recruited to help gut Obamacare" via Miami Herald --
ReplyDeletehttp://www.miamiherald.com/2013/10/14/3689755/young-are-being-recruited-to-help.html
Thanks