This shutdown and debt ceiling stalemate is now solidly trending toward catastrophe for the Teaparty. But it could get a lot worse. There have been just a few stories like the one below trickling in from grass roots conservatives, but if that turns into a deluge, it’s a full-blown Teaparty nightmare. I realize these clowns don’t think much, but did they really assume there would be no Republicans among the throngs of Americans signing up for health insurance under the Affordable Care Act? Or that some of them might soon discover the hated Obamacare is nothing more ominous than a set of boring websites with affordable health insurance policies that saves them loads of money?
Think Progress — Butch Matthews is a 61-year-old former small business owner from Little Rock, Arkansas. … A lifelong Republican, he was heavily skeptical of the Affordable Care Act when it first passed. “I did not think that Obamacare was going to be a good plan, I did not think that it was going to help me at all,” he told ThinkProgress over the phone.
But after doing a little research, Matthews eventually realized how much the law could help him. And on Tuesday, his local Blue Cross Blue Shield (BCBS) provider confirmed that he would be able to buy a far better plan than his current policy while saving at least $13,000 per year …
It’s not just way cheaper premiums, it’s a way, way better deal all the way around. A colleague at Daily Kos did the math in this case and framed it nicely, “Turns out pre-Obamacare, Matthews was paying $1069.per month with a $10,000 deductible. Matthews’ doctor visits went from a co-pay of $150 to $8. Matthews has a simple message to all Americans.”
I would tell them to learn more about it before they start talking bad about it,” he noted. “Be more informed, get more information, take your time and study and not just go by just what you hear on one side or the other. Actually check the facts on it.
Fear not my skeptical friends. The Teaparty may be infested with sociopaths and ruthless megalomaniacs, but they have chosen the wrong side in a strategic blunder. We are offering comprehensive affordable life saving healthcare to millions of Americans who could not get it, we’re doing that in all fifty states to voters belonging to every political party. This law went through the House and Senate, it was signed by the President, upheld by the Supreme Court, and we won a presidential election by a near landslide running with it as our chief domestic issues against an opponent who ran against it at every opportunity
.The vast majority, almost a four-to-one margin, don’t want the government shutdown over defunding Obamacare. And now people are finding out it saves them big bucks and may save the life of someone they love. I’d much rather be us than them.
Likewise, but in the meantime, their tactics are hurting everyone. We need to diminish their power as quickly as possible, and next year’s elections are not soon enough.
I’m middle-aged, but younger than this guy. The ACA is a really good deal for midde-aged people (under 65) who don’t have a good plan subsidized by an employer. It’s likely less of a good deal for healthy people in their 20s, particularly people who aren’t facing the risk of pregnancy.
I’m in favor of poor people and sick people being able to get good medical care promptly. All the threats to repeal the program are making me anxious.
The cannier ones know all this, which is why they’ve been so desperate to kill the ACA before it goes into effect.
Thanks for this post and the link. It’s very hopeful.
$13,000 per year?? I can’t imagine spending that kind of money on health insurance. That’s got to be for his entire business, employees included.
smhll@ 2
“It’s likely less of a good deal for healthy people in their 20s, particularly people who aren’t facing the risk of pregnancy.”
Here’s the thing about insurance – Just let one of those healthy people in their 20s have a debilitating accident or find a breast lump or be diagnosed with lymphoma, lupus or MS (All likely to appear in the 20s or 30s) and suddenly that insurance is worth every penny.
We’ve educated most young people to realize that car insurance must be maintained for that “what if” scenario.
Now they need to understand that the same is true for health insurance.
Yeah, in the US, $13,000 a year prior to the ACA would be about right for a more or less catastrophic policy with high deducts for a 61 year-old.
@6: Exactly right. A friend of mine broke both legs in a motorcycle accident and had no insurance. He has a mortgage worth of medical debt that he’ll be paying off for decades. He’s in his 30s, but his situation could just as easily happen to a 20-something. He still needs some additional corrective surgeries and has been holding off until the exchanges open. Had the ACA been in place a couple of years ago, he would be much better off today.
More than 1000$ a month and still with a 10000$ deductible! WTF?! Is that a normal price to pay for health insurance in the U.S.? If that is the case it is completely and utterly insane.
I’ve always heard that many people in the U.S. are uninsured because they cannot afford it. But I never imagined it is that bad. Even for a moderately well earning person that is a shitload of money. And I don’t even want to think about having a family.
Just for comparison: I pay a little less than 300€ a month here in Germany. If you are insured by a public insurance – like most people are – the actual premium depends on your income. No deductible. Ok, if you wanted better treatment like better fillings at your dentist you would need to pay for that yourself. But it would be impossible for somebody to go bankrupt just because of a medical bill. But even if I add all the medical expenses in a year (including the premium for the insurance) I would not even come close to 10000$. Maybe I would get into that realm if I never need surgery.
Since when did the ‘baggers care about reality – the core 25% or so that make of the TP won’t give a damn.
The ACA is a really good deal for midde-aged people (under 65) who don’t have a good plan subsidized by an employer. It’s likely less of a good deal for healthy people in their 20s, particularly people who aren’t facing the risk of pregnancy.
Yeah, just like car insurance is a really shitty deal for people who never get into any accidents.
I was in my 20s when I got appendicitis. Before that, I rarely used my health insurance at all. I certainly appreciated having it at that point.
And as a 28 year old, who rarely used her insurance, I was paying about $400 per month. I don’t want to think how high it would be now that I’m 31.
“we won a presidential election by a near landslide”?
No. 51% to 47% is not a near landslide. That’s just squeaking by. I did not like it when Colorado for Family Values claimed that 52-48 was a landslide; I do not like it here either.