Sometime during the next four years Obama will fix ObamaCare. After all, it never really was the best idea. You know that. I know that. We all know that. To put it kindly, the whole thing got all tangled up in politics, compromise and deception. And those are just the nice words that describe how we got to ObamaCare.
I realize that the Affordable Care Act will make it so that tens of million more Americans will have health insurance. I understand about the expanded coverage for college students. I have read about the free prenatal care and cancer screenings. I understand about the emotional and financial relief for so many families with some member who has been denied coverage simply because they really need coverage. I believe that it will be good for the economy and for society in general. And I also know that for the first time in decades my health insurance costs stayed exactly the same as the previous year while I received greater benefits. That hit me immediately. In my wallet and in my life. Just being honest.
One thing for certain, ObamaCare is much better than what we have been living with, or dieing without: the ever expanding cost of health care and health care insurance, coupled to the ever increasing list of medicines and procedures and pre-existing conditions that swell the NOT COVERED list made a mockery of health care and turned it into health refusal. But I read a blog today on the Huffington Post that got me thinking. That blog led to some comments that eventually got to the following response about the ObamaCare "exchanges" from someone who goes by the user name of RubyMontana. She had a bit of criticism for ObamaCare that I think has some merit.
In October the exchanges will be open for business. Governments will staff this highly trained bunch to navigate you through ObamaCare.
When you are finished with that, more government staff will look at your tax return (yes, you will need one if you want that subsidy) and tell you how much you get towards your required coverage.
Should be fun!
For those of us who have been doing our own work, this is a no-brainer. For those that want it all done for them, you will learn a difficult and expensive lesson. RubyMontana.
I’m not totally convinced that life will be as dire as Ruby says, though she did get me thinking about how much I appreciate ObamaCare and the work that went into it–but here’s the thing, it’s not the final answer. Never was intended to be. So for now, in spite of, or because of, the awful experience RubyMontana says I should expect from the exchanges, I’ll continue to visit my friendly Nurse Practitioner and follow her advice as she is the one who monitors my health much more than I ever will.
Then I will continue to push for single-payer, government managed health care to replace this good first intermediate step that got fashioned in this form to appease the republicans who then stabbed a president in the back by turning their own backs on the deals they made. It was the Conservative Corporate Congressional demand for appeasement that makes Obamacare something far below the ideal. But it's also all we could get–for now. Anyway…
This president doesn’t strike me as one who likes to settle for less than what he knows is the best. He makes deals, yes. But I believe he yet strives for some high ideals.
Consider the range of high ideals this last term, from endorsing gay marriage, gays in the military and women in combat roles, to his supreme court appointments, to supporting an investment in the auto industry, to doubling auto efficiency standards, to ObamaCare, his “signature” accomplishment.
With all that said, my big prediction for the next four years is that before this term is over, President Obama will get health care right. After all, it does have his name on it. http://talktothemike.com/