Photo courtesy of equipmentcare.com
I found this article in The New York Times which helpfully lays out the dizzying array of plans from which to choose within the Affordable Care Act’s online market places. If you’ve decided to brave the storm of misinformation by right-leaning media, as well as the disappointment of America’s stubborn unwillingness to adopt a single-payer system for everyone (like Medicare), then bravely read here:
Photo courtesy of 401(K) 2013 via flickr.com
Republicans were apparently furious that government would dare intrude on an insurance company’s freedom to offer a terrible product to desperate people.
![Photo By Center for American Progress Action Fund from Washington, DC (Barack Obama at Las Vegas Presidential Forum) [CC-BY-SA-2.0 (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons](https://illuminatebytanya.files.wordpress.com/2013/09/barack_obama_at_las_vegas_presidential_forum.jpg)
Photo courtesy of Center for American Progress Action Fund (via Wikimedia Commons)
Rachel Maddow talked about some bewildering results of a recent survey on people’s feelings about Obamacare on her news show. CNBC has reported about it as well:
29% of the public supports Obamacare compared with 22% who support the Affordable Care Act.
46% oppose Obamacare and 37% oppose Affordable Care Act.
So what’s going on? Well, it’s all in the name, of course!
The strange results are due to two things. The first is that the respondents didn’t know that Obamacare and the Affordable Care Act are the same thing (Obamacare is simply a derisive nickname given to the Affordable Care Act by those who don’t support it, whereas the Affordable Care Act is its official name). The second is that the respondents were swayed by the name used in the survey. When the term “Obamacare” was used, the results were different than when the term “Affordable Care Act” was used.
This has some troubling implications that the White House is going to have to address if they want to win the hearts and minds of those who say they don’t support his new health care plan. First, the two terms need to be clarified for people who still don’t get it. Second, the poll results show that in order for a majority of people to support it, it better be REALLY good. When it is implemented (which is still not a definite yet), it will have to work extremely well in order to overcome many people’s automatic dislike in anything Pres. Obama does.
Whether or not Pres. Obama’s health care plan is the miracle he says it will be is still unclear. Personally, after reading a lot about it, I don’t think it will be perfect. But I do think it will be a lot better than what we have now, which is a system in which way too many people are uninsured. All we can do is wait and see.
On a lighter note, Rachel Maddow shared some images put up on Twitter and Tumblr that perfectly highlight the confusion over the name of the plan. How would people feel about the plan if it was called this:
Image courtesy of adorablecareact.tumblr.com
Image courtesy of adorablecareact.tumblr.com
Image courtesy of adorablecareact.tumblr.com
Photo courtesy of drexel.edu
About Pres. Obama’s new health care plan, Care2 says:
“The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act is called that for a reason. Otherwise known as Obamacare, it protects patients from HMOs’ common abusive tactics and makes health insurance more affordable.”
Here are 10 reasons why you should feel good about Obamacare (and not listen to Republicans) –
1) Everyone will have access to health care coverage
2) Pre-existing conditions will no longer affect your coverage
3) Sick patients will no longer be dropped by their insurance
4) Young adults can stay on their parents’ plans
5) Free preventive care
6) Regular check-up with a gynecologist will be free for women
7) Free birth control
8) You will save money on medical bills
9) The whole country will save money (Obamacare will reduce the national deficit by two hundred billion dollars in its first ten years)
10) The Medicare “donut hole” will close (Seniors on Medicare who experience this donut hole often pay up to $4,550 out of pocket for prescription medication. Obamacare will seal up the hole by 2020)
For more details, go to Care2.com.
Photo courtesy of http://www.capitalbay.com
1) Obesity– Experts say that fast food; drinks with way too much sugar, such as sodas; processed food; candy and other sugary snacks; and overly large portion sizes are to blame.
2) Health Care costs- Care2 states, “The main reason for the high cost of American health care is that most medical services, materials, technologies and drugs are more expensive than in other industrialized countries. Governments in many other countries play a much stronger role in financing health care services and their citizens are obliged to help pay for it through taxes. In return, all are usually covered by national health insurance.”
3) Cost of giving birth- The United States is the most expensive place in the world to have a baby. So what do mothers get for their money? If you thought the answer was better care, you’re wrong. In fact, America has one of the highest rates of infant and maternal death among industrialized countries.
4) Energy use per person- The U.S. Energy Information Administration reports that Americans account for nearly 19 percent of the world’s total primary energy consumption. Of the many reasons for this is the cost of heating and cooling increasingly large homes, as well as electricity used to power home electronics.
5) Defense spending- According to Care2, “The U.S. government actually spent about $718 billion on defense and international security assistance in 2011, compared to 2% that it spent on education. That includes all of the Pentagon’s underlying costs as well as the price tag for the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, which came to $159 billion in 2011.”
To read more about each, go to care2.com.
Illuminate 