Come for the politics, stay for the snark.

When do we start airlifting the women and children out of Texas?

Republicans do not pay their debts.

Live so that if you miss a day of work people aren’t hoping you’re dead.

This must be what justice looks like, not vengeful, just peaceful exuberance.

Nothing worth doing is easy.

Republicans in disarray!

Wait, what?

Of course you can have champagne before noon. That’s why orange juice was invented.

If rights aren’t universal, they are privilege, not rights.

75% of people clapping liked the show!

I’d like to think you all would remain faithful to me if i ever tried to have some of you killed.

Take hopelessness and turn it into resilience.

That meeting sounds like a shotgun wedding between a shitshow and a clusterfuck.

In my day, never was longer.

Let’s not be the monsters we hate.

Giving up is unforgivable.

Let the trolls come, and then ignore them. that’s the worst thing you can do to a troll.

Wake up. Grow up. Get in the fight.

If you are still in the gop, you are either an extremist yourself, or in bed with those who are.

Giving in to doom is how we fail to fight for ourselves & one another.

Republicans: “Abortion is murder but you can take a bus to get one.” Easy peasy.

The lights are all blinking red.

The arc of the moral universe does not bend itself. it is up to us to bend it.

When tyranny becomes law, rebellion becomes duty. ~Thomas Jefferson

You are here: Home / Anderson On Health Insurance / Good news everybody

Good news everybody

by | 22 Comments

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One of the fundamental aims of the ACA is being met — people are being covered. Full national Medicaid Expansion would knock off at least another point off. We’re also seeing the cost of the law meeting or beating initial expectations even as premiums are being hiked on the Exchanges. There are plumbing issues and technical problems but the aims of the law are fundamentally being met.

And now for some expert commentary below the fold:

Reader Interactions

22Comments

  1. 1.

    p.a.

    posted below also:

    Any Texas Juicers? Beaumont Animal Services has 4 dogs scheduled for last roundup tomorrow. Adopt, or maybe get them transferred to a no-kill shelter.

  5. 5.

    p.a.

    @rikyrah: is in morn thread but it seems to be petering out. Sent to AL, thanks for the idea.

    On topic: so… the kludge is kludgy, but successful. Great news, and means maybe only some nicks-and-tucks needed to make it less kludgy. With the big boy dropouts announced this year, hope the covered population trendline doesn’t reverse. Any R governors in trouble this cycle? Maybe get Medicaid expansion in some states? tRump dragging any down?

  7. 7.

    Emily68

    That must be the death spiral they’re always talking about, but I thought it would be, you know, more curvy.

  9. 9.

    daveNYC

    @p.a.: Don’t think that the drop-outs will change things too badly as far as the coverage % goes, but chances are that those people being impacted will get an extra helping of screwage with their insurance policy.

  10. 10.

    NorthLeft12

    Sometimes I don’t understand you people. Haven’t you got the message yet that the success of Obamacare means the destruction of America as you know it?
    Sheesh! Get with it.

  11. 11.

    msdc

    THANKS, OBAMA!

    On a related note, any idea why the national figures in the top chart are so much lower than the numbers for expansion vs. non-expansion states? What other pool of citizens is being included to bring those averages down?

  12. 12.

    low-tech cyclist

    Clearly the uninsured rate is only going down on account of the FEMA camps and the death panels. So go, FEMA!

  13. 13.

    SenyorDave

    I’d say that HRC could use this in a campaign ad, but the people who would applaud this are already voting for her. Trump supporters, and many independents would see this as a negative, bunch of freeloaders.

  14. 14.

    low-tech cyclist

    @msdc:

    why the national figures in the top chart are so much lower than the numbers for expansion vs. non-expansion states?

    Good question!

    The answer is, the 8.6% figure is for the entire U.S. population, but the Medicaid v. non-Medicaid expansion numbers are for adults age 18-64. The overall uninsured rate for adults 18-64 is 11.9%, so the rate for the Medicaid expansion states is lower, and the non-expansion states is higher, than the 11.9% overall rate.

    References, all from cdc.gov/nchs/data/nhis/earlyrelease/insur201609.pdf:

    11.9% rate for adults age 18-64: First page, second bullet under ‘Highlights.’

    Medicaid expansion v. non-expansion numbers apply to specifically the adult 18-64 population: Figure 9 on p.5.

  16. 16.

    Redshift

    @SenyorDave: Democrats are dealing with stuff like this, from the Post’s story about the possibility of retaking the House:

    Lewis rolled his eyes and brought up health care, an issue that Democrats aren’t sure how to finesse. As they met voters this weekend, Craig and Bonoff repeatedly met people who had seen insurance premiums spike. A pair of dairy farmers told Craig that their farm’s employees were being forced onto the state’s most expensive plan. A retiree methodically walked Bonoff through all of his cost increases.

    “Costs are going up a lot slower than before, and you aren’t in constant danger of losing your coverage” is really good policy, but it’s still not an easy sell to people who weren’t struggling before. People are bad at math and remembering; their premiums often shot up before for no obvious reason, but now when they go up, they have something to blame it on. (I got an infuriating presentation a couple of years ago from my company’s HR department in which they parroted uncritically the insurance company’s line that huge increases in co-pays were “because of Obamacare.”)

  17. 17.

    Gindy51

    @Redshift: My old doc tried that line with regards to his pricing schedule but I flat out told him, in the middle of his new office, that he was full of shit and he raised prices to pay for the building we were standing in. Several other patients nodded in agreement as I walked out.

  18. 18.

    gene108

    @p.a.:

    and means maybe only some nicks-and-tucks needed to make it less kludgy.

    Cost is still a big problem. This is one reason Sanders appeal for single-payer was (is) so appealing, because people still cannot afford medical care, if they have a high deductible plan. It is better than nothing, but still not entirely affordable.

    Also, depending on the business and the health of the group, premiums and benefits can vary wildly.

    There’s still a lot of work to do to make healthcare both accessible for the masses and affordable.

  19. 19.

    MomSense

    @Gindy51:

    Employers blame ObamaCare when they decide to shift more of the burden onto their employees. Also, too states with shitty regulatory regimes will allow insurance companies to get away with bigger rate hikes and happily blame the rate hikes on ObamaCare.

  21. 21.

    WereBear

    It is difficult to discuss logical things with people who do not think logically.

    Not only is the glass half-empty, a liberal is constantly trying to take it from them!

  22. 22.

    p.a.

    @WereBear:
    Obama opines for fair weather and timely rain.
    Rush bloviates for tornadoes and firestorms.
    Michelle recommends exercise, veggies, and less fat.
    Hannity drinks anthrax shake and gnaws on tire rim on show. (If only!)

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