freeman3 wrote:Maybe once the general public realizes how expensive it really since is then they will support things to bring the overall cost of medical care under control (hopefully the ACA's will do it, but if not then something else).

The prior system was not working and had to be fixed and for all DF's worship of free market solutions, they don't work in the health care market.

In any case, Republicans have proposed no comprehensive solution (this talk of fixing pre-existing conditions is, well, amusing--sure, Republicans are going to subsidize those who have pre-existing conditions...)

Having said that, do I believe that the ACA should be tinkered with to subsidize middle-class families that are having to deal with the sticker shock of having to pay the real cost of health insurance. Absolutely.

Would Obama agree to do that---I am pretty sure he would. Would Republicans agree to do that? No way!

GMTom wrote:But danivon, while this is not pure socialism, it most certainly IS socialism to a degree. The poor are getting subsidies paid for by the others...socialism!

And even there, if my care gets better while my costs go down, great go ahead and subsidize anyone you want! Problem is my care is not better and my costs are far higher.

It's coming, a Republican landslide victory! The Dems pissed off the silent majority of conservatives!

GMTom wrote:it absolutely is, government insists all must take part in the program while giving subsidies to the poor to help them afford it, that is a form of socialism. No, it is not pure and total socialism but it is a form or a degree of it without any doubt, claiming otherwise is simply fooling yourself.

and your silent majority comment. Yes, the majority should just "shut up" and let the liberals control everything!? Most (but not all) Conservatives are quiet and meek but rile them up (by hitting their purses) and they will speak with their vote!

freeman3 wrote:When you get a big reform like the ACA of course a few people are not happy.

Obama's challenges with the health-care law have compounded the damage. By 40 percent to 9 percent, Americans said recent news has made them less confident about the law rather than more confident. While just 24 percent say the law should be "totally eliminated"—a core Republican demand—28 percent say it needs "a major overhaul."

And I think most of the people will be ok with it once they understand why their premiums have gone up.

There are a lot more people than that with pre-existing conditions who are happy with the change, there are a lot of working poor who are happy they can finally get insurance, there are a lot of people who just got of college that are happy they can stay on their parents' plan.

Those numbers vastly outweigh the number of middle-class to upper-middle-class people who bought individual plans and saw their premiums go up. Those very large number of people positively affected would be angry if the ACA was gotten rid of.

I remember RJ talking a long-time ago that subsidy cut-offs were set too low. Well let's fix that.

Let's try to solve problems instead of being obstructionist.

The ACA is here--why not make it work better rather than not setting up exchanges, not accepting Medicaid expansion and complaining about every problem?

Are Republicans the can-do or do-nothing (or is that the know-nothings if you get the historical reference) party?

freeman3 wrote:As usual "chicken little" is interpreting everything in the worst possible light...give it six months to actually go into effect--actually, you did not even wait for that.

Meet the new Soccer Mom: Obamacare losers.

Millions of married, older, white, college-educated, GOP-leaning Americans have quickly seen their political profile rise after their health insurance companies sent them cancellation letters with the launch of the giant new health care law.

It’s not a huge segment of the population — estimates show between 10 million to 19 million people bought health insurance from what Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius dubbed the “Wild West” individual marketplace.

But the ones who are making the most anti-Obamacare noise are part of this group (think of the self-employed, small business owners, freelance writers, musicians and taxi cab drivers) that share one politically pertinent common denominator. Their complaints — amplified in recent weeks by Republicans and reporters — demonstrate one of the first tangible stumbles of the Affordable Care Act.

“It’s not theoretical anymore,” said Virginia-based health industry consultant Robert Laszewski. “You can spin in the White House press room, but these are people who will be sitting down with their friends and families at Thanksgiving sharing stories about their cancellation letters. That’s going to be the only thing that counts.”

Horror stories already abound of people who can’t get insurance through their employer and are now finding that their old plans don’t measure up to Obamacare’s standards. There may indeed be better policies around the corner, giving people more protections when they actually do get sick and requiring guaranteed coverage for things like prescription drugs, emergency hospital visits, maternity and mental health and not being black listed due to a preexisting condition.

Still, it’s the shock of the change — especially after President Barack Obama repeatedly promised that anyone could keep the plan that they had — that is very real and threatens to resonate through the 2014 midterm campaign.

“[Obama] may have known this is a more sophisticated issue – you’re going to get better, more benefits – but people who hear politicians are very literal,” said Harvard professor Bob Blendon, an expert on public attitudes toward health care policy.

Where does all this anti-Obama stuff come from? This endless stream of anti-Obama propaganda--you would think our country had gone into the tank already

...And if it does it won't be from liberals who have a positive inclusive outlook on life and people, but close-minded conservatives who are afraid that people that are not like them are going to take their stuff....

look around you--where is wealth concentrated in this country--it sure is not in the conservatives areas of the country.

Oh what a tangled website we weave, when we practice to deceive.

freeman3 wrote:It's a reasonable observation but I am not sure I am quite that naive. If I recollect 150 million Americans get coverage through their work and 20 million or so get individual plans. Of that 20 million or so who bought individual plans how many already opposed ACA. Of the ones who supported or were at least neutral towards the ACA how many had sub-standard plans? That's a relatively small number of people and ultimately that group will be vastly outnumbered by those who will benefit from the ACA. The real important thing is the employer plans because that is where the numbers are.