blobbohen
Rookie
What's up, GR?
Though I imagine most of you have already heard about the Supreme Court's ruling on the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (colloquially known as "Obamacare") I figured that some of the posters on this forum may not be all that familiar with the actual content of the law itself, since polls are showing that the majority of Americans have no idea what's in it. To assist with combating that I'm offering a few of the law's more impressive feats below, in addition to some sources that help clarify what can be expected as the law becomes fully implemented. This isn't a public service announcement so much as an effort to foster discussion about a titanic law that was nearly axed this past week. After reading a few lines from below I'm pretty sure you'll be glad that it wasn't.
Without further ado some effects of the law:
Those are the four main points I'm going to list for now since a wall of text would be just as intimidating to many readers as the 1,900-page law itself. There's a ton of misinformation (really crazy misinformation) about what Obamacare does and does not do. To be certain, it is a very unpopular law, but only when it is talked about collectively since many of the individual features of the law are actually quite popular. So while you're at it read up on the most controversial component of the law, the individual mandate, since that has more or less been used as the primary fear-mongering device by Republicans and TEA party groups that wanted to frighten people about the law. It's nothing to be scared of since it is not going to apply to many people, though the effort to intimidate people has been very well-funded. Fighting propaganda with facts is how I'm trying to defuse the panic, I guess.
If you're curious as to how other provisions of the law will work here's a page that lists the years and programs in a readable format for how Obamacare will be implemented. There seriously is a ton of way overdue updates and regulations with this law, and being familiar with them will go a long way in taking advantage of those programs. And last but not least I offer this: if you have a specific question about what the law can do please go ahead and pm me. If enough questions are sent my way I'll post my responses and leave them here on the forum for everyone to see.
The reason I'm doing it this way is that the unofficial, self-appointed "Libertarian" quack of this forum has attacked and had gooey ragegasms all over his computer screen for just about every politically-oriented thread I've started here on GR, turning them into off-topic messes as other users try to calm him down and actually have a useful discussion. So to avoid his Ayn Rand-esque temper tantrums getting all the attention I'm inviting you to send any questions that you've got my way so I can focus on answering them and spreading the info around about how useful Obamacare really is and will continue to be. I think it will be alot more functional of a discourse this way.
So go ahead and ask away by pm-ing me with any questions that you've got regarding this huge step forward in healthcare insurance for the U.S.A. Back when this law was still a bill I spent months working with different volunteer groups and community organizers getting Obamacare moved forward, and our efforts ultimately paid off. In the process I gained an intimate familiarity with many of the different clauses and changes of the law, so I figured that anyone wanting to know more about it could do so by asking me. If no one's curious then that's no sweat off my back since I've got a ton to do outside of clarifying a law that most Americans seem to be very puzzled by.
My personal motivations for doing this are pretty simple: 45,000 people die a year due to not having insurance in the U.S., and that is a problem that other countries like England, Denmark, Canada, and Germany do not have. The experiences that my family and friends have had in those countries served as strong motivation for me to make America's system into one that helped sick people get better instead of bankrupting them. For me it's just that simple.
So there you go. PM me with any questions, and if there's any interest I'll post my answers within a week or so. Good night and good luck, GR.
Though I imagine most of you have already heard about the Supreme Court's ruling on the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (colloquially known as "Obamacare") I figured that some of the posters on this forum may not be all that familiar with the actual content of the law itself, since polls are showing that the majority of Americans have no idea what's in it. To assist with combating that I'm offering a few of the law's more impressive feats below, in addition to some sources that help clarify what can be expected as the law becomes fully implemented. This isn't a public service announcement so much as an effort to foster discussion about a titanic law that was nearly axed this past week. After reading a few lines from below I'm pretty sure you'll be glad that it wasn't.
Without further ado some effects of the law:
- Beginning in 2014 it will be illegal to deny someone coverage because they have a "pre-existing condition." Simply put, the people that had in the past been denied coverage will, at last, have a means to acquire it.
- Insurance companies can no longer place life-time caps on the amount of money that they can spend on you, and with this provision already in effect since 2010 it's a worry that's no longer necessary. Previously this restriction would allow an insurance company to get away with paying for a menial amount of something like a hospital stay and then leaving the patient to foot the rest of the bill.
- You are now permitted to stay on your parents' insurance until the age of 26, provided your employer does not already offer you insurance. This provision has also been enacted already.
- In 2014 state-run exchanges will be online, essentially allowing you a place to shop around for an insurance policy that suits you in terms of coverage and affordability. I'd also add that options for getting your insurance subsidized will also be made possible for people that want insurance but still can't afford it. Basically, the government helps you pay for your insurance, if you qualify to receive the assistance.
Those are the four main points I'm going to list for now since a wall of text would be just as intimidating to many readers as the 1,900-page law itself. There's a ton of misinformation (really crazy misinformation) about what Obamacare does and does not do. To be certain, it is a very unpopular law, but only when it is talked about collectively since many of the individual features of the law are actually quite popular. So while you're at it read up on the most controversial component of the law, the individual mandate, since that has more or less been used as the primary fear-mongering device by Republicans and TEA party groups that wanted to frighten people about the law. It's nothing to be scared of since it is not going to apply to many people, though the effort to intimidate people has been very well-funded. Fighting propaganda with facts is how I'm trying to defuse the panic, I guess.
If you're curious as to how other provisions of the law will work here's a page that lists the years and programs in a readable format for how Obamacare will be implemented. There seriously is a ton of way overdue updates and regulations with this law, and being familiar with them will go a long way in taking advantage of those programs. And last but not least I offer this: if you have a specific question about what the law can do please go ahead and pm me. If enough questions are sent my way I'll post my responses and leave them here on the forum for everyone to see.
The reason I'm doing it this way is that the unofficial, self-appointed "Libertarian" quack of this forum has attacked and had gooey ragegasms all over his computer screen for just about every politically-oriented thread I've started here on GR, turning them into off-topic messes as other users try to calm him down and actually have a useful discussion. So to avoid his Ayn Rand-esque temper tantrums getting all the attention I'm inviting you to send any questions that you've got my way so I can focus on answering them and spreading the info around about how useful Obamacare really is and will continue to be. I think it will be alot more functional of a discourse this way.
So go ahead and ask away by pm-ing me with any questions that you've got regarding this huge step forward in healthcare insurance for the U.S.A. Back when this law was still a bill I spent months working with different volunteer groups and community organizers getting Obamacare moved forward, and our efforts ultimately paid off. In the process I gained an intimate familiarity with many of the different clauses and changes of the law, so I figured that anyone wanting to know more about it could do so by asking me. If no one's curious then that's no sweat off my back since I've got a ton to do outside of clarifying a law that most Americans seem to be very puzzled by.
My personal motivations for doing this are pretty simple: 45,000 people die a year due to not having insurance in the U.S., and that is a problem that other countries like England, Denmark, Canada, and Germany do not have. The experiences that my family and friends have had in those countries served as strong motivation for me to make America's system into one that helped sick people get better instead of bankrupting them. For me it's just that simple.
So there you go. PM me with any questions, and if there's any interest I'll post my answers within a week or so. Good night and good luck, GR.