I was once sympathetic to Obama but no more. I strongly disliked the prior, Bush admin. for lying and starting expensive and ill fated wars, but I am no fan of Obama seeing his record. I am 55 and if the US healthcare was not so terminally F'd up I would be a happy camper. I have a steam of income, savings, a business and I invest actively and smartly having a background of a trader. Now here is the kicker, I actually hold a job that I despise but it actually has benefits. Now, millions of boomers are much worse shape then me. Finding a job after 45-50 is almost a zero chance. I wish to work part-time only but I cannot. I am afraid to lose my benefits. In a normal world, I would do that and make room for a younger person to take my hours. I am burned out and wish to do other things. This Obamacare had become a quagmire and a mess. Why could not Obama, instead of having passing that abortion of a legislation just extend the existing Medicare to age of say, 50 or even 55? I am not sure of the economical sense but these people(WE) are quite numerous, we vote, we are not destitute financially we have a lobby (AARP) but we are without medical care - unless we work or pay through the nose. Obama could have actually do some good if he had just expanded the existing system and try to enact some measures to control cost. Why did he not do this? Is it too late now? I am sure that whatever he dreamed up along with the Pelosi gang will be rolled back eventually. There is absolutely no reason for mandatory HI if you are a younger person. It is just plain STUPID. After 40 things change and get gradually worse as years pile up. I am (knocking on wood) healthy but you never know, I must have some insurance. Either that or I must leave and move to Canada. (options I am considering)
So you think Obamacare is actually about HEALTHCARE? Think of it as being about "power and control"... then it makes some sense.
if you were paying attention you should know that most democrats wanted to do exactly that. republicans along with a couple of dems killed it. do you really think obama would have been against it? soon you will be old enough for medicare. republicans have already promised and voted to kill medicare. maybe you should think about that.
I am not aware of that. I never heard that THAT was part of any plan. Do you have any proof/link to that fact? I could still get my wife's insurance if I quit full time tomorrow BUT medicaid is way too far (10-years) and it might be even pushed out further now.....
I would like to know how the republicans were able to stop it given the fact that Dems had a supermajority.
Under Obamacare you will be able to get an individual health insurance plan even if you already have a major health problem/pre existing condition The above starts in 2014 but now due to Obamacare a 50 year old with pre existing conditions can get an individual policy for around 500 a month with a 1000 to 2500 deductible Before Obamacare a 50 year old with major health problems needing a major health insurance policy was shit out of luck in most cases
I'll add that due to Obamacare now you can get a major health insurance policy even if you have a major health problem for around 500 a month and a 1000 to 2500 deductible and in 2014 when Obamacare fully kicks in you will have more and options If republicans kill Obamacare you will no longer have that option and they will end medicare,the current Republican House already voted to due so Obamacare isn't perfect but its sure as hell better then the republican plan of continuing to let insurance companies deny coverage due to pre existing conditions and ending medicare imo
I talk to a lot of people who feel like the OP. Some are younger, all are frustrated by the cost of health insurance. Unfortunately, Obamacare is designed to make these problems worse. It piles mandate after mandate on private companies, with the unstated intention of making private insurnace so expensive, that people will demand a single payer, ie fully socialized, system. Of course, the idea that people with preexisting conditions now can magically get insurance is also a bit misleading. Someone still has to pay for it. Don't forget, these are people with hugely expensive conditions. Otherwise, they could have gotten insurance. Somebody has to pay for it. Before, it got spread unevenly over the health care system in the form of free care, hidden subsidies, government plans like medicaid and state level plans for the uninsurable, etc. Now private companies are expected to deal with it. And people wonder why rates are going up dramatically after Obama promised the opposite? Going back to the OP and his understandable desire to break free of employer-provided coverage, the obvious solution is to free up the market for insurance so that companies can offer nationwde plans to people like him. He probably would prefer to get it for free or at greatly reduced medicare prices, but that is economically impossible. Anyone who tells you different is lying, which includes the entire democrat party. Medicare is broke. Adding huge numbers of people to it will only make its financial condition more dire. That was the basis of the Ryan plan. Put it on a sustainable basis. You might disagree with his approach, but it was a serious effort, far more serious than anything this bunch has produced. For his troubles and desire to have an intelligent debate, he was vilified in democrat ads as pushing an elderly lady in a wheel chair off a cliff.
except they are not. increases have moderated. for the last five years i have gotten a rate increase every year under blue cross ranging from 50% to 15%. the worst was when bush was president. the lowest increase,15% was this year. i guess by your logic obamacare is working.