Obamacare

There's more....much will be covered, reported and praised by the Corporate Media...folks, gather your facts.

The Affordable Care Act has flaws, but Americans have the opportunity for health care services and health care they never previously had. Americans are covered for pre-existing conditions and necessary health care services. Some states have worked to deny Americans the health care they need and deserve.

It's time to separate the Republican Lies, recognize the Koch-Roaches Agenda and work for the best Americans are entitled to.

It's time to replace the extremists in Washington with sensible people who work for what's best for us all.

McCain: 'The people spoke'

By Steve Benen

-

Wed Sep 25, 2013

Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) heard Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) argue last night that his critics remind him of Nazi appeasers, and to his credit, the Arizona Republican criticized his right-wing colleague this afternoon, calling Cruz's comments "a great disservice."

But that's not all McCain said (thanks to my colleague Mike Yarvitz for the heads-up).





For those who can't watch clips online, here's a partial transcript of the senator's remarks:

"Many of those who are in opposition right now were not here at the time, and did not take part in the debate and I respect that. But I'd like to remind them that the record is very clear of one of the most hard-fought, fair -- in my view -- debates that has taken place on the floor of the Senate in the time that I've been here.
"And then I'd remind my colleagues that in the 2012 election, 'Obamacare,' as it's called -- and I'll be more polite, the ACA -- was a subject that was a major issue in the campaign. I campaigned all over America for two months, everywhere I could, and in every single campaign rally I said, 'And we have to repeal and replace Obamacare.'
"Well, the people spoke. They spoke, much to my dismay, but they spoke and they reelected the president of the United States."

If you listened to Cruz's lengthy tantrum, you heard some bizarre remarks about democratic principles and officials' responsibility to respond to the will of the electorate.

With this in mind, McCain's remarks weren't just a rebuke of Cruz, they were also effectively a call for the end to the Republican crusade. We had an election, Obama won, so it's time to accept the fact that elections have consequences -- and the consequences of 2012 include greater access to affordable health care for American families.

I'm not accustomed to seeing John McCain, of all people, echo a thesis of mine so completely, but it's been a strange week.

http://maddowblog.msnbc.com/_news/2013/09/25/20695240-mccain-the-people-spoke?lite

Click on link to read full report:

Government Releases Obamacare Premium Levels for 36 More States

—By Kevin Drum

| Tue Sep. 24, 2013

 

 

With the start of open enrollment in Obamacare a week away, HHS today released a report summarizing the cost of premiums in states where the exchanges will be run by the federal government. In general, the news was pretty good. As with most of the state exchanges, the premiums are coming in below the predictions of the Congressional Budget Office:

Individuals will have an average of 53 qualified health plan choices in states where HHS will fully or partially run the Marketplace.
....Premiums before tax credits will be more than 16 percent lower than projected. The weighted average second lowest cost silver plan for 48 states (including DC) is 16 percent below projections based on the ASPE-derived Congressional Budget Office premiums.
....Tax credits will make premiums even more affordable for individuals and families. For example, in Texas, an average 27-year-old with income of $25,000 could pay $145 per month for the second lowest cost silver plan, $133 for the lowest cost silver plan, and $83 for the lowest cost bronze plan after tax credits. For a family of four in Texas with income of $50,000, they could pay $282 per month for the second lowest cost silver plan, $239 for the lowest silver plan, and $57 per month for the lowest bronze plan after tax credits.

I don't suppose Ted Cruz will be mentioning any of this in his speechifying on the Senate floor tonight. But it's worth taking a look at those numbers. After tax credits, that family of four in Texas will pay $3,384 per year for the second lowest-cost silver plan. According to the Kaiser Family Foundation, the average family with employer health coverage pays $4,565 per year in contributions. Those aren't directly comparable, but they're close. What it means is that although Obamacare is hardly free, it does allow individuals to buy coverage for roughly the same amount they'd have to pay with an employer plan. No one is shut out of the market any longer.

The entire report is here. An excerpt of one of the tables is below, showing how much coverage will cost for individuals and families in various states.





http://www.motherjones.com/kevin-drum/2013/09/obamacare-premium-federal-exchange



Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC)

Obamacare already guarantees that 3.1 million young adults can stay on their parents’ health insurance plan until 26. The Tea Party is threatening to shut down the government to make sure our young people don’t get those benefits.

LIKE and SHARE, then Read more #ObamacareFacts here >>https://www.dscc.org/obamacare-facts

 

USAction shared Keystone Progress's photo.

 

Keystone Progress told Rep. Gerlach "No Government Shutdown!" today in Wyomissing.