Mr. Larson notes that the folks in Kentucky who have the gumption to elect Senators Mitch McConnell and Rand Paul also signing up enthusiastically for their Affordable Care Act health insurance exchange. He also reads that young people in Connecticut are signing up for their exchange at about the rate (one-third of enrollees) that the Obama Administration is hoping for.
There's a latent I told you so waiting for your Republicans at the heart of Larson's post. The Affordable Care Act is working in part because, instead of giving in to us Kucinich Democrats and fighting for single-payer, President Obama compromised with Republicans and adopted free-market policies that Republicans like Mitt Romney advocated and enacted.
That success isn't just in the newly opened health insurance exchanges. Read Bill Keller's account of the other benefits the Affordable Care Act is creating in health care—and remember, these are all good things that the Republicans repealers want to eliminate:
Since the Affordable Care Act was signed three years ago, more than 370 innovative medical practices, called accountable care organizations, have sprung up across the country, with 150 more in the works. At these centers, Medicare or private insurers reward doctors financially when their patients require fewer hospital stays, emergency room visits and surgeries — exactly the opposite of what doctors have traditionally been paid to do. The more money the organization saves, the more money its participating providers share. And the best way to save costs (which is, happily, also the best way to keep patients alive) is to catch problems before they explode into emergencies.
Thus the accountable care organizations have become the Silicon Valley of preventive care, laboratories of invention driven by the entrepreneurial energy of start-ups [Bill Keller, "Obamacare: The Rest of the Story," New York Times, 2013.10.13].
Rep. Kristi Noem would get rid of accountable care organizations.
These organizations have invested heavily in information technology so they can crunch patient records to identify those most at risk, those who are overdue for checkups, those who have not been filling their prescriptions and presumably have not been taking their meds. They then deploy new medical SWAT teams — including not just doctors but health coaches, care coordinators, nurse practitioners — to intervene and encourage patients to live healthier lives [Keller, 2013.10.13].
Dr. Annette Bosworth would hamstring these advances in the very medical technology that the government has paid her to adopt.
Keller gives examples of seemingly simple, undramatic health care innovations promoted by the ACA, like toenail-clipping services for diabetics to prevent costly infections that can lead to amputations. These small preventive measures are making a big difference in driving America toward a more efficient health care system:
...these services address the embarrassing fact, reiterated in study after study after study, that Americans pay much more for medical care than other developed countries, with no better results. Obamacare addresses this problem by going, as Willie Sutton famously advised, where the money is. It concentrates resources on the unhealthiest. According to Kaiser Health News, the sickest 1 percent of patients account for 21 percent of health care costs; 5 percent account for half of the total costs.
“There are organizations that are bringing emergency room visits down by 15 to 20 percent,” Glick said. “Hospital admissions, you see numbers like 20 and 30 percent. That can make a huge difference not only in the cost of care but also in the quality of care” [Keller, 2013.10.13].
Senator John Thune wants to take away these cost savings and let patients suffer more.
Republicans, the Affordable Care Act is working just the way you used to want health care reform to work. It's bringing down costs and making people healthier by using, as Keller says, "the kind of market-driven reformation that Republicans pretend to believe in." You Republicans should be laughing uproariously: "See, you socialist ninnies! We don't need Canadian socialized medicine. The free market still has lots of air in the tires! With a little tune-up, it works just fine. Be glad President Obama compromised with us and adopted free-market policies!"
Instead, you Republicans would repeal the Affordable Care Act, with no viable replacement, and leave Americans sicker and poorer.
That, my Republican friends, is just sick.
What you said "Instead, you Republicans would repeal the Affordable Care Act, with no viable replacement, and leave Americans sicker and poorer. That, my Republican friends, is just sick." should be etched in all of our minds from this day forward. This should be on bumper stickers, signs until we the people, understand it clearly. The intent of NOem and The Thune Bird and all of the rest of the tea party is not to have government at all. They not only want to eliminate Obamacare, but also Social Security, Medicare and the long long list of social programs that protect what we eat and what we drink. The total dismantling of the government to end government. They want it to go back to where it was when their beloved South still was able to legitimately use slave labor (why do you think they are so against raising the minimum wage?). The sooner we all understand that is what their goal is, the sooner we can throw them out of office. If you keep us poor enough and sick enough, we will work for board and room, just like Dixie in the beginning. They are not so far from accomplishing that as we now see in Washington.
I suggest that everyone that thinks that the ObamaCare signup is going smoothly go check out the comments on https://www.facebook.com/Healthcare.gov What you will find are story after story about how Americans are losing their current coverage they are happy with and finding that the alternatives available on the exchanges are sometimes 2 to 3 times what they pay now for far less benefits and much higher deductibles. For every hundred or so complaints there are occasional happy people that were not able to get coverage before. Then there are the nightmares of people trying to get on for the last couple of weeks only to be locked out of the system in the middle of filing out the online forms. The best way to describe the ObamaCare signup is to watch part of the movie Heartbreak Ridge where Clint Eastwood's character is asked for his assessment of the situation by a general evaluating a readiness drill. This bit of profanity can be watched here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nL6IWZhLdSM
The website debacle has turned many supporters of ObamaCare against it. It could have been one of the most important social programs that the federal government ever offered. Experts are quoted in the news that it might take 3 years at best to fix the problems of a website that cost all of us $600+ million.
EPIC FAIL
States that adopted exchanges have easier online access.
Good read in the Mitchell Daily Republic:
http://www.mitchellrepublic.com/content/opinion-obamacare-step-right-direction
On the 2nd day I had some problems, then the site worked fine. We know there are problems as well as lots of people prone to exaggeration.
There have been glitches Michael. I know I've been trying to get insurance. Interested Party is right. Things have gone smoother where the states have setup exchanges. But I'm still going to try and sign up because I'm sure that they'll be cheaper then the Cobra I'm now on.
Tell you what Michael, how about we give Obamacare a try and see if it works. Rather then tanking our economy, how about we try to improve Obamacare when the problems that'll come up, and there will be problems, rather then destroy it and replace it with-------nothing.
And the only epic failure here Michael has been the Tea Party led Republicans and they're soon to be out of office.
Even the people who don't like the President think that these people have gone too far.
What is called when do the same thing over and over again and expect a different result?
41+ times to repeal Obamacare and 41+ failure. Clearly the insane have taken over the asylum and Republican leadership is being held hostage.
What Republicans should be asking themselves is "Can We Repeal Reality?".
http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2013/10/14/health/mnsure-after-two-weeks
How about if you are going to take 3 years and $600+ million, you test your system to make sure it works smoothly!
Transparency - EPIC FAIL
Budgets - EPIC FAIL
Congress - EPIC FAIL
Calling each other names - SUCCESS
In your mind Michael B all these are epic somethings, and that is okay. For many many others, this is life saving and therefore an epic win. I will take their epic win over your hurt feelings anytime.
"How about if you are going to take 3 years and $600+ million, you test your system to make sure it works smoothly!"
I don't disagree with you. Might have helped if the states had set up their own exchanges.
So because of the glitches Michael we should scrap the Obamacare altogether? Throw the baby out with the bath water? Seems harsh especially when your side doesn't have a replacement
Thanks for that link, Jenny! If the health insurance exchange doubters had been in charge of D-Day, they'd have called off the invasion the moment the first paratroopers landed in the wrong place. Keep working, keep fixing....
My side?!?! I'm confused.
I'm all far the concept of affordable healthcare and taking care of those that need help. I do want to know what it's going to cost me and how much it is going to add to the deficit. That is important.
I'm not cool with making deep cuts into everything else because ObamaCare costs go out of control because of poor planning and mismanagement.
Because our Congress and President can't come to any agreement until the final hours, we more than likely will be paying higher interest on our federal debt. When this happened in 1979, it raised rates .6% and $12 billion in interest payments. That money could've gone to lowering the deficit or funding education or social programs. With a debt of almost $17 trillion, imagine how much their delay tactics and name calling will cost us and our children's children. All because both parties don't not want to let the other side to win. Thanks to them we all lose.
Every few months since President Obama we have some kind of "the sky is falling" financial manufacture by the Republican Party, is that just coincidence. The President has endured them all and he will endure this.
Republicans are questioning the cost of Obamacare and don't like it even though it provide a needed service to millions of Americans.
At the same time those same critics never questioned the debt and deficit under previous administration and how to out of control spending on two pointless wars contributed to the debt.
These same critics never complain about a defense and Homeland Security budget that is laden with out of control spending, fraud and abuse and have been for years.
If you want to attack the debt and deficit, do at all levels, not just the program that is bound to help millions with healthcare.
We've all been through computer conversions and the like and they never go smoothly. Yahoo is "updating" their email and it's way worse than Healthcare.gov. They stink! Bunch a yahoos.
This program will work and be a popular benefit to being a United States Citizen. The problem is the GOP knows it will become popular and for all their demonizing they know it is now in vain and hopefully the toll of their do nothing approach will cost them seats in the house, senate, and White House also on the state level.
Roger Cornelius said it well.
I have heard some wild estimates of how many initial contacts were expected, but I think the number actually checking surprised the Obama administration. It also probably indicated that a whole lot more people actually need better coverage or any coverage for that matter than the GOP propagandists expected and that should be as relevant as the so-called "Epic" failures. The "epic" talking points sure get consistently promoted even if they are mostly smoke and mirrors.