Last updated on 2014.05.14
You know why Mike Rounds is really losing sleep over the Affordable Care Act? Because it works. Today's evidence:
- Goldman Sachs researcher Alec Phillips says the ACA's insurance subsidies are stimulating the economy. People are spending more money on health care, and more affordable insurance is freeing up money for people to spend in other sectors of the economy.
- Gallup reports that the proportion of adults without health insurance dropped to 13.4% in April. That's the lowest uninsured percentage since Gallup started counting in 2008.
- And in the one area where we can create an experiments testing ACA implementation against ACA non-implementation, hospitals in states that have accepted the ACA Medicaid expansion report report seeing more Medicaid patients and fewer uninsured patients. Hospitals in states that have not enacted the ACA Medicaid expansion have seen fewer Medicaid patients and more uninsured patients. Fewer uninsured patients means less uncompensated care, which means less of the hidden tax hospitals impose on the rest of us for uncompensated care.
Such are the ACA successes keeping Mike Rounds up late, realizing he's got nothing left to run on but his nine-million-dollar smile.
Related Republican Retreat Reading: Kristi Noem and her colleagues don't have any new ACA repeal votes scheduled for the coming weeks.
Update 16:00 CDT: Over 17 million served! A Twitter friend submits this chart showing the number of people whom the ACA has helped get health insurance. Depending on how you read the stats, we have 17.3 million to 27.7 million Americans whom Rounds and his fellow ACA-repealers would leave sleepless and probably insurance-less. (You millions all need to come vote this fall!)
It’s nice to see my old patients again, the ones who had lost their job or changed jobs but were denied health coverage due to a pre-existing condition. Unfortunately, they did not see a physician until the ACA was fully implemented. Because of the ACA, they were able to obtained health insurance (without discrimination) and are back on their medications for their chronic disease. If only Governor Daugaard (his plan? Dau-no-care) understood how important it would be to get those 48,000 working poor on Medicaid. We need a change of leadership here in South Dakota. Go Joe Lowe
Kevin: Even though you're not my doctor, I would like to add it's nice to see my doctor again, too. To not have to apply for sliding fee. To know my insurance will cover routine care...I have a successful painting business, but with overhead and a young child, I could never insure myself. (I insured him, but not myself, a pre-existing condition made the cost of insurance for myself horrendous!)
Thanks, ACA, and Obama. From one small business owner.
Recently, an article was published in the Annals of Internal Medicine documenting changes in mortality rates in Massachusetts after health care reform was passed there in 2006. The results show a significant decline in overall mortality in that state, felt strongly to be related to implementing health care reform similar to the ACA. To quote the article:
"Reform in Massachusetts was associated with a significant decrease in all-cause mortality compared with the control group (−2.9%; P = 0.003, or an absolute decrease of 8.2 deaths per 100 000 adults). Deaths from causes amenable to health care also significantly decreased (−4.5%; P < 0.001). Changes were larger in counties with lower household incomes and higher prereform uninsured rates. Secondary analyses showed significant gains in coverage, access to care, and self-reported health. The number needed to treat was approximately 830 adults gaining health insurance to prevent 1 death per year."
To repeat, this means that for every 830 adults who gained health insurance due to the new law, one death was prevented. Using this statistic, and the figure sited by Dr. Weiland above, out of those 48,000 working poor currently being denied Medicaid due to the Governor's hubris, 58 will die needlessly due to simple partisan politics.
This has to change.
Here is a link to the article's summary:
http://annals.org/article.aspx?articleid=1867050
ACA sounds like a win-win situation for all,except wingnuts who want to deny people basic healthcare for the hell of it. In every game there are winners and losers. In this game,the losers are at the mercy of fauxknee christian ogres who are willing to let innocent people die for so called principles.
"That's the lowest uninsured percentage since Gallup started counting in 2008."
So what was it 2007?, 1997? 1947?
This is exactly the news Republicans don't want to hear, they will twist and turn the facts to suit their ever increasing lame arguments. Rounds prefers lies over facts.
On a personal note, Dr. Weiland provided care for my mother about 10 years ago while she was in a nursing home in Rapid City for physical therapy. Given my mother's age and failing health the physical therapy wasn't effective and she left the nursing home after about a month, and died a few months later.
During the time she was in the nursing home, Dr. Weiland provided excellent care and we were able to talk frankly and honestly about our mother's prognosis. With Dr. Weiland's council, we were able to make the right decisions for our mother's final months. That is the way it should be for our elders facing their final days.
I don't recall ever having the opportunity to thank Dr. Weiland for his care and understanding, but would like to do so now. Thank you Kevin.
Let's see, Steve... CDC says about 11% in 1978, up to 16.6% in 2007.
I agree with the Goldman Sachs researcher - I am spending more money on health care. Thanks ACA!
But what about pooooor grandpa don?
Whatever.
I just want to know that if I get sick, I won't lose everything I have.
Stan,
Under the previous system, or lack thereof, you would likely lose everything you own
Yes indeed. Including my sanity.
I favor socialized medicine. Totally. Completely. Throw the current system over.
I have a plan. To the extent that I have thought about pitching it straight to the Center for American Progress.
I've pitche it here once before ... If Cory would like I can do it again. As a video ...
Given Rounds's income and chosen career (insurance) I'm sure Grandpa Don is just fine.
Here's a link for a report the number of uninsured in 2006. Also is includes some numbers for 2004.
http://www.cbpp.org/cms/?fa=view&id=628
This link has numbers for 2007.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/08/27/washington/27census.html?_r=0
Oh my lord. Obviously I cannot type anymore tonight. I apologize, but I think you get the gist.
Doctor, did you say Annals of Internal Medicine? Whew, finally someone sees my point of view...
Why are the doctors not talking about the hidden dangers of sex from the rear? It must be the intimidation!!!
Dr. Steve Hickey