I’m the story Obamacare’s opponents don’t want you to hear

[Playinghardball]

I’ve officially enrolled in coverage through the marketplace. It was easier than I expected — and will save me about $10,000 a year.

I just got covered under Obamacare. I already had insurance, but it was breaking my piggy bank. Now I have coverage with almost identical benefits, for less than half the price I’m paying right now.

Even better, my coverage can’t be canceled or limited if I get sick, and I could choose any plan I wanted, despite living with type 2 diabetes. That’s all thanks to the Affordable Care Act or, if you prefer, Obamacare.

Under my current insurance plan, I’m paying $1,400 a month for coverage. Yes, it’s comprehensive. At that price, it had better be. But my rates had been going up by $100 a month annually in the last few years and, as a self-employed woman with a pre-existing condition, I didn’t have a lot of choices.

Starting January 1, I’ll be paying $530 a month for almost identical coverage. Actually, my deductible is less — $150 instead of $250. My prescription co-pay will be just a tad higher, but that still won’t bring me anywhere near what I’m paying per month now. The cost to see a doctor is just about the same if I stay in-network, and the nationwide network is huge. All the other benefits are comparable, with the added bonus of programs to help me better manage my diabetes. Plus, I can keep every single one of my doctors.

This is what I call winning.


More here: http://www.eclectablog.com/2013/11/im-the-story-obamacares-opponents-dont-want-you-to-hear.html

http://theobamadiary.com/

[Mass]

1. Those are the good points of ACA and why I still support it. This said,

the problem is that a lot of the issues we are seeing are real (though inflated by the media and the GOP). It is frightening to hear your insurance is being canceled (even when it is not that great). It is frightening to learn your medical team will not be in network with your own insurance (yes, it happened as well before). It is even more frightening when you are in the middle of fighting for a dangerous disease and the exchange have very limited medical network (as they do in some more rural states).

We need to be able to offer solutions to these people who for the most part are honest. We need to look as if we cared, while at the same time promoting the aspects of the law that are positive.


We also have to recognize that, because prices are not lowered, healthcare costs are still too high for many people as soon as they need to use it. Yes, it is a bill that does good thing, but it is far from perfect. A little bit of truth would help, not only from the GOP, but from supporters of the law as well.

[Liberal_Stalwart71]

7. Supporters have not said that the bill is perfect. To the contrary. I'm almost always hearing

supporters preface their statements with "the bill is not perfect" or "I don't agree with everything" or "I take issue with" thus and so, etc. It is absolutely NOT true that "supporters" agree with everything about the ACA. What we are trying to do is counter all the falsehoods and outright misinformation about what the ACA is and what it does.

Most of us believe that we can build on the ACA. But if we do not counter the misinformation and lies about this program it cannot work and, in fact, its very existence is threatened, and I don't think something better will replace it--not in this political climate.

Why not accept the ACA--FOR NOW--then work to get something better? Why trash the thing outright because it's not 100% perfect? I don't get it. Truly I don't.

[Mass]

9. Your post is typical of what I am talking about.

You state the bill is not perfect, but you clearly have no interest talking about what is imperfect.

Then, you imply that I trash the bill and do not want to accept it. Sorry to disappoint you, I agree with accepting the ACA. I said that explicitly in the post. I have been arguing with people since a very long time that it was too late to reject ACA.

Amazingly, I find the same lack of empathy in our side (supporting ACA) than with the other side. Nobody wants to speak about the problems. At best a vague acknowledgement. Nobody wants to fix them (most of the fixes offered will not help in reality). All people want to do is to defend the law. The problem is that we look just out of touch this way than those who oppose the law, uncaring and just wanting to win. From my point of view not a good place to be in. But once again, I am more of somebody who cares about issues than politics and winning.

I just want to reiterate that I am happy for the OP. As I said, this is what the law is about. Can we make sure that it does not hurt other people in the meantime and do that without ruining the law.

[Liberal_Stalwart71]

10. I have stated a long list of imperfections with this bill in past posts. I just don't feel like

reiterating them in each and every time I make a post like this.

An example of an imperfection: The employer mandate. To be honest, I think we ought to do away with it because it allows the employer to take shitty insurance because it's the cheapest, not because it provides employees with comprehensive coverage. And often, it doesn't allow employees to opt out in search of better coverage unless they're forced to pay more for coverage. That's one example of an imperfection.

Another example of an imperfection: Allowing states to opt out of setting up the exchanges. The reason why we're experiencing what we're experiencing with these Republicans is precisely due to that very issue--allowing states to opt out! It should have been mandated that states set up the exchanges. Some form of carrot needed to be a condition for their noncompliance.

These are only two examples of imperfections.

I have more, but again, I tire of having to go down this road.

The ACA is NOT perfect but it is what we have. Let's work on improving it, electing more progressives to office, pushing for a public option a the very least. Complaining about not having a public option or single payer is not helping to change any outcomes. Proaction towards a viable solution is the only way.

[DURHAM D]

14. The opt out for states was a court decision and not part of the bill.

[Hoyt]

2. Good to hear. That's what the ACA is all about. For me, banning pre-existing is worth paying extra.

Getting rid of that dang pre-existing exclusion is worth it for me, even if I had to pay more for coverage -- and I don't.

The fact the coverage is available to a lot of other people is even more important.

Now, they need to improve the ACA significantly every year, and add a public option. Personally, I don't think a public option will lower premiums that much. But it will keep insurers honest along with the Medical Loss Ratio, competition, and federal oversight.

[WinstonSmith4740]

3. Glad to hear it!

Congratulations! My best friend was trying to access it early on, but couldn't due to the problems. I'll make sure I pass this along to encourage her to go back.

Now you need to email that idiot David Gregory with your story.

[SoapBox]

4. Congrats!

[Victor_c3]

5. I believe a lot of self employed and small business people will win greatly on this

My parents are in a similar situation. They were able to save almost $1,200 a month due to the exchanges. So what are my parents going to do with that extra money? They're going to invest it right back into their business. They have a bunch of work that needs to be done on their building and this will pay for it. As a direct result, a small contractor will get more business and it just goes around in a cycle like that.

[pnwmom]

6. How were you able to find out about your doctors?

Was there a list on the website or did you have to call them individually?

[Liberal_in_LA]

8. k&r

[Addison]

11. The fact that Republicans are against it . . .

is the best proof that it's a good thing.

But the fact that it was originally designed by Republicans and written in large part to try to please them is the best proof that it's not a great thing.

I'll take "good but not great" over what we had before, which was PDS (pretty darn shitty).

[Cha]

12. Good for her.. glad Snyder decided to go

for Obamacare!

Mahalo, Play

[bluestate10]

13. Get in touch with FOX News and CNN and offer to tell your story in front of cameras and

see whether they will take up your offer.