Obamacare More Popular Than Ever

OK keep changing subject, you are now ignored.

 

Already in the works to be repealed. Sorry for you.

 

With Hillary, the national polls were right. They had her winning the popular vote by 3 points with a plus or minus margin of error of three points. She did win the popular vote by 2 points and a tenth or two. Well within the margin of error. Since Trump won the electoral college, which the polls had nothing to do with, just the popular vote. I'd say most polls were right on the money. The polls were gauging the nationwide popular vote totals, not the electoral college. Since Trump won, most people forget the polls were dealing in the popular vote only.

The ACA, it is still very unpopular. You still have an average of almost 50% of all Americans opposing it. It's been an albatross around the Democrats neck since they first passed it. It has helped some and hurt some. If Gallup is to be believed, Gallup puts the helped figure at 18% and the hurt figure at 29%. But they don't break it down to the extent it has helped or hurt. Like Planned Parenthood, the ACA has become a political football.

 

If there was hope, the Right would have come up with a repeal, replace for all plan, after eight years of whining about it. The problem is, the math just doesn't work out going back to a private only system. The big problem for the hard right is that they are ideologues who do not want gov. to help. But it just isn't realistic or doable.

 

I heard that some Republican elected officials are trying to talk the rest of their members into doing nothing about the ACA. Just let it die a natural death of higher premiums, deductibles and stop enforcing the mandatory aspects of it much like Obama did with our immigration laws. Then they can blame the Democrats.

That may have been an option earlier, but I don't think so now. Anyway that is just scuttlebutt among some GOP circles. I think the GOP will mess this up big time. They need a replacement plan ready to go before they repeal the ACA. Perhaps the best way would be to do it piecemeal. Replace the portions the don't like with something else as you go, not do it whole hog. Doing it whole hog is what got the Democrats in trouble. Most Americans don't like huge, gigantic changes all at one time. They like little steps at a time, less disruption. They saw the ACA as one gigantic disruption of their healthcare, they were basically satisfied with what they had and the way they had been doing things for a long time. This upset them and they paid the Democrats back at the polls in 2010.

I should add according to the polls at the time, those with insurance, 80% were happy with it. Those without insurance is another story. In trying to get those without insurance, insurance, the Democrats by changing a lot of the insurance who already had it, peeved them off.

But yes, the ball is in the GOP court. It is up to them. Being against something is easy, actually finding a solution and implementing them is the hard part in replacing something you're against.

 

Pretty much. The era or time where we were basically a self reliant people is past. I mean letting each individual take care of themselves and being responsible for themselves. The era of the people being government reliant is upon us, so you're right. There is no going back. This leads to another debate of course, governments role in an individual's life and what is and isn't governments responsibility.

Is the federal government responsible to ensure or make everyone have health insurance or is that an individual or state responsibility?

The same argument was made during social security debate, was the federal government responsible to ensure or make people set up a retirement account or was that an individual or state responsibility?

Government is winning and has basically won. We as a people expect the federal government to take care of us now in things that 50 or more years ago was an individual's responsibility. Is that good or bad? I'm not sure, but for everything we rely on government to do for us, we do lose some freedoms. Are the loss of those freedoms worth it? Another philosophical question.

There is no going back, so just move on.

 

That's a great plan. This is a fine example of "why" Trump was the Republican nominee. People are sick of both parties shoving a sharp stick up our rumps. Although, I do like the abolition of the mandate. Exchange insurance is about useless as it is. Too expensive for middle class families, deductibles that make it almost useless. People should be able to pick a policy that suits their budget and their aversion to risk. Catastrophic health insurance, pretty much a "pay as you go" for the small stuff shouldn't be outlawed. The ACA screwed the 80% in favor of the 20%.

 

It's "been in the works" since 2010.

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That "self reliant" thing is a fantasy. It worked great for the wealthy who had access to whatever they required. Not so well for everyone else though

 

You're wrong on the ACA. 45% approve and only 41% disapprove. I guess you didn't bother with the link in the OP

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Wall Street Journal is a "dumbass news site"??

 

There may not be any 'going back' to where we once were, but keeping a good portion of the PPACA is not a good idea. I wholly agree with you about dismantling it step by step.

Of course I'm a bit biased, but IMO, the first to go should be the mandate, and the employer reporting requirements that go with it. That has been a nightmare boondoggle since the get go. A governmental cranial-rectal inversion if I ever saw one.

The best I believe they can do, on a step by step basis, is eliminate the mandate, remove the employer reporting, and require expansion of Medicaid on the State level to encompass those at the low/no income levels. Not what I like, but what I see as necessary. Bring back catastrophic policies for those who want them. Continuous (no use or lose)HSAs for those who want them.

Let those who want private insurance continue on that path. The majority of those who get insurance through their employer are usually happy enough with it.

 

I think it did. I grew up in the 1950's with none of these huge government programs outside of social security. Folks relied upon family, neighbors, the community, each other. It was a time when people gave of themselves, their time, their energy and money. They just didn't pay taxes and send people down to the nearest government office. They took care of each other, churches, charity organizations, Red Cross, Salvation Army, Kiwanis, Jaycees, all helped. We had can and clothes drives at school and for the church.

We had a clinic in town which doctors donated their time to take care of those who couldn't pay, the poor. It was a completely time, era. When our neighbors barn burned down, we all pitched in and helped him rebuild. That was the era. Today, no one would have ever lent a hand. Send the neighbor an insurance check or send him to the government.

 

Let's do this again.

RCP averages"

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/other/obama_and_democrats_health_care_plan-1130.html

Just as I said.

CBS

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/most-th...e-but-most-also-think-hell-divide-the-nation/

45% favor 50% oppose

Gallup

http://www.gallup.com/poll/195383/americans-negative-positive-aca.aspx

44% favor 51% oppose

I'll go by the average of polls. Pew Research was also included in the average where they showed 48% in favor, 47% against.

http://assets.pewresearch.org/wp-co...16-December-political-topline-for-release.pdf

One can cite the only poll one agrees with or one can take the average of all polls which lowers the margin of error. The article didn't give a margin of error or how many polled. Good idea, bad idea is a unique concept. The poll unlike Gallup also didn't include how many helped vs. how many hurt. You're defending a law which hurts 29% of all America vs. helping 18%. Can one say political agenda triumphs objectivity?

Of course Democrats will continue to defend no matter how many people the law hurts and the GOP will continue to be against no matter how many people the law helps. There has to be a better way than to dig one's heels in regardless of the law is good or bad and be for or against based on one's political party association.

 

Medicaid needs to be reworked too. It is getting harder and harder to find doctors to accept it. My grand daughter is on Medicaid, she was dropped by her doctor which stated he was losing money on each and ever medicaid patient and couldn't afford to treat as many as he was.

She found signs up in doctor's offices stating they weren't accepting any new medicaid patients when she started looking. She finally find one, which was good. The biggest complaints the doctors have is the low reimbursement rate, 60% vs. 80% for Medicare and the extra long time it takes to get that reimbursement.

What has happened in some states is one went from having no insurance and no doctor to having insurance with no doctor to accept it. Medicaid needs to be looked into if it is to accomplish its objective.

 

More Butt Hurt....

 

I love these polls NBC, no other link to polling demographics just percentages of "Americans". So what % of them polled were dems, Repubs independents!

"Hi, so do you have a second to take a short survey about the Affordable Care act? Yes/No, "Yes" that great! Ok lets get started, what best describes your party affiliation, Republican, Democrat or independent, *Answer Republican*, GREAT! Thanks for taking the time to participate in this survey *CLICK*

 

One idea I've tossed around is access points, sliding scale clinics for those on Medicaid. Let interns pull shifts with some sort of reduction on their schooling loans as an incentive.

There are doctors declining patients on certain insurances, not just Medicaid, due to the reimbursements and the excessive paperwork. Several just in this area alone have been accepting 'cash customers' at discount rates, which if I recall correctly, could get them thrown out of certain insurance networks. Personally, I'd love to go back to being able to just write a check and have done, but that ain't going to happen without the actual costs of healthcare being addressed. I get the feeling Trump isn't planning on going that route, either.

 

I think you're right. I have heard rumors of doctors giving cash discounts. Makes sense as it does away with tons of paper work and could save on staff. Around here gas stations have one price for cash, another for credit cards. The car shop I go to gives cash discounts also. Example, 15 dollars for an oil change paying cash, 20 dollars if you pay via card.


When I was young, the town had a free clinic for the poor. Doctors in town would take turns working there. It has long closed it doors though. Perhaps a VA style, intern filled access points or clinics. I don't know. The problem with the VA is getting into the system, not the quality of care. These access points may have the same problem.

 

Unless you'e in your 90s ...you're talking about life when you were a kid...in which case you have very little idea what life was really like at that time. Everything always looks so easy when someone else is doing all the heavy lifting (parents).

Incidentally life expectancy has increased considerably since then...doctors did house calls for like $10 and medical care has gotten a wee bit better...and more expensive

 

Since you obviously saw this I feel the need to point it out for everyoe else...ya know...just to show your honesty

http://www.realclearpolitics.com/epolls/other/obama_and_democrats_health_care_plan-1130.html

Nearly dead even on AVERAGE and the highest approval and lowest disapproval ever

 

Nearly. But more still disapprove of it. We'll see what happens. I have always said it is much easier being against something, ranting and raving about it. It is another to fix it. The ACA lead to a 63 seat loss for the Democrats in 2010, depending on what and how the Republicans replace it with, they could be looking at huge losses in 2018.

Here's the thing I think most politicians don't understand. People, Americans become comfortable with what they have and the way they have been doing things. Little steps are needed so you don't rile them up. The ACA upset the apple cart back in 2009 and 2010, it made people uncomfortable and made a lot of them change the way they were doing thing and always had. It was a gigantic step, like stepping across the Atlantic in one step. People were leery, apprehensive, distrustful. If you had insurance, polls showed 80% were happy with what they had and didn't want to change.

Now people have had six years to get use to the ACA. They may or may not like it, but they are now use to it, comfortable once again or becoming so as the polls now indicate. By repealing it in mass, the Republicans may do as the Democrats did back in 2009 and 2010, take people out of their comfort zone. I favor changing it, repeal and replace bit by bit and piece by piece over time. Keep people comfortable, they don't mind little steps, it is the huge, gigantic steps they don't like and fear.

I know what I said is far from a political agenda or an ideological stance for or against. But I think it explains how most people feel, those not political active, not partisan up the ying yang. Keep things simple and if massive changes are to come, do them bit by bit, a little at a time. Keep everyone comfortable. Don't pull the rug out from under their feet like the majority of Americans felt when the ACA was first passed.

I doubt anyone will heed my words, they never do. Political agendas always take precedence and in the rush to accomplish them, they always peeved off the populace except those die hard partisans of one party or the other. Most Americans are in the middle, not affiliated with either party. Certainly not ideological set in stone as the two major parties would have us think.

 

Yuuup.

 

so, are those the same polls that predicted a hillary win, & said that there was no path for Trump to the presidency?

 

You failed to read that link.

Notice that the TWO polls done recently show pro-Obamacare ahead and the ONE poll that shows Obamacare behind came many months ago - where the graph below shows was a low point, after which Obamacare has increase significantly.

Also, you might look at other sources.
http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2016/12/08/partisans-on-affordable-care-act-provisions/

Plus, notice that Americans are HIGHLY in favor of the features of Obamacare - except for the mandate, which is present as a requirement coming from insurance companies needing to stay in business.

Note that only half of REPUBLICANS think the ACA should be repealed!!
http://kff.org/health-costs/poll-finding/kaiser-health-tracking-poll-november-2016/

And, 60% to 36% say American government has the responsibility of ensuring that ALL Americans have health care coverage!
http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tan...overnment-should-ensure-health-care-coverage/


Killing Obamacare without having a SERIOUS replacement is not going to go over well at all.

 

We're talking about issues involving national polls, not prediction of the Electoral College.

And, numerous polling agencies had the national numbers right.

That is, they had Clinton ahead by a few percentage points and that is exactly what the election outcome demonstrated.

 

With less than 50% popularity, they don't lose any capital. 45% of those polls like the ACA; 55% don't. Wait doesn't the GOP have 55% of the House? See the coincidence.