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Thursday, July 12, 2012

Obamacare For Dummies

The next time someone tries to feed you some conservative, media-spun horseshit about Obamacare, try this:

Ask them if they have health insurance?
(Watch as their faces drop and listen for a change of subject.) 

If they answer "yes," then tell them congratulations, they're not affected by Obamacare in any way, shape, or form. In fact, they are to receive a rebate in addition to watching their premiums go down.

If they say "no," then inform them that they're a 'fucking freeloader' and that they deserve to be punished for their indifference to us and to themselves.


Seriously folks, the information is out there. I know it can be elusive sometimes, -living in a corporate conservative media- but it's there. This site will answer all of your questions and more. So will this one. And this one.


Basically it boils down to this: Many who could not afford healthcare in the past, will now be able to afford it. It's that simple. If you choose to opt out, then you will pay a penalty and move on. After all, it's a free country, and you're a "free rider."


If all else fails, just claim victory for Romneycare in America! (Minus the state-funded abortions.) Oh, it was upheld by all three branches of government, but let's keep fighting it! Liberty!! Principle!!!

Republicans: Moving America forward with 33 votes $50million, and countless man hours to repeal Obamacare...

Then there's this Richie Rich, frat boy, snobby, aristocratic, spooky Mormon hell-dream...


http://llwproductions.files.wordpress.com/2012/07/funny-photo-with-caption_mitt-romney-that-awkward-moment-when-you-realized-you-shouldnt-have-dissed-obamacare-to-the-naacp.jpg?w=680

Why is he even speaking to the NAACP?
Do you think he wants to strap them to the roof of his car?


Ponder this, why is a party who's supposed to be so against freeloaders and taxpayer recipients, actually for freeloaders and taxpayer recipients with regard to healthcare?
*Brain Melt*


I really don't want to believe it's bigotry, hate, and fear. 


I'm trying really hard not to believe that, but it's a challenge when everyone benefits from Obamacare, and there's so much distortion, lies and opposition against it. What gives?

Update: 

If You Already Have Health Insurance

Obamacare improved the benefits you already receive in eight ways.
  1. It allows you to add your children up to age 26 to your health insurance plan.
  2. Your insurance company can no longer drop you if you get really sick.
  3. It can't limit the coverage you receive over your lifetime.
  4. If you have a chronically ill child, you no longer have to worry about losing coverage if you change your insurance. That's because the new insurance plan can't deny coverage to children with pre-existing conditions.
  5. If you have a pre-existing condition, and you get denied coverage by a new insurance company, you can get temporary health insurance coverage until 2014. That's when insurance companies can no longer deny coverage to adults.
  6. You may receive a rebate this year from your insurance company. Obamacare requires that they spend at least 80% of premium payments on medical services, instead of advertising and executive salaries. If they can't, the money goes back to you.
  7. Insurance companies must submit justification to the states for all rate hikes. Obamacare provides funding to the states to administer this.
  8. You may not have to pay a co-pay for wellness or pregnancy exams. Only plans that were "grandfathered in" were exempt from this Obamacare law.
Many people are concerned that their company will cancel their health insurance, forcing them to go on Obamacare. However, that probably won't happen. Companies offer health insurance as a benefit to attract good employees. They see it as cheaper than offering higher wages, because they don't have to contribute their share of payroll taxes. Since health care costs have been rising, many companies have been increasing your premiums to cut their costs. However, that has nothing to do with Obamacare. If anything, your premiums should decrease over time, as Obamacare is designed to lower health care costs. By allowing parents to add their children, more healthy people are paying premiums but not using the system as much. This adds to health insurance companies' profits, which should mean lower premiums over the long run. Similarly, Medicare recipients now have more of their prescription costs covered, allowing them to continue taking medications needed to prevent emergency room visits.
By 2014, everyone will be required to have health insurance. This means that more people will use preventative medical care, instead of waiting until they have to go to the emergency room. The average emergency room visit is $1,265, and hospitals have to eat this cost for indigent patients. When these costs are transferred to insurance companies or prevented, hospital costs, and therefore overall health care costs, will drop.

Update2:

If You Don't Have Health Insurance

Starting in 2014, you will be required to purchase insurance or pay a penalty of as much as 2.5% of your income. You can shop for the insurance that meets your needs on a state-run exchange. If it's any consolation, members of Congress will also be mandated to get their health insurance through the same exchanges, instead of the government-provided health insurance they get now. (Source: Affordable Care Act) Exchanges will allow you to compare health plans before you buy one. The exchanges will also help you find out if you qualify for tax credits or other government health benefits. States are being given substantial Federal grants to fund the exchanges. Find out your state's status.

If You Can't Afford Health Insurance

In 2014, you may qualify for Medicaid if your income is under 133% of the poverty level (roughly $14,000 for an individual, or $29,000 for a family of four). This will be funded by the Federal government for the first three years, and 90% after that. Learn more about Medicaid. If you don't qualify for Medicaid, you may be eligible for a tax credit if your income is under 400% of the Federal poverty level (roughly under $43,000 for an individual, or $88,000 for a family of four). You get the tax credit each month, instead of waiting for you annual tax rebate. You may also qualify for reduced copayments and deductibles.

If You Are on Medicare

You now receive many wellness and preventative care visits for free. See Medicare Preventative Services for the full list.If you have Medicare Part D, you received $250 in 2010 to help pay for prescription drugs if you fell into the "donut hole." In 2011, you get a 50% discount on brand-name prescription drugs, and 7% on generic drugs if you fall into the donut hole. For more, see Drug Discounts. By 2020, the donut hole will be eliminated.

If You Are a Small Business Owner

Obamacare requires businesses with 50 or more employees to provide health insurance. If you have fewer than 100 employees, you can shop for insurance in state-run exchanges in 2014 that should provide cheaper alternatives than are available now. If you refuse to provide insurance, you will be fined $2,000 per employee for all but the first 20 employees. However, businesses with 25 employees or less who provide insurance can qualify for a tax credit (35% now, 50% in 2014). If you have fewer than 50 employees, you don't have to pay a fine if your workers get tax credits through an exchange. If you offer health insurance as a benefit to early retirees 55-64, you can get Federal financial assistance. Find out how at ERRP. For more resources to help small businesses comply with Obamacare.

8 comments:

  1. I had to laugh at "corporate conservative media". Are you really trying to sell that the main stream media is conservative?

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  3. I am interested in how anyone thinks that any of Obama care is going to make insurance more affordable. Unfortunately those that do not have health insurance due to pre-existing will still ont be able to get it because the cost of the coverage is going to skyrocket. When you add thousands of sick people to a pool it will cause the cost to rise. Health Care needs to be reformed not health insurance.....what we are seeing is health insurance reform and it is going to fail and then the goverment will get their single payor plan of SOCIALIZED medicine.....

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  4. Such doom and gloom. Nothing you've said has happened. Do you live every aspect of your life in "what ifs"?

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  5. Um, my company just dropped healthcare coverage in all part time employees. Ironically it's a hospital system. They can't afford to help cover employees due to other Portions of this law. It is more encompassing than you lead on. I now have what I call a fine. This is a yearly fee I need to pay the government in order to have my employer backed insurance. I already pay blue Cross now I need to pay Washington too. Insane! Dammed if you do and dammed if you don't. Wait you said it was all hype. I'll tell that to the 5000 employees that got the same news I did today.

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  6. I know you wrote this awhile back, but I am a small business owner and we provide great insurance to our employees (appox 35). We have been notified that our premiums are going up 30-50%. Obamacare has placed so many new "rules" on private insurance that they have to drastically raise prices to stay in business... and of course, you know those prices are passed on to the consumer (us the small business.) So what are we forced to do? Well, we can't withstand that kind of increase, so we regretfully tell our employees their insurance with us will cancel. We will do our best to assist them financially as they search for their own insurance, but unfortunately the benefit rich plan they had before won't be affordable. So who loses??? To me, our employees are the ones that lose, the working class once again.

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  7. So who qualifies for ACA? My point being, does this include citizens and non citizens alike?

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  8. so far if you had health insurance though your job you dont no more thank you obamacare.

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