Give and Take: TruthExchange

Health Care? Who Needs Health Care?

This posting responds with facts to false claims made against the health care act in Oklahoma.

Michael Brakey, Skiatook,OK     

The rollout of Healthcare.gov has been a complete disaster. Stories of the site malfunctioning are being reported everywhere. Regular Americans are having extreme difficulty signing up. Liberals like Sen. Joe Manchin and entertainer Jon Stewart ("The Daily Show") think a delay of the individual mandate would be a good idea.

Some Obama-supporters are beginning to face increased costs for health care. Health-care companies are laying off Medicare doctors in droves. For instance, United HealthCare just fired thousands of Medicare Advantage doctors. That means less supply of care.

The Obama administration exempted Congress from "Obamacare." President Obama delayed the mandate for big business. Why shouldn't the mandate be delayed for all of the American people?

TruthExchange

     Mr. Brakey, do you have any interest in truth? Or do you just want to scare people the way you are scared?

     United Health Care has not "fired" Medicare Advantage doctors. It has merely removed some doctors from its network. This does not affect the availability of those doctors to treat other patients.

     At last account, the CEO of United Health Care made $5 million a year, even after the company had to pay $900 million in a lawsuit for backdating claims. And that was before the Affordable Care Act kicked in. It doesn't sound like the company, or the doctors, are suffering too much.

     The Obama Administration did not "exempt" Congress from Obamacare, whatever you meant by that. Read my response (below) to Rob Morrison.

     And, finally, Sen. Joe Manchin is far from being a liberal. He is one of the most conservative Democrats in Congress.

     Halloween is over. It’s safe for you to come out from under the covers and stop being afraid of hobgoblins.

 

Rob Morrison, Tulsa

     Mr Brakey, Oblameo is all about political payback; that’s why he gave Congress and big business special favors regarding Oblameocare. Don’t think for a second that he "cares" about the little people. He and his central planners will not be deterred from their mission, which is to shut down the insurance industry. The Oblameocare website was such a big success that only 6 people signed up the first day.

     No wonder the serpentine Kathleen Sebelius wouldn’t answer the congressional question when she was asked whether or not she would enroll in Oblameocare if she had that option. Her answer was “it’s against the law for me to enroll in the health plan…” That encapsulates the ignorance and elitist arrogance of the Obama administration. They had no intention of ever signing on to this mess.

     Why is it that some Republicans  are stepping forward and announcing that their staffs were forgoing their subsidies and joining Oblameoare? Why is it that not a single Democrat has stepped forward offering to do the same thing? It’s called hypocrisy.

 

TruthExchange

     Mr. Morrison, Congress has the burden of special, and costly, restrictions, not favors. Sen. Grassley amended the law so that Congress members and staffs have to give up the employer-based coverage that every other large employer provides and instead buy the insurance individually on the exchange. Grassley, a Republican, hoped this would make members vote against the law. It did not.

        Nearly half of the members of Congress are millionaires. They can afford the change. Their staffs, however, are ordinary working people with families to support. This will be a burden to them.

     Previously, about two-thirds of the premiums for their insurance was paid by their employer. About 95 percent of all Americans who have health insurance today get premium support from employers, or belong to Medicare. Only people who have or need individual policies—and, now, Congressional members and staff—are eligible to use the ACA exchanges.

     And, wrong again, Mr. Morrison. Secretary Sebelius was exactly right. As a Medicare recipient, the law prevents her from getting additional insurance through the exchanges. Try FactCheck.org for a full explanation.

     The Affordable Care Act was passed to make insurance available to those who have none, not for those who have insurance available for them through their employers or Medicare.