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Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsObamacare 'rate shock' victim changes her mind, calls the law a 'blessing in disguise'
After all that follow-up, The New Republic's Jonathon Cohn did some of his own calculations, exploring the plans that were available in Florida and her likely subsidy qualification. He was limited to the information about Barrette that was publicly available and by the fact that Florida is using the federal site and he couldn't really get on it and dig around. Nonetheless, using what information is available, he found quite a few options for real health insurance that weren't prohibitively expensive. He followed up with Barrette to see what all this new information meant to her, and what she now thinks about Obamacare. In a nutshell, she says, "its a blessing in disguise."
When I gave her a broad description of the plans available, she seemed interested. I noted that shed be paying $100 or $150 extra a month for policies that still had high cost-sharing, so that she would still be a lot of money out of her own pocket. (I also made very clear that Im not an insurance agent or brokerthat, when she finally goes shopping for insurance, she should talk to a real expert for advice.) Here was her response: "I would jump at it," she said. "With my age, things can happen. I dont want to have bills that could make me bankrupt. I dont want to lose my house."
Barrette can't be sure until she sees the numbers for herself. And so far she hasn't been able to do so, thanks to the technological problems at healthcare.gov. But as shes become more aware of her options, she said, shes no longer aghast at losing her planand curious to see what alternatives are available. "Maybe," she told me, "its a blessing in disguise."
Barrette was used by CBS, plain and simple. They wanted a horror story about Obamacare and they found one that seemed to fit the bill, at least on the surface. But the real story is now out, and as a result Barrette knows what her options are and is optimistic about them. CBS hasn't done a follow up story on this, much to their detriment, but perhaps all of the debunking that's been done on this story will make the traditional media a little more reality-based when they approach Obamacare stories going forward.
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2013/11/04/1253038/-Obamacare-rate-shock-victim-changes-her-mind-calls-the-law-a-blessing-in-disguise
Chakab
(1,727 posts)And did she really think that she was getting any sort of coverage with a $54 a month plan?
How is it possible that people can be this fucking ignorant and stupid?
alcibiades_mystery
(36,437 posts)It has allowed people to see the real exploitative character of the insurance industry and these fake policies they were hawking. It also exposed and humiliated quite a few people who jumped on it as their evidence, both right and left. Van Sustern was wise to get Fox News ahead of it - this story is a humiliation and rousing defeat for Obama haters of all stripes.
brer cat
(24,606 posts)that all the negative coverage is scaring people who should have nothing to fear. I was talking with a lady yesterday who has been battling cancer for years and is set for another 6 months of chemo. We had "heard" that her insurance would be cancelled because of Obamacare. She is on Medicare!! Yes, she should know better, but elderly people are sometimes easily misled, especially when it involves such a critical part of their lives.