This is what we are dealing with:

[Mayberry Machiavelli]

Last edited Mon Jul 2, 2012, 01:08 AM - Edit history (1)

Sirius/XM has a medical channel, and there is a show devoted to insurance and coverage issues.

Some lady called in who's a single mom, the show's topic seemed to be about the ramifications of the health care legislation.

She is currently uninsured, her employer doesn't offer health insurance.

She was concerned about being able to afford insurance as a single working mom. The host of the show explained that he was really glad that she called in because this is one area where the new law is really helpful to her, because depending on her level of income, she would receive varying levels of government subsidy to her insurance premium, including full subsidy if she was below 30K or whatever (she never did say what she made).

Then she turns around and says, "well this is where I have a problem with it, I'm really proud of being able to take care of my family all my life without going on welfare/public assistance" and I smacked my forehead so hard it could probably be heard 3 counties away. I'm thinking "you'd rather get a 100 thousand dollar bill for a bad car accident or cancer in your family that would completely bankrupt you, but you're complaining that you can't afford insurance, and you HAVE NO INSURANCE NOW so such an event WOULD bankrupt you WTF, and lemme guess, it's all Obammy's fault right", and the host sort of made this point, but in a much nicer and more pleasant way than I did, LOL.

I wonder what news network she watches on TV all the time?

[sadbear]

1. I see some people on DU resistant to getting on Medicaid

[kestrel91316]

9. Nobody is going to force anybody to get on Medicaid or any

OTHER insurance plan. If people wish to self-insure, that's their own business. They can pay the fine if they have money and if they are too poor to pay the fine it gets waived. And when they get sick or injured they can either pay cash or decline all care or go to the ER and get treated until stable and billed and sent home.

But NO ONE is forced to receive insurance, including Medicaid.

[Ruby the Liberal]

12. Then they risk medical bankruptcy.

For the love of all that is holy, the subsidy covers 133% of the poverty level (free) and 400% of poverty level (subsidized). For a single person, that means ~$40k a year of AGI qualifies for a subsidy.

I thought we were supposed to be about evening the odds and the 1% giving back for the good of the country.

We really, and I mean REALLY need to reframe this debate.

Yeah, it feels good to be angry about wanting change and a more level playing field, but once we start to see one (not unlike Social Security), we shrink like wilting violets from it. We should be standing tall, proud and OWNING this.

[kestrel91316]

21. I guess some people would rather risk medical bankruptcy than do ANYTHING that uppity black man

suggests. The hate goes THAT deep.

[Ruby the Liberal]

22. Do you know how bad I wish you were wrong on that?

I know you aren't, but my mind just can't wrap around that.

[kestrel91316]

24. Well, see, when they DO go bankrupt from refusing ACA benefits, they can blame

that uppity black man for THAT, too.

(I have so totally got these freaks figured out)

[Ruby the Liberal]

10. Easy fix for that.

Just rename the damned thing and get the ghost of St Ronald the Reagan, Lord of the "Welfare Queen", out of the picture.

On Edit - call it the Christ-the-Nazarene-Do-Unto-Others plan. Done.

[frazzled]

2. It's not welfare: it's a tax credit

Tell her she'll be getting money back from her taxes. She'll be ecstatic if she thinks she's paying less taxes.
(Heck, we got a $3,000 tax credit 6 1/2 years ago when we bought our hybrid vehicle ... it never once occurred to me it was "welfare/public assistance." It was an incentive to citizens to get a low emission/low fuel vehicle to help the country with environmental goals. We still had to pay the other $20,000 for the car.)

I don't know what it is with people. Honestly, it surprises me, but I think a lot of people just don't want insurance.

[PoliticAverse]

11. It's a 'refundable' tax credit - meaning it's possible to get back more than you've paid in tax.

Like the 'earned-income tax credit'.

[Incitatus]

3. Not to mention whoever she works for

is making money by exploiting her labor and maybe even paying a lower tax rate.

[thelordofhell]

6. Not to mention the Dead Peasant Insurance

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Corporate-owned_life_insurance

[uppityperson]

4. Would you please edit out the first word in your "quote"? fwiw, it was alerted on

for using the b word. Thank you.

[Aerows]

7. +1

[uppityperson]

16. Thank you, appreciate it. Very good rant.

[Aerows]

5. great post, except for "bitch"

You have some great points, and the jury decided not to hide your post, but I voted to hide it, personally, because using a pejorative against women is no better than using a pejorative against ethnic groups or against the LGBT community.

Note that I didn't alert on your post - I just ruled on it.

It would be great if you could edit your meaningful post and take out the "bitch" and then we can all discuss what you have to say without the offensive part

[leftstreet]

8. She's a bitch because she wants to earn enough $ to pay her way?

what?

[treestar]

17. So long as she does not go to an ER

and cause us to pay for her health care via higher prices and higher insurance premiums.

I bet she does feel entitled to health care if something happens. If she really just wants to pay her way only, then she and her kids can go without any treatment they need, including the ER. I wonder if she is really down for that.

No, she does not intend to "pay her way" in the event her kid needs to go to the ER. She intends to take advantage of the rest of us.

[Odin2005]

13. I totally get where this women is coming from.

Most people think of taking government assistance as something to be ashamed of, an admission that they are "a failure", their pride does not allow it.

[Incitatus]

14. And it's sad when people think they don't deserve

Something they do because of a misguided meaning of pride.

[Ikonoklast]

27. Bet she takes the deductions for her kids on her federal taxes.

Neve once thinking that others are subsidizing her family.

People like that who call into talk shows are plants, listen to the 'former Dems' that call C-SPAN all the time...they're so transparent as to be laughable.

[Odin2005]

28. A lot of people are simple not smart enough to understand that.

[treestar]

15. If something happened to her, we'd pay via

higher insurance premiums when she declares bankruptcy. She is not able to take care of her family, since she can't afford insurance. She has nothing to be proud of, if that's her standard.

[uppityperson]

18. I wonder if she has car insurance, uses public roads or public schools. It isn't welfare or public

assistance but something we pay for with our taxes.

I wonder if she ever used the emergency room and got a write off for it?

I understand wanting to take care of yourself and commend her for that but she can't have it both ways. Be concerned about not being able to afford health insurance yet take offence when she can?

[cbrer]

19. The GOP has been very successful

At pointing the finger at the poor as an excuse for economic failure. Too many welfare/foodstamp/Medicaid recipients. And how short sighted many citizens are in not demanding a single payer system. This is what we must fight. Loudly, patiently, and thoroughly.

It still surprises me how willing many weak minded people are to accept this obvious bullshit.

[Spitfire of ATJ]

20. I would ask her if she plans to collect Social Security when she retires.

Or does she consider that "Welfare"?

[RagAss]

23. Well then - die in the streets...like the rethugs want you to....next asshole please !

[Odin2005]

29. Empathy FAIL.

[ananda]

25. this is why we need universal single payer

Everybody gets the exact same coverage.. no shaming.. no tiering.

[Loge23]

26. They don't do facts.

Had a conversation with a friend about this today - there's no arguing really, because they don't do facts.
Not all of course, but I'd say most of the opposition is based on multi-layered prejudice. They are so tangled up in myths and fear-mongering that it's almost impenetrable by reason.
I'd love to know how she paid the maternity bills.

[Mayberry Machiavelli]

30. I couldn't convey it in my post, but if you listened to her call, you could basically tell that

she was coming from a position of being scared of the legislation and what would happen from it (i.e. Fox News or Dittohead Effect) when she is already in the WORST POSSIBLE SITUATION re: healthcare, being a low income uninsured, with a family to support who presumably also have no coverage.

Conservatives like to talk about common sense, but what's more common sense than that? Where if she, or any of her kids, had any significant illness, they might get a bill for tens of thousands or even six figures they would never be able to pay and be ruined, no credit, no ability to ever buy a house, perhaps even difficulty finding any new job because of credit issues. What could anything in the legislation possibly do to make her situation worse? She can't afford health care and doesn't have it! Worst case, she STILL can't afford it and doesn't have it!

They have these people so wound up with fear of... what, they don't even know what they are afraid of most of the time. No wonder they vote against their interests.