President Obama is not impressed.
In his weekly address, the President pointed out the absurd hypocrisy of Republicans concern trolling the ACA (ObamaCare) website for not working, when they just spent years trying to destroy the ACA and even shutdown the government trying to defund it. Obama pointed out that Republicans are so obsessed with denying care that they threatened to default over it.
“That’s why it’s also interesting to see Republicans in Congress expressing so much concern that people are having trouble buying health insurance through the new website – especially considering they’ve spent the last few years so obsessed with denying those same people access to health insurance that they just shut down the government and threatened default over it.”
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The President again acknowledged the problems with the website but pointed out that the law is obviously needed and wanted, “Nearly 700,000 people have applied for coverage already. That proves just how much demand there is for these new quality, affordable health care choices. And that’s why, in the coming weeks, we are going to get it working as smoothly as it’s supposed to.”
He vowed that they were working to boost capacity, “We’ve got people working overtime, 24/7, to boost capacity and address these problems, every single day.”
The President reminded people that there are more ways to enroll than just the website: “over the phone, by mail, or in person with a specially-trained navigator who can help answer your questions. Just call 1-800-318-2596 or visit LocalHelp.HealthCare.gov.” He put to rest fears of not getting in a plan on time, “Don’t worry – these plans will not sell out. We’re only a few weeks into a six-month open enrollment period, and everyone who wants insurance through the Marketplace will get it.”
Nothing is going to deter this President from fighting for economic and health justice for all Americans, “I’ll never stop fighting to help more hardworking Americans know the economic security of health care. That’s something we should all want.”
And then he stuck the knife in.
The President pointed out the absurd hypocrisy of Republicans concern trolling the ACA (ObamaCare) website for not working, when they just spent years trying to destroy the ACA and even shutdown the government trying to defund it. “That’s why it’s also interesting to see Republicans in Congress expressing so much concern that people are having trouble buying health insurance through the new website – especially considering they’ve spent the last few years so obsessed with denying those same people access to health insurance that they just shut down the government and threatened default over it.”
Yeah, Republicans wasted 24 billion dollars and cost us at least 120,000 private sector jobs with their shutdown over ObamaCare, so it’s hard to take their concern trolling seriously. They are now conducting witch hunts over the glitches, because apparently you pay them to lower themselves to the most surreal form of pettiness against this President so that they have spent years hating on their own idea.
The ACA was based on a Heritage Foundation idea and RomneyCare. A competitive market place used to be Republican ideology, but now Republicans pick winners and losers and use government money to prop up favorite corporations with subsidies. They just can’t stand it when government does something that helps actual people.
Obama is so over Republicans rooting for the failure of this law and yet petulantly refusing to present any other ideas, “As I’ve said many times before, I’m willing to work with anyone, on any idea, who’s actually willing to make this law perform better. But it’s well past the time for folks to stop rooting for its failure. Because hardworking, middle-class families are rooting for its success.”
He listed a few of the bennies:
The Affordable Care Act gives people who’ve been stuck with sky-high premiums because of preexisting conditions the chance to get affordable insurance for the first time.
This law means that women can finally buy coverage that doesn’t charge them higher premiums than men for the same care.
And everyone who already has health insurance, whether through your employer, Medicare, or Medicaid, will keep the benefits and protections this law has already put in place. Three million more young adults have health insurance on their parents’ plans because of the Affordable Care Act. More than six million people on Medicare have saved an average of $1,000 on their prescription medicine because of the Affordable Care Act. Last year, more than 8 million Americans received half a billion dollars in refunds from their insurers because of the Affordable Care Act. And for tens of millions of women, preventive care like mammograms and birth control are free because of the Affordable Care Act.
Again, the President had to remind the hysterical press that ObamaCare is more than a website, “We did not fight so hard for this reform for so many years just to build a website. We did it to free millions of American families from the awful fear that one illness or injury – to yourself or your child – might cost you everything you’d worked so hard to build. We did it to cement the principle that in this country, the security of health care is not a privilege for a fortunate few, but a right for every one of us to enjoy. We have already delivered on part of that promise, and we will not rest until the work is done.”
What the President might not understand yet is that it is precisely because this law helps the non-privileged that it is getting so much pushback in the media. Our media doesn’t do jobs, a living wage, the huge disparity between the haves and the have nots, non-austerity measures, real economic recovery ideas, or anything that helps average citizens. Our media is obsessed with Republican talking points about the deficit, Tea Party paranoia about the IRS, and how this President isn’t working with Republicans enough or else Republicans wouldn’t be ruining America.
The ACA is a law designed to change this country in a fundamental way, and that is to offer more economic justice to all Americans through affordable access to healthcare and keeping insurance companies from defaulting on their end of the deal when and if people get sick. It’s a safety net.
It is not perfect. It will need to be tweaked over time. It will have many “glitches”. But it is a huge shift, and none of these minor problems can change the fact that this President went to bat for the non-privileged social minorities. He pays for it every day, but more importantly, Americans pay for it every day due to the pettiness of Republicans and the ridiculousness of our media.
Note: I was one of the people to receive a refund from my insurance company last year thanks to the ACA.
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