It’s time for GOP to accept reality of ObamaCare
Last spring, conservatives were certain that the U.S. Supreme Court would rule ObamaCare unconstitutional. It did not. Earlier this month, U.S. voters likewise refused to toss out the law’s prime architect, re-electing President Obama to another four-year term. Neither ObamaCare nor its namesake is going anywhere.
So now what?
While some Republicans acknowledge the fact that ObamaCare is now permanent, other GOP politicians seem intent on trying to sabotage the law through inaction even if they lack the support to repeal it. Last week, for example, Gov. Nathan Deal signed onto the strategy of passive resistance against the law when he announced that Georgia would refuse to exercise its authority under ObamaCare to create and operate its own insurance exchange.
The decision means that come 2014, Georgians who try to purchase private health insurance using federal subsidies will be required to compare and buy policies on a federally designed exchange, instead of an exchange that was specially tailored to and operated by Georgia. In short, Deal has chosen to view any cooperation in implementing ObamaCare as a form of collaboration with the enemy.
(UPDATE: The AJC’s Misty Williams has a piece in today’s paper explaining how a decision to reject the expansion of Medicaid also could devastate Georgia hospitals, such as Grady Memorial, that serve a poorer clientele.)
On the narrow question of creating a state version of the health insurance exchange, Deal might have made the right decision for the wrong reasons. While Georgia politicians were playing a delaying game, hoping that ObamaCare would be killed by the courts or the voters, other states that intend to launch their own exchanges have been working on the programs for months if not years. Trying to play catch-up at this point might very well not be worth Georgia’s investment of time, energy and political capital, particularly with a federal exchange as an backup option.
However, the larger and by far more consequential question involves Georgia’s participation in an expanded Medicaid program offered through ObamaCare beginning in 2014. If Georgia ultimately decides to take part, Medicaid coverage would be extended to an additional 600,000 lower-income Georgians. (For a family of four, households with an income of roughly $32,000 and below would be eligible for coverage.) Those Georgians would get covered at very little cost to state taxpayers.
Under ObamaCare, from 2014 to 2016 the federal government will pay 100 percent of the costs for insuring those additional Georgians. In later years, the share covered by the federal government will drop slightly — Uncle Sam will cover 95 percent of the cost in 2017, 94 percent in 2018, 93 percent in 2019 and then 90 percent from 2020 on out. (For comparison’s sake, Georgia pays a little over a third of the cost for current Medicaid recipients.)
Nonetheless, Deal announced at the Republican National Convention in August that Georgia would refuse to take advantage of the expanded Medicaid program. Even with the federal government paying all or most of the cost, Deal said, the state simply couldn’t afford the additional expense.
That’s a foolish decision, especially given that Georgia has the fifth highest rate of uninsured in the country. In effect, Deal would be denying health insurance coverage to some 600,000 Georgia citizens just to make a partisan political point. It also means turning away billions of federal dollars — an estimated $14.5 billion over the first six years — that would flow into the state’s health-care delivery system. That’s a benefit of particular importance to rural Georgia, where the health-care infrastructure is skeletal at best because so many residents are uninsured and have few resources from which to pay medical bills.
(UPDATE: The AJC’s Misty Williams has a piece in today’s paper explaining how a decision to reject the expansion of Medicaid also could devastate Georgia hospitals, such as Grady Memorial, that serve a poorer clientele.)
Deal’s explanation notwithstanding, it’s not a question of whether Georgia can afford it. It’s a question of political priorities. As Tim Sweeney of the Georgia Budget and Policy Institute points out, Georgia’s spending per Medicaid recipient in 2009 was already the second lowest in the country, which says a lot. It says that ObamaCare aside, the health of Georgia citizens simply isn’t important to those elected to lead this state, and if they have to deny health insurance to hundreds of thousands to prove it, harming the state economy in the process, they’re willing to do so.
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658 comments Add your comment
Peadawg
November 21st, 2012
9:03 am
You’re right Stands, that bill wasn’t enough.
alex
November 21st, 2012
9:04 am
@ stands. great you found a medicaid doc, I can tell you from very personal experience it will not be easy for adults and when 600,000 are added to the rolls, the lines will be from here to Canada ( well mabye not that long..good donuts in Canada, though..) Seriously, many docs who take medicaid will shut it down or restrict entrance. As for Grady, for many years it was AWFUL, it has tried to improve. Yes if I had acute Trauma,that’s where I would go, but for NOTHING else and frankly I would know(can’t tell you why, but trust me, and I have a condo in Fla. , anyone interested?…
RB from Gwinnett
November 21st, 2012
9:04 am
Jay, “Those Georgians would get covered at very little cost to state taxpayers.”
Yea, Jay, cause the same people who pay state taxes aren’t the same ones who pay federal taxes, right? I love how you liberals pretend all these “freebies” just show up in Washington without anybody having to actually work for it first and have it confiscated from their income.
Simply put, Jay, none of this works until you and every other American is willing to get off your hip and send in that “few thousand more” you lied about being willing to fork over. If YOU aren’t willing to pay for those 600K you’re whining about to have “affordable” healtcare, then STFU.
RF
November 21st, 2012
9:05 am
Deal just wants to make sure he can pay for all the charter schools. Deny Medicaid, refuse the exchange, open charter schools to teach creationism and all things biblical, and BINGO you can almost forget we’re part of the United States….friggin’ bonehead!!!
DannyX
November 21st, 2012
9:05 am
I was watching Fox News the other day and they were in their usual frenzy. They have a news rotation of Obamacare, Fast and Furious, rising gas prices, Bengahzi, and FREE STUFF!
On this particular occasion their heads were exploding during a FREE STUFF! discussion, they then cut to a commercial. The commercial was from Humana urging viewers to sign up for their Medicare Part D insurance program before the Dec 7th deadline.
Nathan Deal is not leading Georgia in the right direction
November 21st, 2012
9:05 am
its just being paid out of my federal income taxes, instead of state income taxes
_____
where 47% pay more than the 1%
Keep Up the Good Fight!
November 21st, 2012
9:05 am
Dang, see what happens when you adopt Republican socialistic ideas? Mao Reagan is just smiling in that new photo they will be hanging over the dome of the US Capital Building.
TaxPayer
November 21st, 2012
9:06 am
Healthcare, like so many other things, requires a level of intellect and competence that simply cannot be found in a Republican-run faith-based system. We should be thankful that Deal recognizes his party’s shortcomings and thus relinquishes control of healthcare to the fed.
Citizen of the World
November 21st, 2012
9:06 am
williebkind @ 8:58 — you remind me of that person who once said to me, dripping with disdain: “You learned everything you know from books. I learned everything I know from people!”
I said, “Who do you think wrote those books?”
Goldie
November 21st, 2012
9:06 am
Let’s see — it takes a strong Fed. government to get our national priorities in order, such as infrastructure of bridges, dams, power generators, transportation, communication and Internet capabilities, etc.
So Cons, which of your billionaire “job creators” will be stepping forward to take care of these American needs all on their own $$$, no assistance from the gov’t, etc.??? Who do YOU suggest gets America back to making BIG IDEAS happen again? Who was it that got Americans on the MOON back in ‘69, for instance — was that the Koch brothers with all their billion$$$??? You Cons are a joke to America!!!
JMH
November 21st, 2012
9:06 am
Jamvet- How do you define economic justice? Is this the “fair share” argument?
Thanks for your service to this country; I applaud that however that doesn’t make your crazy left wing opinions any more reasonable.
barking frog
November 21st, 2012
9:07 am
Politicians who gamble with the lives of children over money that
that they are not directly involved in, to gain political points, should
be denied medical care themselves.
Darwin
November 21st, 2012
9:07 am
I believe the response was their preference to allow the marketplace to provide coverage instead of the exchanges. That’s always the answer when you don’t really want to do anything. If the private insurance markets haven’t already provided coverage that would greatly reduce the uninsured Georgia population, then we are stuck with the status quo of nothing. And that is their real preference.
Brosephus™
November 21st, 2012
9:09 am
DownInAlbany @ 8:50
I agree with you on the cost issue. One of the hidden costs is the fact that people without insurance get treated anyway. Most times, they’re treated in emergency rooms which adds to the cost of those of us who carry insurance. I didn’t research much into single payer before, but whether the GOP wants it or not, their actions are pushing the US into single payer at full speed.
I would personally love to see the private sector formulate and implement overhauls that address costs, but unfortunately, they have had ample time to do so and have done nothing but complain about the ACA. Complaining ain’t gonna cut costs.
Corbin Sharpe. I think, therefore I am...I think.
November 21st, 2012
9:09 am
Thomas heyward Jr
November 21st, 2012
8:26 am
This secession BS has to stop. If any State was successful in leaving the Union, the citizens of that State would be begging to get back in the Union or leaving for a State that was still in the Union…and I bet “Immigration” control would be much better when it came to those “non-states”. You would be taxed to death just to be able to pay for anything the State had to do, emphasis on “HAD”. A State that left the Union would be the poorest of the poor. Get a grip, people. You sound like two year old’s that didn’t get their way. Grow up!
Welcome to the Occupation
November 21st, 2012
9:10 am
real john: “I hate to inform Jay, but all of this “free” money coming from the feds he mentions in this article still has to be paid for”
Correction: it’s being paid for by ALL Americans’ payments into Federal income taxes. In other words, there is a transfer from larger wealthier states like New Jersey, California, etc. to the smaller and less affluent states, many of whom btw happen to be “red”.
F. Sinkwich
November 21st, 2012
9:10 am
Jammie:
“I advocate for economic justice.”
Let’s translate, shall we?
Economic justice = shared prosperity = social justice= equality of outcomes = income redistribution = to each according to their needs = Marxism.
Why not call it what it is, Jammie? Because it reveals what you are?
DownInAlbany
November 21st, 2012
9:11 am
JamVet
November 21st, 2012
8:47 am
I’m not against healthcare reform, but, the ACA misses the mark in so many ways.
Agreed.
SINGLE PAYER NOW.
Oooh, single payer…makes me pucker up. Medical practices deal with many different payers. Blue Cross Blue Shield, Aetna, Medicare, Medicaid. All with different rules. Sometimes there are disputes with, for example, Blue Cross. When that happens and BC is not paying me because of the dispute, Medicaid, Aetna, etc still pay me and I can make payroll and keep the light bill paid. With a single-payer, if there is a dispute, the cash flow could come to a complete stop…
barking frog
November 21st, 2012
9:11 am
The sad part of this political fiasco is that the same idiots that
are running the state as Republicans were running it as Democrats.
Makes you think the people are actually stupid after all.
guy
November 21st, 2012
9:12 am
real john You are wasting your time trying to explain what you are correct about to “libs” because “free” to them is using someone else’s money,not theirs.To them,that’s “FREE”.
Welcome to the Occupation
November 21st, 2012
9:13 am
In other words, real john, it’s not so much that some global “We” cannot afford the Medicaid provisions of the ACA, but more that the poorer states might not be able to afford them without the help from the larger and more affluent states New Jersey, New York, Massachusetts, etc.
So the dependency here is real, it’s just that you’re perhaps not being up front about where the nature of the resentment lies.
Redcoat
November 21st, 2012
9:13 am
And so the normal set up begins…….if Obamacare fails or problems develop, it’s because of………wait for it……..inaction and/or action of republicans?……..Flow of Federal dollars, that has to be payed for by…..taxpayers including Georgia taxpayers. Dems say Obamacare is modeled after Romneycare….maybe that’s why voters stayed at home, what’s the use. It’s here, so get on with it….and stop complaining and own it.
williebkind
November 21st, 2012
9:13 am
Citizen of the World
Who do you think wrote the books she reads–a republican?
alex
November 21st, 2012
9:14 am
@ Goldie: answer:hedge funds and private equity investors, probably not the answer you thought , but is the answer you should think. That being said, your answer:GOVT. does play a role, of course,not as an inivator, more of sustainability. The Govt has gotten out of the “moon” business, Obama told us so and has turned it over to private concerns–couldn’t afford it,: a little sad for america, if you ask me….
Welcome to the Occupation
November 21st, 2012
9:15 am
guy: “about to “libs” because “free” to them is using someone else’s money,not theirs.To them,that’s “FREE”.”
Wrong. It’s the exact opposite. The “red” states who tend to be largely conservative (their white-skinned residents, that is) are the real takers of the “free” money of others.
Nathan Deal is not leading Georgia in the right direction
November 21st, 2012
9:15 am
Americans For Prosperity ‘Extremely Disappointed’ In Rick Scott After Obamacare Shift
Americans for Prosperity, a conservative organization backed by the billionaire Koch brothers, took aim at Florida Gov. Rick Scott (R) on Monday, accusing him of working against his state’s interests with his apparent change of heart on Obamacare.
In a statement, AFP said that Scott’s recent signal that he was willing to consider implementing key provisions of President Barack Obama’s health care reform law was a step in the wrong direction.
“AFP is extremely disappointed in leaders in Florida suggesting that the Sunshine State should create a health insurance exchange” said Slade O’Brien, AFP’s Florida State Director. “An exchange will increase insurance premiums on consumers and taxes on hardworking families. Florida’s best intentions will be masked by the federal government’s onerous requirements.”
Scott had stood as one of the most stubborn adversaries of Obamacare, even in the wake of the president’s reelection, which effectively secured the law’s existence. But after first vowing to reject moves to set up a state-run health insurance exchange and expand Medicaid rolls under the Affordable Care Act, Scott said last week that he was ready to “have a conversation.” Leaders in the state legislature have also signalled a willingness to take steps toward implementation.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/11/19/americans-for-prosperity-rick-scott_n_2160739.html?ref=topbar
southpaw
November 21st, 2012
9:16 am
Mr. Sinkwich, what does ^^^that^^^ mean, when it makes sense?
———————————————————————————————
Okay, Kcin, let’s take it one step at a time.
1. Do you know what a serf is?
2. Are you familiar with the phrase “subject to?”
3. Do you know what a whim is?
4. Do you know what “federal” means?
5. Does the term “nanny state” make sense to you?
6. Do you know what a bureaucrat is?
If the answer to each of these is “yes,” then combine the meanings, and you’ll have the meaning of Mr. Sinkwich’s remark. If the answer to any of them is “no,” you can check the meaning at http://dictionary.reference.com. I’m figuring that you know the meanings of “it,” “a,” “the,” and “of.”
professional skeptic
November 21st, 2012
9:16 am
Mary Elizabeth,
Pleased to see you on these forums. Your input and reasoning are warmly received.
too little time
November 21st, 2012
9:17 am
When obamacare saves your life or someone in your families life,
Obamacare does not save lives….Doctors do. Obamacare provides insurance. Insurance is not the same as care. If you live in a county without a hospital, you still don’t have a hospital. If you cannot find a provider because there is none in your area, Obamacare does nothing to increase your options. Let’s be clear: Georgians do NOT have equal access to care as someone in Boston. Boston has hospitals FAR in advance of most Georgia hospitals. Someone in rural Wyoming does not have equal access to care as someone in Metro Atlanta. Our country is riddled with “disparities of care”, and Obamacare does nothing whatsoever to fix that. Having insurance is not the same thing has obtaining care.
Michael
November 21st, 2012
9:17 am
Deal wants to be seen as having no part of collaboration with Obama as it plays well in Georgia. Besides he is very busy with his landfill and auto salvage business in gainesville and screwing the population in that county, and likely other county’s.
ATL Tiger
November 21st, 2012
9:17 am
There is no funding mechanism in the healthcare law for a federal exchange, only state exchanges.
No state exchange = Federal exchange (with no funding) = No ObamaCare
barking frog
November 21st, 2012
9:18 am
When the hospitals are broke because Obamacare was not implemented
the Republicans will blame Obamacare for the destruction.
real john
November 21st, 2012
9:18 am
Welcome to the Occupation:
A lot of Red states Texas, Georgia, Florida (depending if you class that as red state), Miss, South Carolina, happened to have HUGE latino and African American populations who use large amount of that “free money.” As we saw in the election, those groups overwhelmingly voted for Obama. I guess you are right though, they do suck up all a lot of those resources
williebkind
November 21st, 2012
9:19 am
Welcome to the Occupation
Are you saying only white people are conservative?
Mr. Snarky
November 21st, 2012
9:20 am
The cons on this blog will never accept reality. It’s much easier and fun to live in an ideological wonderland of black and white where they’re always right.
I expect Deal will fold because when it comes down to it because the Healthcare lobby is stronger than the tea party dbags…and they actually make sense.
JMH
November 21st, 2012
9:20 am
Goldie- I like the roads, bridges, firefighters, police, and teachers argument that Obama and the libs make for raising taxes but there are many more people out here who work hard and pay taxes and it’s just not enough.Our govt has gotten way to big and no matter how much you take from the hard working american taxpayer it will never be enough. It’s not the billionairs who will be affected it’s the folks who have actually worked hard to get where they are and are trying to be self sufficient who will be hammered. It’s always easy to make the I want more and i think we ought to take more from someone else to get it; get off your lazy ass and take care of you and your family.
williebkind
November 21st, 2012
9:20 am
ObamaCare is a tax and can be defunded by congress.
willydoit?
November 21st, 2012
9:21 am
“Yes indeed. It is time to suck it, losers!”
Well said #1 Foxylady!
Just like red states have to accept the fact that President Obama was elected to a second term and we all live with his leadership and direction of the country…
Residents of Georgia have to accept the fact that this is a GOP controlled state and they have to live with the leadership and direction of Governor Deal.
Redcoat
November 21st, 2012
9:21 am
ATL Tiger……Why were the states given options if no funding…….?
Welcome to the Occupation
November 21st, 2012
9:22 am
williebkind: “Are you saying only white people are conservative?”
Basically, yes. In the sense of being a big talker about responsibility while in fact being a big taker and sponge off of their more affluent betters, usually located further North.
USinUK - not very ladylike (and former Girl Scout)
November 21st, 2012
9:22 am
“real john You are wasting your time trying to explain what you are correct about to “libs” because “free” to them is using someone else’s money,not theirs.To them,that’s “FREE”.”
yeah.
cuz we don’t pay taxes.
nope. nary a one.
Finn de Siècle (The System isn't Broken; It's Fixed)
November 21st, 2012
9:22 am
Today the Cons are fully proving the reality that they can’t comprehend reality.
jose
November 21st, 2012
9:23 am
The “reality of Obamacare” is that it accomplished only one third of true health care reform. It should more correctly be referred to as “insurance reform”. It did relatively little to bend the cost curve downward. Also, there will still be tens of millions who will still lack access to health care. Twenty million according to the Obama Administration. In addition, there will be a lot of young jhealthy single Americans who will decide to pay the $700 tax penalty and remain uninsured rather than purchase a $2,000- $2500 plan in the exhange. Then, there are the millions of newly covered Americans who will receive coverage through expanded Medicaid or subsidized purchase in the exchange who will continue to receive treatment in emergency rooms because the extreme shortage of doctors in GA will mean providers can pick and choose (and they won’t pick Medicaid patients because it reimburses well short of full cost of care). So, all this digging in by Democrats has actually stopped true reform in its tracks.
DownInAlbany
November 21st, 2012
9:23 am
Brosephus™
November 21st, 2012
9:09 am
DownInAlbany @ 8:50
I agree with you on the cost issue. One of the hidden costs is the fact that people without insurance get treated anyway. Most times, they’re treated in emergency rooms which adds to the cost of those of us who carry insurance.
.It’s a fact that the ER is the most expensive place to treat a patient and if you been to the ER lately, you see a lot snotty noses and ear infections that shouldn’t be there. The public hospitals are prohibited from turning patients away, but, I think they could do a better job of triaging the patients and saying, “…you have a runny nose, you go to door A” where a PA or NP treats and streets ‘em. Or “…you’re having a heart attach…you go to door B” where the cardiologist with a crash cart is there.
Welcome to the Occupation
November 21st, 2012
9:24 am
No group is more dependent on the productivity of others, on the ‘government’, than whites. Period.
And that goes for both poor whites and the white elite with their teams of lawyers and lobbyists.
Regnad Kcin
November 21st, 2012
9:24 am
“Okay, Kcin, let’s take it one step at a time.
1. Do you know what a serf is?
2. Are you familiar with the phrase “subject to?”
3. Do you know what a whim is?
4. Do you know what “federal” means?
5. Does the term “nanny state” make sense to you?
6. Do you know what a bureaucrat is?”
southpaw – in my experience, you’re usually not such a richard.
As an explanation of how the ACA impinges on sinkwich’s personal freedoms, you think this is a GOOD explanation? Sheesh…
DownInAlbany
November 21st, 2012
9:25 am
too little time
November 21st, 2012
9:17 am
When obamacare saves your life or someone in your families life,
Obamacare does not save lives….Doctors do. Obamacare provides insurance. Insurance is not the same as care. If you live in a county without a hospital, you still don’t have a hospital. If you cannot find a provider because there is none in your area, Obamacare does nothing to increase your options. Let’s be clear: Georgians do NOT have equal access to care as someone in Boston. Boston has hospitals FAR in advance of most Georgia hospitals. Someone in rural Wyoming does not have equal access to care as someone in Metro Atlanta. Our country is riddled with “disparities of care”, and Obamacare does nothing whatsoever to fix that. Having insurance is not the same thing has obtaining care.
You boiled it down to the essence of the situation. Nice post.
Regnad Kcin
November 21st, 2012
9:26 am
“Obamacare does not save lives….Doctors do”
tlt – The ACA provides ACCESS to doctors, allow the doctors to save lives that might otherwise no be saved.
Better?
DownInAlbany
November 21st, 2012
9:27 am
barking frog
November 21st, 2012
9:18 am
When the hospitals are broke because Obamacare was not implemented
the Republicans will blame Obamacare for the destruction.
Have you looked at the balance sheets of the public hospitals in Georgia? Many have literally hundreds of millions in cash and cash equivalents. Guidestar.com is a wonderful resource. Are some hospitals in trouble? Yes. Grady is NOT going out of business. Don’t believe the hype. Do a little research.
DannyX
November 21st, 2012
9:29 am
“Obamacare does not save lives….Doctors do.”
Lol! Fox News would love that one.
Btw, those doctors never received any training from government universities or government hospitals, right?
the red herring
November 21st, 2012
9:29 am
the democrats passed obamacare over the feelings of the nation (app. 65%)—they did so behind closed doors and without any input from republicans/independents. jay may be right in saying “sign on it’s almost free” but it isn’t. the liberal left is bankrupting the country and signing on for the free stuff is a large part of the problem—too much free stuff already—problem is none of it is free– we are paying for it– the millionaires/billionaires making 200-250k per year (that’s democrat math nobody else says 200k is a million much less a billion) many already pay 50 to 60% of their income in total taxes and things such as licenses to the government. i don’t see how people can say “they aren’t paying their fair share”. if obama and the dems just keep spending we’ll go broke faster and can have the riots like they are having in greece but of course it will not be their fault—people just weren’t willing to pay 100% in taxes so they could say they paid their share.
Get Real
November 21st, 2012
9:29 am
Why should anyone accept bad legislation when there are still options to fight it….sorry Jay and other libbies No Sale
That said, of course it is good to insure uninsured people but the way this law was cobbled together there are way too many unintended consequesnces that ulitmately it will do more harm than good.
DS
November 21st, 2012
9:30 am
The current thinking among liberals is that most Republican states won’t build exchanges, and that’s a good thing. What’s the point of building poorly-run state exchanges that barely meet minimum requirements? The federal exchange would do a better job in those places.
As for participating in expanded Medicaid, these states might come around eventually, as voters see how it’s working in participating states and wonder why their state leaders settled for less.
ralph
November 21st, 2012
9:32 am
The problem with health care in this country is plain: CAPITALISM & GREED. Insurance companies see only profits, and do not care. Until we take the profits from greedy insurance companies, and realize that health care is a right, then it is not a pretty picture. Okay, so Obama’s plan is not perfect, but he at least had the guts to make an effort to do something. Other countries have coverage for all, why can’t the USA? Again, the real problem is Capitalism, it is inherently evil.
Tom Middleton
November 21st, 2012
9:32 am
Mary Elizabeth
For what it’s worth, Mary Elizabeth, I read you always and learn from things you say. And as I suspect there are others like me on here, even though we rarely respond, please don’t get too upset with the snarky button-pushers, and please, please, please don’t stop writing your informed, real thoughts. Just sayin’…
F. Sinkwich
November 21st, 2012
9:33 am
“Free” food, courtesy of O’bozo:
“More Americans will use food stamps to buy their Thanksgiving dinner this year than ever before, according to a new report from the nonprofit government watchdog group The Sunlight Foundation.”
Get Real
November 21st, 2012
9:33 am
Mary Elizabeth…
I had issues with you quoting Paul Krugman as I have zippo respect for him and his economic theories. Regardless, you have the right to express your opinion without extreme negative hostility. Did not really see any of the posts you referenced but if you are going to reference the guy like he is the “know all and see all” then you have to expect a little push back
Jay
November 21st, 2012
9:33 am
“Submitted on 2012/11/21 at 9:25am
too little time
November 21st, 2012
9:17 am
When obamacare saves your life or someone in your families life,
Obamacare does not save lives….Doctors do. Obamacare provides insurance. Insurance is not the same as care. If you live in a county without a hospital, you still don’t have a hospital. If you cannot find a provider because there is none in your area, Obamacare does nothing to increase your options. Let’s be clear: Georgians do NOT have equal access to care as someone in Boston. Boston has hospitals FAR in advance of most Georgia hospitals. Someone in rural Wyoming does not have equal access to care as someone in Metro Atlanta. Our country is riddled with “disparities of care”, and Obamacare does nothing whatsoever to fix that. Having insurance is not the same thing has obtaining care.
That is incorrect.
Poor regions have less access to medical care — hospitals, doctors, etc., — because of economics. The rural economy is built largely on small businesses that lack the financial means to provide health insurance to their workers. And without private, employer-provided health insurance to draw upon, doctors and hospitals in those regions don’t have a means to get paid for providing health care.
By expanding Medicaid coverage and subsidizing private coverage, ObamaCare will ensure that a lot more people in those communities have health insurance, which in turn will make serving those communities more economically attractive to providers. In fact, if Georgia turns down Medicaid expansion, the biggest losers will be those in rural parts of the state.
alex
November 21st, 2012
9:34 am
Sounds like the Fla. govenor has the right idea, start with a conversation, get the facts ,as best as can be determined and decide….interesting thought, sheesh..ya gotta wonder
@downinalbany: 1 missed triage and bring out the sharks (lawyers)..Yes but you are right, E.R.’s should not be seeing half the crap they do, thank god for minute clinic-just don’t be really sick..but how do you tell?….
RB from Gwinnett
November 21st, 2012
9:34 am
“Correction: it’s being paid for by ALL Americans’ payments into Federal income taxes. In other words, there is a transfer from larger wealthier states like New Jersey, California, etc. to the smaller and less affluent states, many of whom btw happen to be “red”.”
ALL Americans???? Really??? Somebody hasn’t been paying attention much lately…
USinUK - not very ladylike (and former Girl Scout)
November 21st, 2012
9:34 am
““Obamacare does not save lives….Doctors do.””
ahhhh … they finally found a corollary to “guns don’t kill people”
Simple Truths
November 21st, 2012
9:34 am
“it’s not a question of whether Georgia can afford it”
Jay, it’s *always* a question of whether we can afford it. Listen to Clark Howard or Dave Ramsey.
Will
November 21st, 2012
9:35 am
The majority of Americans voted for President Obama – Conservatives are traitors and are not Americans
TaxPayer
November 21st, 2012
9:36 am
Republicans always have their fallback position–Tom Price’s “I Object!”
barking frog
November 21st, 2012
9:37 am
DowninAlbany
Sounds like you are saying that some hospitals are so cash heavy they don”t need
Obamacare to provide emergency care to people who can’t pay. Good for them.
Jay
November 21st, 2012
9:38 am
“The majority of Americans voted for President Obama – Conservatives are traitors and are not Americans.”
You know, I never liked that line of BS when it came from conservatives, and I don’t like it any better — maybe even less — coming from the other side. That is simply not a word or accusation that ought to be bandied about easily.
USinUK - not very ladylike (and former Girl Scout)
November 21st, 2012
9:39 am
“You know, I never liked that line of BS when it came from conservatives, and I don’t like it any better — maybe even less — coming from the other side either.”
word.
unless they’re asking to secdee
RF
November 21st, 2012
9:41 am
“More Americans will use food stamps to buy their Thanksgiving dinner this year than ever before, according to a new report from the nonprofit government watchdog group The Sunlight Foundation”
DUH- they’re still unemployed using the assistance. Those numbers go up during economic downturns and drop when the economy improves. I thought you guys were the economic experts…
paulo977
November 21st, 2012
9:42 am
MaryE ……”In many ways, Georgia remains the “Closed Society,” as it was named in my youth.”
____________________________________________________________________
Just take a look at what is happening in the school systems here……pathetic!!!
alex
November 21st, 2012
9:42 am
Jay, here’s reality, hospitals and doctors do not make money on medicaid, they loose money….OK,that is economics. Furthermore:docs do not want to be in small towns, so you’ve got to entice them, hospitals and health systems do that by paing them outsized salaries..Medicaid will not support those salaries:ECONOMICS.
As for the blogger who wrote that docs are trained by the govt..Better give up on that , if you knew how much docs make per hour in training , you might wonder why anyone would put up with it.
willydoit?
November 21st, 2012
9:43 am
“The majority of Americans voted for President Obama – Conservatives are traitors and are not Americans”
That’s crap, we are all Americans…even the illegals!
AmericaShrugged
November 21st, 2012
9:43 am
Jay 9:33 – Nice theory, but I have been in healthcare for 15 years and there are very few providers, doctors or hospitals, that can survive on Medicaid reimbursement rates. If you think young men and women will invest ten years of their lives and hundreds of thousands of dollars to become a doctor in Lumber City and get $17.90 per office visit from Medicaid you must be smoking more than your turkey today!
JamVet
November 21st, 2012
9:43 am
Andy and concrete in the same sentence? The only common denominator is his head! LOL.
JHM,
I know that you Republicans love simplistic sound bite, slogan and bumper sticker answers to very complex questions. (See Andy, who is a non-Republican’s wet dream come true. And shameless.)
Your most recent, very fave Republispeak phrase, “fair share” being a perfect example.
Alas, economic justice cannot be described in any of those above referenced ways.
It is a highly complicated subject, that you have read ZERO about and know nothing of.
But meet me half way and tell me what you think it is or isn’t and I’ll be glad to help you out!
Yep, Albany… SINGLE PAYER NOW.
Just like my beloved VA…
Regnad Kcin
November 21st, 2012
9:44 am
“unless they’re asking to secdee”
All that succession nonsense is chest-thumping, nothing more. It’s losers who are screaming, “I quit, I don’t want to play any more!,” but, after they’ve cried it out, will meekly assume their designated position in society, with quiet embarassment at their own outburst…
Kamchak ~ Thug from the Steppes
November 21st, 2012
9:44 am
Record Number of Americans Will Use Food Stamps For Holiday…
drudgey spam.
Jay
November 21st, 2012
9:45 am
Alex, that’s not true in rural areas, where the alternative to Medicaid coverage is NO coverage and thus NO payment for services rendered, and also where the cost of running a practice/facility is considerably lower than in high-cost urban areas.
tiredofIT
November 21st, 2012
9:45 am
Americans For Prosperity — another right wing cult.
The Thin Guy
November 21st, 2012
9:45 am
Just as the Jews in Germany in the 1930s were forced to accept the reality of the Third Reich, Americans are now faced with the best healthcare system in the world being replaced with zerØcare. Many doctors will find other work as being a physician will be as lucrative as working for the post office. America will be split into the Haves and the Havenots. The really good physicians will go to a cash only business and will refuse government or private insurance. So you will be required to have insurance but you can only use it to see a government doctor and the waiting line will be longer than the Mississippi river. The quality of the healthcare for all but the very rich is going to nosedive and the cost is going to soar. To those of you who are responsible for me losing my healthcare I have a very personal message: I hate your guts. I don’t mean I have a philosophical difference of opinion about the role of government in our lives: I hate your guts. I hope you all die of Jungle Rot of the Crotch and the turkey you eat tomorrow has salmonella.Thanks to The Indonesian Imbecile the only thing I can afford is a Spam Sandwich.
Stevie Ray..Clowns to the left and Jokers to the right..here I am...
November 21st, 2012
9:46 am
JAY
Hate to be the one to burst your romantic realtionship with Obama in general and PelosiCare specfically. This is simply one of the major problems this “program” as is will surface. The cost model doesn’t remotely balance, the cuts will never materialize, and the cost to us will be astonishing. I’ve mentioned here many times that getting into bed with insurers and large providers was a disaster waiting to happen….this is just the tip of the iceberg..
Operators like HCA et al, ponied up billions to be spared the lions share of cuts…this in exchange for the annual unfunded treatment for uninsured to be funded. The numbers won’t balance since the incentives for all are misaligned.
Its a crap bill that should never had been cut with special interests involved…as in any such case, be prepared to incurr an increase in your taxes if this thing stays in place.
Kamchak ~ Thug from the Steppes
November 21st, 2012
9:47 am
Just as the Jews in Germany in the 1930s were forced to accept the reality of the Third Reich…
Godwin’s Law, proven yet again.
Regnad Kcin
November 21st, 2012
9:47 am
“Just as the Jews in Germany in the 1930s were forced to accept the reality of the Third Reich’
Godwin Rule!
alex
November 21st, 2012
9:48 am
Showing my age here; what does “word” mean/imply?
I see this response on a few posts and do not get the implication.
Let’s just give thanks that we do not live in the Gaza strip…..
Stevie Ray..Clowns to the left and Jokers to the right..here I am...
November 21st, 2012
9:48 am
THINGUY
Why does Hitler rear his head almost daily on this site? Both sides use this analogy like drama queens…more appropriate analogies exist sans the thin thought and drama…
barking frog
November 21st, 2012
9:48 am
AmericaShrugged
Guess those doctors will have to go to Thailand to practice.
Regnad Kcin
November 21st, 2012
9:48 am
“the only thing I can afford is a Spam Sandwich”
Yummmmmmmmmmmm…Spam Sandwich…mmmmmmmmmmmm
The other half of your brain.
November 21st, 2012
9:48 am
Mary Elizabeth
November 21st, 2012
8:17 am
TO ALL READERS:
ME, If you can’t take the heat then stay out of the kitchen, it’s Jay’s blog not YOURS.
bookman parrot
November 21st, 2012
9:49 am
jay, your first statement says it all. but … The Supreme Court was influenced to not hold to the constitution, but to politics and lib influence. it was a travesty that they upheld a totally unconstitutional tax/non-tax. it is an infringement on liberty… but alas you don’t care…
Jay
November 21st, 2012
9:49 am
“Just as the Jews in Germany in the 1930s were forced to accept the reality of the Third Reich, Americans are now faced with the best healthcare system in the world being replaced with zerØcare.”
If that isn’t the silliest, dumbest analogy that we see this week, heaven help us.
moonbat betty
November 21st, 2012
9:49 am
In more important news…
This just in:
This afternoon after pardoning the Thanksgiving Turkey, Obama plans on pardoning Ohio State University so they may play in the national title game. Obama gives his thanks to the state of Ohio for their unwavering support and will in turn reward them with a full removal of NCAA sanctions.
Regnad Kcin
November 21st, 2012
9:49 am
Dang, Kamchak, I’ve gotta type faster!
GT
November 21st, 2012
9:50 am
Georgia is as inoperative as an alcoholic in their blindness and dependence on dramatics for getting votes. George Wallace standing at the door of a school house, an ugly sneer on his face, grease dripping Elvis hairdo, two pillars of the law making him look like a modern day SEC football coach, posing for the press. This is what fills the house down south, short on substance but high in circus entertainment, which is a great substitute for health. Why not make the patient comfortable since his or her condition is terminal. Who needs health, we all going to die anyway, what a waste of money, spend it on entertainment, education, health waste of tax payers’ money.
Jay
November 21st, 2012
9:50 am
Of course, having now read the rest of that post, I see Thin Guy is giving himself considerable competition for that award.
Stevie Ray..Clowns to the left and Jokers to the right..here I am...
November 21st, 2012
9:50 am
KAMCHAK
Of course we have our heated disagreements but Godwins Law, one I never knew about, is classic!
It seems a combination of lazy thought combined with the need to sensationalize…beats me..
paulo977
November 21st, 2012
9:51 am
RB……Do consider this
http://taxprof.typepad.com/taxprof_blog/2004/09/red_states_feed.html
Redcoat
November 21st, 2012
9:51 am
Can the Dems accept that they own it?
Following copied from another:
Congratulations to the Democrats and Young People! You now own it and you can’t blame Bush.
The next terrorist attack you own it.
Can’t get a job after graduation, you own it.
Sky rocketing energy prices due to Obama’s EPA shutting down the energy producing states, you own it.
A nuclear Iran, you own it.
Bowing to Russia, you own it.
Another severe recession, you own it.
A volatile border with Mexico, you own it.
Trouble getting good health care, you own it.
Higher health insurance costs and health care costs, you own it.
No budget, you own it.
Our allies mistrust, you own it.
Another trillion of debt, you own it.
More Benghazi situations, you own it.
No one willing to join the military, you own it.
Trouble getting a loan to buy a home, you own it.
More dependency on food stamps, you
own it.
Trouble finding good employment, you own it.
Several part time jobs instead of a good job, you own it.
A World Government, you own it.
The UN governing the United States instead of ourselves, you own it.
A Senate that will not bring any legislation to the table even if it is “Dead on Arrival”, you own it.
China controlling our world trade trampling all over us, you own it.
Loss of our freedoms as we have known it in the past, you own it.
A dictatorship instead of a democracy that follows the Constitution, you own it.
Less take home pay and higher living costs, you own it.
Driving a car that looks like a toy, you own it.
More government corruption and lies, you own it.
More toleration of extreme and fanatical Islamists, you own it.
Terrorist attacks called work place incidents, you own it.
Your revenge instead of love of country, you own it.
President
George Bush is out of it now, and
there is not another good man for you to vilify and lie about. In a way
I am relieved that another good man will not be blamed when it was
impossible to clean up this mess you voted for. Have a good day. God
bless the United States! God is our hope now.
Kamchak ~ Thug from the Steppes
November 21st, 2012
9:51 am
Regnad
Finn de Siècle (The System isn't Broken; It's Fixed)
November 21st, 2012
9:51 am
Mittens pumping his own gas. LOL
http://www.salon.com/2012/11/21/post_election_mitt_romney_is_just_your_average_guy/
“Where’s ma secret service detail?”
lovelyliz
November 21st, 2012
9:52 am
Republicans do some things very well. Reality isn’t one of them
Curious
November 21st, 2012
9:52 am
real john is right…who are these state taxpayers who don’t have to pay federal taxes?
JKL2
November 21st, 2012
9:53 am
stands- We are the richest, most powerful nation ever on earth.
I didn’t know you were Chinese…