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Obamacare Pushing Puerto Rico Further Into Social Welfare State, Doctors Warn
Fox News LAtino ^ | 13 Dec 2013 | Bryan Llenas

Posted on 12/14/2013 11:08:00 AM PST by oblomov

People in the U.S. territory of Puerto Rico may not be grappling with the botched Obamacare website rollout, but the program could spell disaster for the island, which is facing a financial crisis and where half the population already is dependent on free health insurance, members of the island's medical community warned.

Puerto Ricans, who are born U.S. citizens, do not enroll on the healthcare.gov because their government decided not to offer health-insurance exchanges, which offers private plans.

Instead, the Affordable Care Act, commonly dubbed Obamacare, has mostly arrived on the island in the form of a $6.3 billion social welfare check allocated to the government to continue to pay for its Medicaid and for its separate, free state-run insurance program called "Mi Salud," between 2014 and 2019.

And that could be disastrous for Puerto Rico.

Roughly 1.7 million Puerto Ricans already depend on free health insurance in the island and local doctors are concerned that the additional financial infusion to the program will make the territory even more dependent on welfare.

(Excerpt) Read more at latino.foxnews.com ...


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Front Page News; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: abortion; cronysocialism; deathpanels; fascism; healthcare; insurance; obamacare; puertorico; zerocare
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IIRC, 40%+ of Peurto Ricans are net recipients of government transfer payments.
1 posted on 12/14/2013 11:08:00 AM PST by oblomov
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To: oblomov

Puerto Rico cannot possibly be inhabited at this time. The former inhabitants are all in NYC.


2 posted on 12/14/2013 11:11:26 AM PST by Kenny Bunk (OK, Obama be bad. Now where's OUR Program, Plan, and Leader?)
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To: oblomov
Peurto Rico my ass. The loon is pushing the entire USA over the cliff.
3 posted on 12/14/2013 11:13:35 AM PST by DeaconRed (I love you Granddaddy: The most beautiful words ever spoken.)
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To: Kenny Bunk

And the Purto Ricans have the potential of becoming American, VOTING citizens very soon if amnesty passes.

I guess odumbo hasn’t figured that out yet.


4 posted on 12/14/2013 11:14:42 AM PST by DaveA37
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To: Progov

Puerto Rico is a socialist paradise (Hellhole). This is why we can’t let it become a state. As far as I’m concerned, give it its independence and end all aid (tax benefits) to it.


5 posted on 12/14/2013 11:17:17 AM PST by Gen.Blather
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To: oblomov
We'll certainly see a renewed push to make PR the 51st state and all those welfare slugs DEMOCRAT VOTERS! Combine them with the legions of Dem voters already in the corral and any party -- a cleaned up GOP, the libertarians or some new one -- espousing REAL freedom will pretty much be ROADKILL.

HOGS

It seems that an area in Arkansas was plagued by a particularly aggressive and voracious roving band of wild hogs for many years and, although the local residents were thoroughly disgusted over the destroyed crops, injured domestic livestock, etc., their attempts to destroy or capture the hogs had met with complete failure.

One day a stranger stopped at the local hardware store, purchased some tools and grain, asked how to get to the last reported location of the porcine marauders and boasted that he would capture them and claim the large bounty the locals had offered. Those who heard his boast laughed as he went out the door and boarded his wagon.

Two weeks later, the stranger arrived back in town with the entire herd trussed and squealing in the back of his wagon. Amazed and incredulous, the townspeople asked how he'd done it. He told this story:

"I located a clearing near where I was told the hogs might be and set out a large pile of grain. At the same time, I began erecting a fence just beyond the edge of the clearing.

"The hogs discovered the grain on the third day. At first, they sniffed around the edge of the clearing, nervously darting into the woods at the slightest sign or sound of danger. Then the younger, less experienced ones became bolder to the point of approaching the edge of the pile, grabbing a few kernels and dashing into the trees.

"After several hours of this, the young hogs began feeding in earnest -- no longer darting away with those few kernels. Seeing this, the older hogs soon began shoving the young ones aside in what became a veritable feeding frenzy. The grain was soon gone.

"They returned the next day at daybreak to a fresh, larger pile of grain. They displayed little fear as they walked right up to it. They returned the next day, and the next, and the day after that, all the while growing bolder and showing less and less fear. By the 10th day, they had completely stopped foraging in the surrounding fields.

"All the while, I was building the fence -- a corral, really -- during the times when they were absent. Soon, however, I was able to work even while they were feeding.

"Yesterday morning, while they fed, I closed the gate. They didn't even try to escape.

"I've been capturing critters this way for years and it always works. Why? Well I learned a long, long time ago that there isn't a creature on the face of the earth I cannot capture -- ONCE I HAVE IT DEPENDENT ON ME FOR ITS SUPPORT OR SURVIVAL!

6 posted on 12/14/2013 11:18:07 AM PST by Dick Bachert
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To: oblomov

Yep, the next Detroit...Puerto Rico’s got a higher percent on Disability than Detroit or Chicago... dems turning humans into animals...


7 posted on 12/14/2013 11:26:23 AM PST by GOPJ ("Remember who the real enemy is... ")
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To: oblomov
... Further Into Social Welfare State ...

I had to laugh at that. LOL.

8 posted on 12/14/2013 11:29:05 AM PST by Alberta's Child ("I've never seen such a conclave of minstrels in my life.")
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To: oblomov

Its a US incorporated territory and they are statutory US citizens. They have all the rights of Americans except they can’t vote for Congress or the President because they’re not a state. In every other respect - they’re like a US state.


9 posted on 12/14/2013 11:30:22 AM PST by goldstategop (In Memory Of A Dearly Beloved Friend Who Lives In My Heart Forever)
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To: DeaconRed

I love it when a plan comes together...


10 posted on 12/14/2013 11:42:37 AM PST by mikec256
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To: goldstategop

Were you intending to respond to someone else? I’m fully aware that Puerto Ricans are US citizens.


11 posted on 12/14/2013 11:51:03 AM PST by oblomov
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To: goldstategop

But when a Puerto Rican moves to the mainland, they can vote in the state they have moved to.


12 posted on 12/14/2013 12:04:25 PM PST by SauronOfMordor (Socialists want YOUR wealth redistributed, never THEIRS!)
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To: Dick Bachert
That story is a variation on The Wild and Free Pigs of the Okefenokee Swamp, which should be required reading in every 5th grade history class.
13 posted on 12/14/2013 12:07:03 PM PST by Izzy Dunne (Hello, I'm a TAGLINE virus. Please help me spread by copying me into YOUR tag line.)
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To: Gen.Blather
Puerto Rico is a socialist paradise (Hellhole). This is why we can’t let it become a state. As far as I’m concerned, give it its independence and end all aid (tax benefits) to it.

I concur. Probably the worst thing to happen to that island was Teddy Roosevelt.

14 posted on 12/14/2013 12:07:49 PM PST by onona (The Earth is the insane asylum for the universe (yup, I belong))
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To: oblomov

they’re teetering as it is. cut back revenues and they have more work to do.


15 posted on 12/14/2013 12:16:52 PM PST by wiggen (The teacher card. When the racism card just won't work.)
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To: Progov

Puerto Rico is similar to Washington DC no representation, has mayor governor, cannot vote for representation and president. Basically already American Citizens. There is Guam, US Virgin Islands that have the same set up.


16 posted on 12/14/2013 12:47:49 PM PST by hondact200 (Candor dat viribos alas (sincerity gives wings to strength) and Nil desperandum (never despair))
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To: oblomov

I hope the island doesn’t tip over with so much welfare being pumped in to the island.


17 posted on 12/14/2013 2:39:36 PM PST by Organic Panic
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They don’t need to be “pushed”. They are layabouts there and often behave the same way in New York or Chicago. It’s a cultural thing......


18 posted on 12/14/2013 3:02:35 PM PST by Godwin1
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To: Izzy Dunne

Yep and Yep!


19 posted on 12/14/2013 3:10:12 PM PST by Dick Bachert
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To: Dick Bachert
i'm not so sure they really want to be a state, this way they get all the benefits without having to pay the taxes...
20 posted on 12/14/2013 3:30:18 PM PST by Chode (Stand UP and Be Counted, or line up and be numbered - *DTOM* -vvv- NO Pity for the LAZY - 86-44)
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