Posted on 12/19/2014 5:38:57 AM PST by SeekAndFind
It’s been almost five years since the passage of the Affordable Care Act and its promise to “bend the cost curve downward” for Americans and their health care. More than five years have passed since the technical start of the recovery and the Obama administration’s bragging about jobs and economic expansion. The two combined should produce noticeable improvement in the lives of Americans, yes? According to the latest CBS News poll, no (via Jeff Dunetz):
Fifty-two percent of Americans say they find basic medical care affordable, but that’s down from 61 percent last December. Today, for 46 percent of Americans, paying for medical care is a hardship, up 10 points.
Similarly, just over half of Americans are at least somewhat satisfied with their health care costs, while 43 percent are dissatisfied.
Americans are feeling the cost of their health care. Fifty-two percent say the amount of money they pay for out-of-pocket health care costs — those not covered by insurance — has gone up over the past few years, including a third who say those costs have gone up a lot.
Most attribute the rise of out-of-pocket costs to more expensive medical treatment, rather than an increase in the amount of treatment they are receiving.
The cost increase is not coming from increased access to care, either. Only 14% of those responding say they are accessing more treatment than before. For 74% of respondents, health care is just more expensive. More now are less willing to see a doctor, and 78% of those choose to avoid it because of cost alone.
Satisfaction with health care has dropped over the last five years, too. Those somewhat or very satisfied has gone from 78% in September 2009 to 69% in this poll. Dissatisfaction over the quality of care has risen from 18% to 28%.
Not surprisingly, the law that was supposed to solve all of those problems is getting less and less popular. ObamaCare now only gets a 36/55 approval rating, down from 41/51 in September and 41/53 in March. The drop comes despite considerable administration bragging about supposed enrollment successes in the spring, and a relatively trouble-free open enrollment period underway now, at least on the consumer side of the exchanges. As more employers dump their coverage and force their workers into the ObamaCare exchanges, expect those numbers to get even lower.
And Boehner and the GOPe defend ObamaCare
They needed a poll?!
My health care costs have gone up significantly AND I can no longer go to preferred doctors without paying a WHOLE LOT MORE. Who did they ask who are satisfied??
Far from it.
The conniving Obama calculated the ACA to consolidate Democrat power that was supposed to install a permanent Dumbocrat majority. So much for that ding-dong idea....b/c 30 lockstepping Dumbocrats who voted for it were ousted in the 2014 Democrat Demolition Derby. Several retired knowing they could not be reelected.
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WHERE IS THE MONEY? O/care also allocated some $6 billion tax dollars----spending money for Dumbocrats ----which has yet to be traced.
The Untraceable $8 Billion ObamaCare PR Budget---truly govt fraud at its finest. Egged on by Pelosi, Democrats slavishly voted for Obamacare by an historic straignt-party line vote. But not one Democrat told Americans about Obamacare's Section 4002---which mandates an $8B untraceable fund to "promote" Obamacare (apparently b/c Boobamba had so little confidence in his signature legislation).
THE PAYOFF--WHO GETS THE MONEY? In 2010 Taxpayers are extorted $500 million, in 2011, $750 million, 2012, $1 billion, 2013, $1.25 billion, 2014, $1.5 billion, and, in 2015 and on, $2 billion
<><> Where is all that money going?
<><> Was cashing-in the incentive in getting the thing passed?
The sound of West Wing wire-transfers to states and to offshore banks is almost palpable.
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REFERENCE ACA SEC. 4002. PREVENTION AND PUBLIC HEALTH FUND.
(a) PURPOSE. It is the purpose of this section of the ACA to establish a Prevention and Public Health Fund (referred to in this section as the ‘‘Fund’’), to be administered through the Department of Health and Human Services, Office of the Secretary, to provide for expanded and sustained national investment in prevention and public health programs to improve health and help restrain the rate of growth in private and public sector health care costs.
(b) FUNDING.—There are hereby authorized to be appropriated, and appropriated, to the Fund, out of any monies in the Treasury not otherwise appropriated—
(1) for fiscal year 2010, $500,000,000;
(2) for fiscal year 2011, $750,000,000;
(3) for fiscal year 2012, $1,000,000,000;
(4) for fiscal year 2013, $1,250,000,000;
(5) for fiscal year 2014, $1,500,000,000; and
(6) for fiscal year 2015, and each fiscal year thereafter, $2,000,000,000.
(c) USE OF FUND.—The Secretary shall transfer amounts in the Fund to accounts within the Department of Health and Human Services to increase funding, over the fiscal year 2008 level, for programs authorized by the Public Health Service Act, for prevention, wellness, and public health activities including prevention research and health screenings, such as the Community Transformation grant program, the Education and Outreach Campaign for Preventive Benefits, and immunization programs.
(d) TRANSFER AUTHORITY.—The Committee on Appropriations of the Senate and the Committee on Appropriations of the House of may provide for the transfer of funds in the Fund to eligible activities under this section, subject to subsection (c).
(read how insiders got even more $$billions below)
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Some observers note that the Democrat-controlled Senate passed Obamacare "after a series of unsavory transactions that purchased the aye votes of several shrewdly extortionate Democrats"....with a huge pile of money still unaccounted for.
The most unsavory was Landrieu's $4.3 billion "Louisisana Purchase."
THE PAPER TRAIL IS HUGE Sen Landrieu (recently lost her reelection bid) sold her aye vote in what Forbes Magazine dubbed "The 'Louisiana Purchase" that included a massive $4.3 Billion to Landrieu
FORBES REPORTED the Democrats’ nailed Landrieu’s support for Obamacare w/ a greenback bribe. Landrieu, critics believe, pledged her vote in exchange for some $200 million more additional federal funds for Louisiana. Except that, due to a drafting error, the law ended up giving Louisiana $4.3 billion: more than twenty times the assigned amount. MORE HERE http://www.forbes.com/fdc/welcome_mjx.shtml
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BACKSTORY In the fall of 2009, Sen. Harry Reid (D-Nev.) was trying to get the necessary 60 Dimocrat votes to pass the Affordable Care Act. He needed every Dim on board, which gave waffling senators a great deal of leverage. In Landrieu's case, she connivingly saw that selling her aye vote could get her maybe $200 million federal dollars. Obama complied. Reid chalked up another vote for Obamacare----not the measly $200 million but $4.3 billon was attached to the Obamacare bill earmarked for Landrieu.
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How $4.3 billion to Landrieu was calculatedly attached to the Obamacare bill, and how Obama and Reid failed to catch and fix it, is yet another indictment of the Obamacare atrocity.
The $4.3 billion handoff to Landrieu should be investigated as an indication of how EVERY Democrat came to vote for Obamacare....and how tax dollars were laundered to get lock-stepping Democrats' votes.
FBI TIPS PAGE https://tips.fbi.gov
Amazing that the evil oil market can reduce pump prices 50% in weeks, but government can’t ever reduce the cost of anything it tries to run.
A well check visit for three of my children cost $500+ so they could have a pediatrician to see when they become ill. We moved, so we had to find a new doctor. A lot of doctors won’t see a sick child unless the child is an established patient. This coming year, deductibles are going way up, so unless we have broken bones, we won’t be going to the doctor.
Someone I know needed a pre-op approval before some surgery next week. He showed up at the right time and place for a “stress EKG”. The cardiologist’s office did not seem to have their records straight for the appointment, so went ahead and did an echocardiogram (not needed or ordered by the GP), and then rescheduled him for the EKG for later in the week. This had to have cost extra thousands of dollars for no reason. I expect the cardiologist’s office just saw that he had Medicare plus supplement, and would certainly be meeting all deductibles with the upcoming surgery, so why not throw in some extra profit for themselves?
In four years our monthly premiums have more than quadrupled and our deductible has gone from $500 to $5,500. My earning abilities have been curtailed by autoimmune diseases that affect the skeletal system. My wife and I now make less than $50k annually, combined. We also support our youngest son who is developmentally delayed. We receive no assistance and ask for none. We are being crushed by medical bills. Will probably end up selling our house or losing it due to medical debt.
The middle class is the target of obamacare. They are intentionally destroying us.
What?!
I don’t know about you, but I got to keep my plan, which is now better than ever, and my premium has decreased by $2500!!!!
Regards,
Barack
CBS performs a random act of journalism.
MSM telegraphing the Democrats, “get rid of Obamacare NOW because it’s about to DESTROY the party”.
Telegraphing the SCOTUS too....
Ouch! I’m so sorry for your difficulties. You will be blessed for handling it on your own and not accepting help. That kind of self-reliance is rare these days.
This in my opinion is costing middle class Americans more that they are saving at the gas pump.
My Co pays went from 10 to 60
Thanks, I appreciate your words. We are a living rebuttal to the lies of this administration and both houses and parties of congress.
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