The Single Issue on Which You Should Cast Your Vote

We are almost there, folks! November 8th will end this miserable election cycle and determine our fate for the next four years. If you have not already voted and are still thinking about which presidential candidate or party to support, you should focus like a laser on the one issue of the many important ones in this election: Obamacare.

Unfortunately, as this election focused more on personal characteristics and irrelevant comments, the principal legislation of the past eight years has been largely ignored as an election issue. While the plan continues to alter the healthcare landscape in a major way and premiums soar, we have barely confronted the future of our healthcare as a country, but there is still time for you to focus your vote on it.

You need not be reminded that serious Democratic politicians have called the plan into question. Everyone saw the video of former President Bill Clinton calling it “the craziest thing in the world.” He stated before that “where all of a sudden 25 million more people have health care and then the people who are out there busting it, sometimes 60 hours a week, wind up with their premiums doubled and their coverage cut in half."

But he was not the only Democrat to take issue with Obamacare. Minnesota Governor Mark Dayton stated Obamacare is “no longer affordable to increasing numbers of people.” Even Obama went after his namesake legislation. He compared the healthcare plan to the Samsung Note 7. “Just because it catches on fire does not mean you should desert smartphones.” Translation: It is a disaster, but trust the government to make it better.

And that is a reasonable position, if you are Hillary Clinton. She wants to fix the program. It is not just that she wants to fix it, but how she wants to fix it. She wants to take our healthcare system to the next step – what has bucolically been named the “public option.” That means if your state has only one or two health insurance options, the government will step in and offer another. The public option will lowball the premiums and co-pays and soon drive private insurance out of your state. Your only option will soon be government insurance. Clinton has also suggested we could buy into Medicare (a broke system) which has not been explained. Either way, the course Clinton and the Democrats offer is more government control for you and me (not for them).

Then there are the major effects that this act is setting in that may never be reversible. There is the consolidation as hospitals buy up other hospitals and hospitals buy up medical practices. We are losing private practice physicians as they join up with hospitals to eradicate the immense risk generated by Obamacare and the mountains of paperwork. Fifty-seven percent of doctors ran their own practices in 2000; that figure is down to 33% as of 2015.

You cannot even reach a doctor anymore. I had to call a specialist for a problem I was having with my knee. He was independent and is now part of Cedars-Sinai, a major hospital operation in Los Angeles. It took me 20 minutes just to make an appointment. It then took me 18 minutes to cancel the appointment when my knee improved. The end is near for anyone getting personalized care in America. Obamacare is destined to bring us all down to the lowest common denominator.

Then there is the cost. The plan my wife and I have increased over 50% in cost the last few years. To keep the premiums from soaring we increased our deductible from the very high $6,000 total to $6,000 for each of us. The increase planned for next year adds another 20%.

As you know it has been announced that the average premium increase for Obamacare across 39 states is 25%. But that is a highly misleading figure. If you read the report offered by HHS, it is a puff piece for Obamacare. If this was an offering memorandum for an investment the promoters would be jailed.

After telling people all the ways they can possibly save under the new numbers for 2017, they finally get to the chart on page 34 that shows the state-by-state breakdown of increases. The numbers in this chart and all the others are based on a 27-year-old policyholder. The problem is there are few 27-year-old policyholders. Most everyone agrees that is why the plans are failing. In fact, another report stated that only a third of the policyholders were in the age bracket 0-34 years old.

The question is what are the average increases for people actually in the plan – like 54-year-olds. They don’t tell us that because you can bet the house the average is higher. When Trump said the numbers are ginned, I am not sure he knew how badly they are ginned.

When I spoke to the Office of Health Policy (HHS) I asked two simple questions. First, how did they decide to use a 27-year-old as a policyholder? Second, what was the average cost increase for a 54-year-old? They refused to answer either question.

HHS argues that the vast majority of people on the healthcare exchanges will get subsidies that will limit their out-of-pocket expenses. They forget to talk about two things. First, the exploding deductibles that people are having to pay. Second, the exploding federal deficit from underwriting the higher subsidies.

The report finishes its opening summary with the statement, “This brief shows that the Affordable Care Act is continuing to promote affordability and choice in the Marketplace for plan year 2017.” Everyone knows that insurance companies have been pulling out of states left and right. The report later makes clear 20% of people in the plans will have only one healthcare company to choose from. That means zero competition. Where is the choice?

Then there is Obama’s distorted manipulation about 20 million people covered. I have written before this entire matter could have been handled by expanding Medicaid. There are 11 million more people on that, but the other 9 million that Obama claims are people who just normally got insurance from employers during the period. The percentage of people under 65 who have private health insurance is still lower in 2015 (65.8%) than it was in 2007 (66.8%). That means any real increase in people with coverage is being subsidized by the government.

And, of course, I will say for the hundredth time, getting health insurance does not mean getting healthcare. There are no more doctors, nurses or hospitals to provide services. In fact, a slew of experienced doctors retired rather than deal with this mess. In fact, only about 25% of doctors will accept Medicaid patients.

If you believe that the new system is working and can be improved, you should vote for Hillary Clinton. If you believe the system is dysfunctional and is only going to get worse you should vote for Donald Trump.

To quote a famous American, “Affordable, Affordable, Affordable, Affordable, Affordable. Affordable.”

Maybe not for you, but it’s in the top 2 for my family

Well, it does not matter what priority you, or any one else, places on "Obamacare" as an issue.

Obamacare's work is finished. The old system is destroyed and cannot be reconstructed.

No political figure, of either party, can stand against nationalization.

Oh, they will have different names for it, and the Republicans will want an opt-out for cash payers (they will give in easily, though).

My father graduated from medical school in 1947, and I did in 1976. Like termites eating the beams of a structure, the socialists of both parties have been gnawing away for longer than I've been alive.

And now they have won.

Repeal. Don’t replace.

I have a few suggestions for reforming the insurance industry and health care system.

1. One price fits all. It should be illegal to charge two people different prices for the same service. Gouging the uninsured in order to save money for the insurance companies is wrong.

2. Allow competition across state lines.

My single issue: The corruption and criminal activity of Hitlery and her cronies.

The media does not report that DJT attracts many voters who have a passion over at least one primary issue, thus Landslide

“What we had before was an expensive, exclusive mess, which left millions of Americans without coverage.”

ObamaCare is far more expensive (5 times or more expensive) and still as many people are without coverage. Don’t believe the bullshit the liberals toss out about it.

But we need to replace it with something equally as good for Americans.

Welcome to Free Republic.

Pray tell, what is "good" about the Affordable Care Act for Americans. Name 5 aspects that are positive for those Americans that had health coverage prior. Please also explain how the law has provided so much coverage, yet the estimates of uncovered individuals have not decreased significantly.

I suspect you will not be on this board long, as you appear to be shilling for the left.

Look if you disagree, that is fine.

I expect a bit of that. I understand my opinion on healthcare is a bit outside the FR norm. But it is my honest opinion.

I however have been a FReeper since 2005. Almost as long as you have. I am using this login now, because I am using it overseas, and do not want to use my original logon, there.

That was Cringing Negativism Network.

You may hold another opinion than I do. That is ok. I understand, completely.

But debate that idea. Don’t resort to being a “how long have you been on FR” snob please.

Thanks.

No snobbery intended.

With the plethora of astroturf posters these days, I do pay attention to signup date to evaluate the intent of posters. Having said that, I recognize your other handle, and from my knowledge of it know you are a serious poster.

I do disagree with the idea that government taking over one sixth of the economy is a good idea. I see few redeeming qualities in the law - the only one I can think of right now is the coverage for pre-existing conditions (and even that has structural problems).

I also know that my own privately purchased health insurance has been discontinued four years in a row.

Just curious, but where are you? I happen to be in Denmark at the moment. The first day in-country is always difficult for me to sleep properly (it is almost 3:30am here).

I’m stateside at the moment, I have been back about three days.

Good talking with you.

Am currently also a bit jet-lagged. Have never been to Denmark. How is it there?

Best regards.

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