A daily series, Connect! Unite! Act! seeks to create face-to-face networks in each congressional district. Groups regularly socialize but also get out the vote, support candidates and engage in other local political actions that help our progressive movement grow and exert influence on the powers-that-be. Visit us every morning at 7:30 A.M. Pacific Time to see how you can get involved. The comment thread is fun and light-hearted, but we're serious about moving the progressive political agenda forward.
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The deadline is 1.5 weeks away. Do you have health insurance?
Ten days to go until the current window closes for getting health insurance through exchanges of the Affordable Care Act until next November. What's your status concerning health insurance? I don't want to hear gripes about problems with ObamaCare. That horse has been flogged to death.
With the Congress of 2008-09, what we ended up with was the mess they cobbled together. We all wish things were different than they are, but we must remember how painfully long it was hashed out in Congress until a bill finally passed both houses of Congress and signed into law. Certainly it would not have happened after the elections in 2010. As flawed as it may be, I'm very appreciative it happened at all and that Obama was elected to a second term which cemented it coming into being rather than getting repealed.
You all know smileycreek and I are self-employed and had no choice but to buy our own health insurance our whole adult lives. The policies we could afford truly sucked. We were always on our own without the power of being in a big pool of folks that could negotiate with insurers. Well, we lost our policy because it was no longer legal for Anthem BlueCross to sell it after ObamaCare became law. Our health insurance policy was that bad.
We bought a Silver70 plan which gives us much better coverage and has a lower total yearly deductible. On top of that it costs us $91 less each month than the crap policy we had before. For us ObamaCare is a big win as it is for millions of other people too. Now that ObamaCare is the law of the land, I want to know if you have health insurance now and about your positive experience in getting it.
As we know, essentially all the horror stories the GOP drummed up about folks getting health insurance on the exchanges turned out to be totally false BS. All of it was such a bunch of garbage the LA Times did a piece a couple weeks ago wondering if there really are any ObamaCare horror stories. It doesn't look like they really exist.
First off, there are only two categories of folks that are affected by ObamaCare: 1) self-employed folks like us and 2) those who couldn't get coverage due to either preexisting health problems or the cost. That's it! The GOP in most states they control are denying expansion of Medicaid to those who now qualify just to purposefully screw it all up. They simply don't give a crap about people.
Take a look at the chart below. The highest state taxes are in five Red States (Oklahoma, Tennessee, Alabama, Louisiana and Arkansas) and two blue states (New York and Washington). As much flack as California gets for having high state taxes, these seven states have even higher tax rates. So what gives in these Red states? They won't expand Medicaid which won't cost them a dime now and will end up costing a very small percentage of the total in years to come (like 10% or so)? You'd think these states would fully embrace the ability to help millions of uninsured folks get health insurance, especially since they have the highest overall state taxes.
Here's story I want to tell you about. I have a patient that heard all the negative, false crap being spewed about ObamaCare. He told me he heard doctors refused to accept it because they got paid $11 per patient. I told him that was completely false. The fact is doctors get paid 3% more per patient than they did before. Medicaid pays a low per patient amount. That's always been true. Doctors long ago decided whether they'd personally take medicaid patients or not, and it had nothing to do with the Affordable Care Act.
He told me he heard states couldn't afford expanding Medicaid because they'd go broke. I told him the Federal government pays for that, not states. He then said he heard people can't get insurance policies and are being denied. I told him just the opposite is true. People who could never get policies before can't be denied now no matter what their medical condition.
Then he said, "This really helps people then. What's the problem?" I told him it's politics pure and simple and is not based upon facts. He thanked me for giving him the straight truth and admitted he was totally confused by all the stuff he's been hearing out there.
So, drip, drip, drip...one person at a time. This gentleman works for the Union Pacific Railroad and promised he'd pass on the truth about ObamaCare.
What positive ObamaCare news can you share? Are you covered?
Latest Updates on Kossack Regional Meet-Up News Can Be Found Below the Orange Group Hug.
Let's Build Communities!
Our team is here to provide support and guidance to new and existing volunteer leaders of each regional and state group, helping them with recruiting, organizing and executing social and action events.
We invite you to join in this effort to build our community. There are many ways to pitch in.
If there isn't a group to join near you, please start one.
Instructions on HOW TO FORM A NEW DAILY KOS GROUP
List of All Existing Meatspace Groups
THINK GLOBALLY, ACT LOCALLY
Event Organizers! Please contact wink from Netrootsradio.com by KosMail to schedule airtime with them to live broadcast your Event. Wink & Justice will then promote it on The After Show radio program!
Thursday, March 20th
DC, VA and MD Kossacks Welcome Chaucounne to Town
TIME: 7:00 PM
LOCATION: Center Cafe Restaurant
The Food Court in Union Station • Washington, DC
ORGANIZER: Send mimi a kosmail to attend.
RSVPs:
1. mimi
2. Chaucounne
3. OllieGarkey
4. Kim
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Maybees:
teacherken
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Latest diary: Update I: DC Kossack Welcome Meeting for Chacouune
Friday, March 21st
Dallas Kossacks Inaugural Meet-up
TIME: 7:00 PM
LOCATION: Cafe Brazil
2071 N. Central Expressway • Richardson
ORGANIZER: Send AndyT a kosmail to attend.
RSVPs:
1. AndyT
2.
3.
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Maybees: |
Latest diary: [Waiting for linked diary]
Saturday, March 22nd
Motor City Kossacks Welcome Dave in Northridge to Town
TIME: 6:00 PM
LOCATION: the Golden Fleece
525 Monroe (Greektown) • Downtown Detroit
ORGANIZER: Send peregrine kate a kosmail to attend.
RSVPs:
1. peregrine kate
2. Dave in Northridge
3. provokingmeaning
4. ICanDoThis
5. Mr. ICanDoThis
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Maybees:
ChemBob
Amber6541
Amber6541's sister
DoReMI
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Latest diary: We Have Our Venue: Motor City Kossacks, Sat 3/22, 6PM, Golden Fleece (Greektown, Detroit)
Monday, March 24th
NYC Kossacks Welcome Chaucounne!
TIME: 6:00 PM
LOCATION: Donburiya
137 East 47th Street (Lex-3rd) • NYC
ORGANIZER: Send sidnora a kosmail to RSVP
RSVPs:
1. sidnora
2. Chaucounne
3. thankgodforairamerica
4.
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Maybees:
Avilyn
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Latest diary: NEW EVENT: NYC Meetup 3/24– Dinner with Chacounne!
Saturday, March 29th
Houston Kossacks Meet-up
TIME: 1:00 PM
LOCATION: Fadi's Mediterranean Grill
4738 Beechnut Street • Houston
ORGANIZER: Send Chrislove a kosmail to attend.
RSVPs:
1. Chrislove
2. htowngenie
3. Libby Shaw
4. MarciaJ720
5. Bree Davis
6. krwheaton
7. Mary (Honorary Kossack)
8. Alan (Honorary Kossack) |
Maybees:
Mr. Libby Shaw
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Latest diary: Houston Area Kossacks: Meet-Up Scheduled for Saturday, March 29 (plus a note on future meet-ups)
Saturday, April 5th
Baja Arizona Kossacks 4th Annual Picnic
TIME: 4:00 PM
LOCATION: Home of Mr. & Mrs. sneakers563
Address by Kosmail to RSVPers • Tucson
ORGANIZER: Send Azazello a kosmail to attend.
RSVPs:
1. Azazello
2. sneakers563
3. rasbobbo
4. DaNang65
5. ItsaMathJoke
6. Itzadryheat
7. pwoodford
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Maybees:
cosmic debris
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Latest diary: Baja Arizona Kossacks Open Thread
Saturday, April 5th
Seattle & Puget Sound Kossacks Meet-up
TIME: Noon - 3:00 PM
LOCATION: Pyramid Alehouse, Brewery & Restaurant
1201 First Avenue South • Seattle
ORGANIZER: Send EagleOfFreedom a kosmail to attend.
RSVPs:
1. EagleOfFreedom
2. Reetz
3. John Crapper
4. John Crapper's S.O.
5. WisePiper
6. bleeding blue
7. mlharges
8.
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Maybees:
Ojibwa
otto
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Latest diary: Seattle & Puget Sound Kossacks April Meeting
Saturday, May 3rd
DKos Asheville Kossacks Meet-up
TIME: 1:00 PM
LOCATION: The Bywater
796 Riverside Dr. • Asheville
ORGANIZER: Send randallt a kosmail to attend.
RSVPs:
1. randallt
2. davehouck
3. Joieau
4. Gordon20024
5. SteelerGrrl
6. SteelerGuy
7. GulfGal 98
8. Otteray Scribe
9. flwrightman
10. people power granny
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Maybees:
Audri
Mr Audri
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Latest diary: [Waiting for linked diary]
Tuesday, May 13th
SFKossacks Roll Out the Red Carpet for LeftOfYou & Expat Okie
TIME: 11:00 AM, Early lunch!
LOCATION: Yank Sing
Rincon Center, 101 Spear St. • San Francisco
ORGANIZER: Send navajo a kosmail to attend.
RSVPs:
1. navajo
2. LeftOfYou
3. Expat Okie
4. side pocket
5. Justice Putnam
6. dharmasyd
7. Lorikeet
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Maybees:
annieli
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navajo maintains the above event list. Kosmail her if you have any diaries
about your event or if you have changes or additions.
EVERYONE is welcome, tell us what you're working on,
share your show and tell, vent, whatever you want.
This is an open thread. Nothing is off topic.