I have never understood why Republicans hated Obamacare/ACA so very much. It was a way for millions to get health coverage that didn’t have it from anywhere else. It was more affordable and if the states had cooperated, it would have been more affordable than many of the options. However, even though, it was basically a plan that had an impact on prior Republican efforts to amend the horrible situation with healthcare in this country, they rejected it.
That’s when many of the governors in red states decided to turn on their own voters. If Medicaid had been expanded as asked for with the overall view, subsidies would have been given to those that couldn’t afford it. Please note again, that the Red states have the worst poverty level in the nation without fail. This means that the poorest of the poor were the ones suffering from this partisan refusal to help people get taken care of medically. The irony of that is something that I will NEVER tired of calling out.
While there are gullible people in every state, those in poorer states are more likely to also been poorly educated. That leaves them vulnerable to conspiracy theories and other xenophobia bullcrap. The result is we have, in this country, a situation where those most in need of help surviving are often going and voting against their own self-interest because of lies told on Fox News or some other comparable propaganda purveyor. Poor education, then, equals poor voting logic which equals out to also having poor health choices in front of them, including insurance.
Well, we just got another ruling from the Supreme Court. The remainder of the Obamacare package passed. Whereas in previous attempts to jettison the plan, the votes were 5–4 to keep, this time it was 7–2 in the favor of keeping the plan. Even such as stalwart “conservative” as Clarance Thomas voted that this attempt had no merit. The states claiming they had suffered, did not suffer enough to validate doing away with a plan that has helped millions finally get health insurance.
Whatever you think about such things, the mandate that everybody must have insurance (which they have to have to drive a car by the way) has been eliminated so the compulsory claim is without merit now (although why anybody would refuse to get health insurance if it was affordable is beyond me). The enrollment is up and most people are happy to have Obamacare/ACA to provide a much-needed way of getting health care paid for.
Personally, I think it does need to be amended. I think it should include a public option where the government uses our tax dollars to fund a Universal Health Plan that covers all citizens. That plan works well in many other nations, despite the fact that there are always people who find fault with a nation's particular plan. That is going to be true whatever the nation, whatever the plan. However, we need to close the gaps that create millions without insurance which means that their medical bills are paid pretty directly by the rest of us in higher insurance outlay.
For those already having plans that they like, Cadillac or not, let them stay with that, but there is no reason for anybody in a nation as big and powerful as the United States does not have health insurance so they don’t worry about getting the slightest illness for fear that they can’t afford the care.
On the selfish side, I don’t want to pay personally more money out of pocket because somebody else just refuses or can’t afford to get insurance. I would rather we all have more opportunities for decent healthcare at an affordable price, whoever we may be. I think, nay, know, that would make us a better, safer, more peaceful nation and along with better education, we would be better citizens of the world we all share.
http://www.nytimes.com/2021/06/17/us/obamacare-supreme-court.html
http://www.nytimes.com/2021/06/17/upshot/obamacare-supreme-court-decision.html?action=click&module=Spotlight&pgtype=Homepage