I have a republican relative whom I have text conversations with from time to time. This is a conversation that we had on Wednesday, June 27, 2012 (the day before the ACA decision) and Thursday, June 28, 2012 the day ACA was upheld.
Wednesday
Cousin: "D day is tomorrow who you got?"
Me: I assume you are referring to the SCOTUS decision on the ACA. No clue. Too many variables. Majority may vote to keep everything in place just so that the democratic base is not energized. Or they may just vote to strike it down in order to appease the GOP since 5 of the 9 justices were appointed by GOP presidents. Every other industrialized nation is laughing at us. They mostly have better outcomes, lower costs, and longer lives--and happier people.
Cousin: I think they will overturn the mandate. But then what?
Me: If we didn't have the ACA and I lost my job and got seriously ill the next day, I would be on the next plane to Europe. A serious illness can bankrupt most anyone.
Cousin: Like Greece?
Cousin: I really don't care, because it won't affect me. I just want another reason for Obama to fail.
Me: Greece's economic woes are not pertinent to this discussion. My view is that the mandate will save me money. It gets rid of freeloaders who don't buy insurance (because it costs too much so I don't really fault them that much) and just use the ER and never pay the bill (because they can't).
Cousin: Better healthcare? Or cheaper healthcare? Come on?
Me: It's mostly better, and cheaper overseas. And no freeloaders. Do you have insurance? (Note from me: during 2009-2010, when ACA was being introduced he had no insurance and was still against it)
Cousin: Of course. My job requires it. It's an astounding deductible, but I have it.
(Note from me: I guess this means he just has catastrophic, which of course, is a very poor excuse for health insurance--so essentially he doesn't have health insurance)
Cousin: I promise you, any care you get in an average ER in the USA is better than the best doctor in Europe. To say otherwise, is a slap in the face. I am not being political.
Me: Where do you get your news from?
Cousin: Mostly MSNBC. I like that Lockdown show.
Me: MSNBC is not telling you that an average US hospital is better than the best foreign one.
Cousin: No but since I work in one, and see how much ass doctors kick. Doctors working overseas for less money must be not as good. I can make a rational value judgement.
(Note: he is basically an EMT in training, as far as I know)
Me: Working in a hospital does not make you an expert on global health.
Cousin: Agreed. And you are generally correct on a lot of things, not this. Walk away.
~~~~~
Next day: after the decision
Cousin: What the hell is going on? What exactly did the Supreme Court do?
Me: Conservative. John Roberts voted to uphold the mandate and the ACA. We won't know if he did it as a corporatist, to appease Health Insurance companies, or as a political move in order to energize the GOP Base.
Cousin: Stop it with the politics. What happened?
Me: The majority (5 of 9) of the justices voted that the ACA (The Affordable Care Act AKA Obamacare) to be constitutional.
8:01 AM PT: Thanks everyone for all your recs and comments. My first time on the rec list!