I might be a victim of epistemic closure, but I’m seeing signs that HCR is becoming a non-issue.
First, facts: Steve Benen reports that the insurance industry has decided to scrap recission four months earlier than required by law. That’s on top of the already-established coverage for children through age 26, and the curbing of denial of coverage for kids with pre-existing conditions.
Second, messaging: I live in a pretty conservative Congressional district (the infamous NY-29), where tea partiers had a field day at town hall meetings last Summer. Democrats have finally picked a candidate, Matt Zeller, and I thought he had a pretty good gloss on the main benefits of HCR:
I think it achieved three things every side of the argument agreed needed to happen.
- You can’t have your insurance denied to you based on pre-existing conditions.
- You can’t have your insurance stripped from you as you are being wheeled in the emergency room.
- You are allowed to pool together with neighbors and small businesses and use your buying power to drive down the cost of insurance.
Zeller pissed all over the process that brought us HCR, but said he couldn’t support repeal unless these three topics were addressed. The repeal movement has only one message: back to the status quo.
A few facts on your side and a good message are all it takes to win an issue — I don’t want to declare victory on this one, but it’s looking pretty good.