Good news everybody
National healthcare spending is significantly (~10%) below 2010 projections:
Just out: @urbaninstitute/@RWJF, MT: “US on track to spend $2.6 trillion less 2014-2019 vs. projections from ACA.” pic.twitter.com/zFAvPpr6oY
— Andy Slavitt (@ASlavitt) June 20, 2016
And people are less stressed about being able to pay for a medical bill:
Fewer Americans having trouble paying for care. The ACA not the only factor, but a big one.https://t.co/VPqKkPGmdT pic.twitter.com/AQTi2VgU81
— Larry Levitt (@larry_levitt) June 20, 2016
Why I was told that was Unpossible
Open thread
So Corey Longnamecantspellit got canned, then this Trump Advisor guy tweets stupidity, and then immediately insists on resigning.
So to my count, Trump Campaign International, LLD is down to 28 employees. And bleeding managers/advisors at a 2-a-day clip. That wouldn’t appear to be sustainable.
“Good News Everybody” should be a category, because you’ve used it as a post title 6 or 8 times, and why not?
Scalia still dead.
@Poopyman: 37 times
@Punchy:
Caputo: OH WHOOPS I tweeted something totally unacceptable, I’ll see myself out.
Manafort: That’s fine, we need you on board for the rest of the…
Caputo: NOPE NOPE I’ma fall on my sword now, good luck in November!
@Richard Mayhew:
Ho
Lee
Sheeit
@Poopyman: Wow! I guess the news was better than I thought!
As these things go, 10% is phenomenal. It wasn’t long ago it seemed we were on track to gobble up most of our GDP in health care.
I am not a super government policy wonk (except when it comes to aspects of federal and state taxation), but I am not aware of too many new laws that have had a measurable positive impact so soon after enactment.
And I don’t know why the Democrats are not hitting harder on this. And not to totally blame Uncle Bernie (OK, I do blame him), but instead of a lot of BS from both Hillary and Bernie about pure single care vs Obamacare, there should have been more emphasis on, “This just works!”
And this also includes the pointless emphasis by some Clinton surrogates about how she tried to bring us health care before. Yes, this is a reminder and burnishes credentials, but the important thing is what we have NOW.
The challenge to the GOP is not simply replacing Obamacare, but replacing it with something that is just as good by real world measures, not by ideological purity.
ETA: I don’t give a rat’s ass about Trump musical chairs with his advisors.
@Punchy: You can’t make this shit up.
@Richard Mayhew: That is good news – thanks.
@Brachiator: difference is against a counterfactual. Costs still increasing but at a slower rate so the story us the Dems have a law that now kicks you in the shins while previous trend healthcare would have been kicking you in the junk.
Arguing fiscal counterfactual based on decreasing 2nd derivative is a tough message
Look Trump has agreed to administer the beating to Clinton he promised us.
Time to stock up on snacks and alcohol. This will be epic.
@Richard Mayhew:
Can you see why I’m in moderation please?
Thanks.
@p.a.:
You win. Best reply of the day😁
@Brachiator:
I don’t know why the Democrats are not hitting harder on this.
Because the people they’d be trying to reach are convinced in their hearts that this cannot be happening, therefore it is not happening. They hear the chain-email anecdotes about OMG OBAMACARE RAISED MY PREMIUM 4000 PERCENT and believe tham, and that belief precludes examination of actual data.
@Richard Mayhew:
previous trend healthcare would have been kicking you in the junk.
With those long pointy toed boots being worn by a 300# linebacker who just found out his wife had been cheating on him, left him for that guy, who looks like you, and they cleaned out the joint bank account on the way out of town, in the car he just bought.
@Richard Mayhew:
People know when they are less stressed. People know when they have insurance vs none. People know when they get medical care that they previously could not.
And Ross Perot demonstrated that a simple, accurate chart works.
Democrats have to show that their proposals work. They have to do more than just sit back and say, “we are good people with good intentions. Please vote for us.”
But in addition to speaking to the voters, you are also challenging the GOP and re-defining the terms of the argument. Trump offers what appears to be plain and simple, “we are going to get rid of Obamacare and replace it with something better.”
Better than what? By what measure?
The Republicans were afraid of Obamacare because it is easier to try to prevent a law from taking effect than it is to repeal a law that has proven to be successful. If the Democrats cannot use this to their advantage, they are a bunch of dopes.
I still want to hear all about Ryancare, or Die’nnocare, or whatever it’s called. I’m all atingle with expectation. The GOP plan, it’s what you had for breakfast and is now sitting in your colon plan
$2.6 billion? That’s a lot of hookers and blow.
@Brachiator: you seem concerned
@guachi:
It’s actually $2.6 trillion which should get you 1000 times more hookers and blow. Maybe not quite that much, since it might drive up prices.
@Roger Moore: Volume discount. It’ll all work out.
@Richard Mayhew:
You are the greatest thing to happen to balloon-juice since naked mopping.
@Mike E:
I like winning elections. How bout you?
Ok I have a good news everybody ObamaCare story. I went hiking with a dear friend over the weekend. It was the anniversary of the day she almost died two years ago. She had a massive heart attack while on the elliptical. Fortunately the gym was full of nurses who kept her alive until she was taken to the ER. Long story short. After years of no health insurance she had signed up because of ObamaCare. Her first year of treatment cost over a million dollars and she paid out of pocket a total of $700. She was a pastry chef when this happened and could never have afforded what it cost to save her life.
ObamaCare was and is a BFD.
@Brachiator:
No way. Winning elections means you’re in charge and can be held accountable for what happens. It’s way better to lose, so you can sit on the sidelines criticizing everyone else for not bringing about utopia.
@MomSense: Do you mean that a compliment?
@Omnes Omnibus:
She couldn’t have paid a million dollars for her treatment. She is only alive because of ObamaCare. Yes, it saved her life.
Forgot how nervous swim meets make me. Old Man 200 Free coming up. For a race that only has pride and cheap medals at stake, I really shouldnt be this unsettled….really just need to nail every turn.
@Richard Mayhew: I’m with Brachiator here. We should be driving around town obnoxiously blowing our horn over this kind of success.
@Punchy: Punch it, Punchy!
:-)
Good luck!
Cheers,
Scott.
@MomSense: Thanks for that. I’m glad she’s still around and that you were able to celebrate the anniversary.
Those who hate the PPACA because it doesn’t have a Public Option, or because it’s not Single Payer, or because the insurance companies haven’t been ground to dust need to hear stories like this much more often.
Cheers,
Scott.
@MomSense:
Best story I’ve heard this year. Thanks.
@Punchy: Hey, I was a swim Mom. Swim, Punchy, swim! Don’t breathe on the last 50.
@I’mNotSureWhoIWantToBeYet: Bronzed it. Really thought I could grab silver, but the dreaded Dead Arms killed that chance.
@MomSense: Great story. I was at a Kaiser hospital a while back and overheard a guy tell a nurse something similar, that if not for Obamacare he would not have medical insurance and would not be able to get treatment.
@Omnes Omnibus: I am taking it as such
@Richard Mayhew: Absent other evidence, I think that is reasonable. No other evidence has been presented.
@joel hanes:
Yes…everyone knows SOMEone SOMEwhere whose premium went up (even if only by a penny, as if that had never happened before the ACA) and therefore Obamacare is a major hit to their wallet, one that is subsidizing “those” people. Facts/statistics be damned.
It’s the same thing with jobs, it’s the same thing everywhere that stupid people can be (mis)led by thinking they’re smart, especially at the behest of demagogues and unscrupulous powers-that-be (especially ones on their way out): grab the nearest example (true or not) and extrapolate endlessly on how example X means we’re all doomed/soon-to-be-bankrupt/whatever.
The scary thing is when Rs do it – Cruz and Cotton are practically salivating over this – about the Iran nuclear deal. Israeli soldier got mugged the other day? Must be the Iranians TIME TO SCUTTLE THE DEAL. Some schmuck teenager throw a rock in Gaza? SCUTTLE THE DEAL SHOW THOSE IRANIANS WHO’S BOSS NOWNOWNOW. Every wrong thing ever to occur in the Middle East from now through 2100, it’ll be because of that “feckless” (wtf?) Obama and HIS DUMB IRAN DEAL WE’RE ALL GONNA DIE IN NUCLEAR FIRE OMG LAUNCHLAUNCH!
I’m just saying, it’s what they always do. Same thing with restricting assault weapons – ban a few and YOU’VE DISARMED YOUR COUNTRY AND OPENED THE DOOR TO TYRANNY OMGOMG.
(ok I promise I’m done with the all-caps now)
@Jeffro: I tend not to read things where I see all caps. If you have a sane version, could you do a tl;dr?