Obama defends health care law despite chaotic debut

I'm not sure why Republicans are so scared of everyone having access to affordable medical care, but good on Obama for sticking to actually helping the nation instead of putting it in danger, like morons like Cruz want to do.

Smith, Republicans are so afraid of everyone having access to affordable healthcare because they will be forced to sign up.

This means Americans' freedoms will be taken away, robbed, stolen!

Republicans/conservatives - as we all know - love their freedoms, which is why they are pro-choice re: abortion, and welcome the rights of gay people to get married - hey, hang on!

@Smith: CBO says that 30 million will not have affordable care after ObamaCare is fully implemented. So it is more accurate to ask that since the law was passed with only Democrat votes, why don't Democrats want everyone to have access to affordable health care? Health care premiums and deductibles are skyrocketing in 45 of 50 states. Obama has screwed up the US economy and health system all with one huge fatally flawed law. Big time FAIL. It's a huge waste and a horribly damaging failure.

Wolfpack: "@Smith: CBO says that 30 million will not have affordable care after ObamaCare is fully implemented."

So, 10 to 15 million less than now, in other words.

Yeah but you also have to factor in 16 or so million people who purchase insurance for themselves on the individual market, a large majority of which could lose their current health plans on January 1 because they were not grandfathered in under Obamacare's stricter regulations and will not be able to afford the massively increased premiums. And that number doesn't count Americans losing employer-provided health coverage because their firms are dropping spousal coverage or dropping coverage for part-time workers.

Wolfpack: CBO says that 30 million will not have affordable care after ObamaCare is fully implemented. So it is more accurate to ask that since the law was passed with only Democrat votes, why don't Democrats want everyone to have access to affordable health care?

You mean you don't know the answer? Seems that you would since you're Republi....wait, you aren't Republican anymore. Forgot.

We have a large portion of the number not covered because of the absolutely brilliant Republican governors who decided to pass up the free money from the federal government to expand Medicaid which would have covered them. So that creates a group of people who will get screwed at the hands of Republicans....which Republicans will now turn around and say that these people are being screwed under Obamacare, as you just did. Another large chuck is because illegals won't be covered but they'll still be here. And the rest are people who simply choose not to sign up and will pay the fine instead.

It's surprising that you didn't know about any of that at all.... Do other people critical of Obamacare know so little, or is it just you?

“There’s no sugarcoating it. The website..." is stuffed up, a reflection of the entire program.

Forced to buy a product millions don't want.

Health care premiums and deductibles are skyrocketing in 45 of 50 states.

Wolf: Source? (And please don't list either far-right websites or those which cherry-pick w young, healthy individuals.) Most balanced news outlets note that, not only is medical cost inflation flattening, but premiums under the ACA are coming out lower than even the administration expected. Money magazine notes: http://money.cnn.com/2013/09/25/news/economy/obamacare-premium-rates/

The GOP needs to tread carefully here. America may be ambivalent overall about the new requirements the ACA institutes, but one aspect that unites all factions of America is abhorrence of failure. Republicans are increasingly seen to be on the sidelines cheering for failure; that will not go down well. It will not go down as well as their sly efforts to sabotage the economic recover, as those could be cloaked in partisan terms; it will particularly not go down well as the benefits of the ACA become clear, and this will happen soon. The GOP is unveiling itself as the party that wishes for American failure. Good luck with that.

Strange, but my weekly foray into AM radio has told me that 1) no one can get on the website and 2) those who do have seen their premiums jump about 2000%.

"Republicans are increasingly seen to be on the sidelines cheering for failure;"

To be fair Laguna, its fairer to say Republicans been "leading the charge into failure" for quite some time. If only it had just been a sideline affair....

Of course David Corn is well-known as a liberal writer, but when he twittered PolitiFact to evaluate Cruz's claim that "President Barack Obama promised the American people Obamacare would lower your health insurance premiums. I would venture to say that virtually every person across this country has seen exactly the opposite happen, has seen premiums going up and up and up," he received an avalanche of responses stating exactly the opposite. You can read the tweets here: <http://www.motherjones.com/politics/2013/10/obamacare-working-benefits-stories-twitter >

Perhaps premiums are only going down for liberals.

My mom's a nurse, and according to her, no one in the medical community wants this rediculous "obamacare". There are daily conversations about how this new system will hurt the medical system. For me, I have health care already... so all it does is make me pay to subsidize lazier people's healthcare. There used to be a time in American history where you got what you worked for... now people who work less, and are too lazy to strive for better jobs, can get whatever they want. Of coarse, that part doesn't refer to obamacare. Despite the subsidy, Obamacare is REALLY EXPENSIVE to the poor people it claims to help. I've heard tales of enormous deductibles... and people are being forced to either get private insurance, or get obamacare, or pay a fine. So basically, even if you were indigenous, and especially if you have a low risk sedentary life and don't need health care, they are still making you pay. It's like they are just taxing everyone and calling it "the next best thing to universal healthcare". I've seen this a million times... it's just a tax in another guise. You can't help people who don't want your help, but you can trick them into thinking you're helping them when you're not. I guess that their game.

Why do liberals hate old people?

In a Sept. 23 letter, Blue Cross notified him that his current plan doesn’t meet benefit requirements outlined in the Affordable Care Act and suggested a comparable plan for $1,208 a month – $980 more than he now pays.

“I’m 62 and retired,” Schwab said. “This creates a tremendous financial burden for our family.

“The President told the American people numerous times that… ‘If you like your coverage, you can keep it,’” Schwab said. “How can we keep it if it has been eliminated? How can we keep it if the premium has been increased 430 percent in one year?”

http://www.charlotteobserver.com/2013/10/06/4365331/insurance-premium-increases-shock.html#.UmZs5BApeM-

" Blue Cross notified him that his current plan doesn’t meet benefit requirements outlined in the Affordable Care Act…"

The devil is in the details, NONE of which ANYONE could read before the vote which ONLY Democrats voted for. Bamboozled by the head bamboozler.

sailwindOCT. 22, 2013 - 09:19PM JST Why do liberals hate old people?

Jeez Sail. Half of me wants to say "welcome back to the family" and the other wants to say "WTF?"

Are you really expecting me to believe "liberals hate old people" because you found and article that supports your anti-Obama agenda?

You know I simply assumed you had chosen to avoid the debate on the situation created by the suicide vest-sporting Republicans recently out of shame of the depths to which your beloved party has become, but I guess I was wrong...

Madverts,

The republican party is going to be just fine because Obamacare is now working its 'magic' with liberals. The elderly gentleman in my cite is from the east coast, let's check in on liberal California on the west:

"I was laughing at Boehner -- until the mail came today," Waschura said, referring to House Speaker John Boehner, who is leading the Republican charge to defund Obamacare. "I really don't like the Republican tactics, but at least now I can understand why they are so pissed about this. When you take $10,000 out of my family's pocket each year, that's otherwise disposable income or retirement savings that will not be going into our local economy." "Of course, I want people to have health care," Vinson said. "I just didn't realize I would be the one who was going to pay for it personally."

http://www.mercurynews.com/nation-world/ci_24248486/obamacares-winners-and-losers-bay-area

As much as part of me wished that the right would come out of its self imposed vacation from reality, the other part knows its better for America if they don't.

To wit: Because the GOP shutdown and crazy talk about the debt ceiling,the GOP is in some serious $**& with the American people. So much so that if the House elections were held today, Nancy Pelosi would be speaker

And remember, this isn't a GOP party that can win via purely democratic means. Republicans have so heavily gerrymandered the House that Democrats won the House popular vote by over one percent, or 1.3 million votes in 2012.

So, how bad is it for the GOP? Right now, they are disfavored on a generic ballot by 6%. That bad.

Now, a year is a long time. But since Republicans actually think they 'won' the budget fiasco, and, as we all can see, the 'independent conservatives' here at JT spouting of the usual Republican talking points shows they still think Romney lost because he wadn't conservative enough, they will continue to deny reality until the next chance they get to show the American people how truly undeserving they are of being in any position of influence.

In short, the continuing madness and stupidity of the right only makes their grasp on power more tenuous.

And I'm Loving It.

Lovin it! The some liberals in the news media and hollywood are bashing the roll out which is a disaster! No need for such a disaster.

Is this a prelude of what is to come?

This is why so many oppose Obama-care!

Wasn't there a provision in the original law that forbids the federal government from enforcing the law in any state that opted out of setting up its own health care exchange ? I personally cannot fathom how that and the other exemptions for unions, businesses etc are not violations of equal protection litigation....but then there is a lot about this entire experiment in gross incompetence I will never understand.

Let the battle proceed! This ACA is a mess, will be a mess, and cost us taxpayers big bucks! So far very, very few are praising Obamacare. It's costing folks more all the while still in a recession!

@smith:

So, 10 to 15 million less than now, in other words.

So that was the goal - covering just another 10~15 million more people? It's funny but that isn't what the American people were told about this hugely expensive and controversial government program. Heck, George Soros could have covered these few number of people out of his petty cash drawer.

@SuperLib:

You mean you don't know the answer? Seems that you would since you're Republi....wait, you aren't Republican anymore. Forgot.

Thanks for remembering :-)

@Laguna:

Wolf: Source? (And please don't list either far-right websites or those which cherry-pick w young, healthy individuals.) Most balanced news outlets note that, not only is medical cost inflation flattening, but premiums under the ACA are coming out lower than even the administration expected.

Well I guess if it isn't on MSNBC it isn't true huh Laguna?

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-09-18/recession-not-health-law-may-be-responsible-for-cost-curb.html

@Lizz:

I personally cannot fathom how that and the other exemptions for unions, businesses etc are not violations of equal protection

I can't either but then again the ruling elite and their favorite allies are always shielded from the ill effects of collectivism. It's why you have Presidents and members of Congress sending their children to elite private schools while preventing poor minority children from escaping inferior inner city and rural public schools. It's why wealthy government employees will get subsidies from ObamaCare while poorer private sector employees are dumped onto the "third world", "train wreck" government exchanges. Life isn't fair but that's mainly because the Left centrally planned it that way.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/10/22/us-usa-courts-obamacare-idUSBRE99L14E20131022

A federal judge Tuesday gave the go-ahead to a lawsuit challenging Obamacare insurance subsidies — but refused to immediately block them while the case proceeds.

The latest legal challenge focuses on whether the controversial 2010 law allows for subsidies in all states — or only in states that have set up exchanges.

I seem to remember talk after the Supreme Court challenge that the subsidies issue could be a backdoor way to get the law before the court again. Keep fighting, America !

@Lizz: We can only hope that John Roberts would use such an oppporunity to help fix his mistake.

At least a couple states are doing well: southern state Kentucky and populous New York. Both states were smart enough to do their own systems and start working on it early. So even with a lot of people, they're doing fine.