Washington Watch: "Obamacare???"

For better or worse, we are stuck with the term 'Obamacare' to describe the Administration's health care reform law.  (YES...it is a law, in spite of 40 attempts by the GOP-led House to overturn it.)

Obamacare will be part of the President's legacy, and once it kicks in, and premiums go down (I hope), and those with pre-existing conditions get coverage...well, maybe this will be a good thing.

In the meantime...there is still much misinformation and the roll-out has been at a snail's pace considering what is at stake.  Democratic office holders are starting to have town halls across the country to explain Obamacare to their constituents. Is this enough?

I've written a couple of blogs about what's in Obamacare and where to get more information. Health insurance and its ramifications are confusing for most people. Those with coverage may not want to make the effort to determine if there are more affordable plans available or tax-credits they are eligible for.

There are many people who have no coverage or inadequate coverage and they are going without needed treatment. Others are paying exorbitant premiums. All are wondering, what will change with Obamacare? A recent field-poll shows that many Californians don't understand Obamacare eligibility. The San Jose Mercury News reported (Aug 21):

"California may be at the forefront of implementing Obamacare, but it still has a mountain to climb informing people that they're eligible for the subsidized or free benefits that are a key part of making the controversial law work, a new Field Poll shows."

The article continues:

"With enrollment in the state's new health-insurance exchange beginning Oct. 1, fewer than half of Californians whose income, age and insurance status qualify them for coverage benefits under the health care reforms knew of their eligibility when the poll was conducted this summer.

Less than half of low-income voters eligible to receive free health coverage next year under the expanded Medi-Cal program knew they're eligible. And only one in three moderate-income voters who aren't covered under an employer, union or government health care program knew that they're entitled to tax credits to reduce their insurance costs."

Already the false information and propaganda has started because this is a political football. Just recently, an elderly friend told me her son-in-law had lost his job because of Obamacare. Others in the room expressed concern that people might lose jobs or existing coverage.

Are there companies choosing to fire workers instead of comply? Probably. Is the GOP going to paint a dire picture and discourage people from signing up? Probably. They don't seem to have any policy issues of their own to put forth.

This will be the hot-button issue going into 2014 and 2016.

Some recent Obamacare headlines:

--Are premiums coming down?

The Remarkable Slowdown In Health Care Costs Since The Passage Of Obamacare (Think Progress, Aug 20):

"A new survey of health care premiums for employer-sponsored health care coverage shows that health care inflation is slowing, further undermining critics’ predictions that costs would skyrocket in the aftermath of the Affordable Care Act."

--A pre-existing condition made former Republican staff member Clint Murphy reconsider Obamacare.

A Republican conversion to Obamacare  (Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Aug 17)

"Obamacare isn’t perfect, the former political spear-carrier said. “But to even improve it, to make something work, you’ve got to participate in the process. [Republicans] are not even participating in the process.”

He makes a good point...what are Republicans proposing to fix our health care system? Instead, they are debating shutting down the government or delaying the funding of the Affordable Care Act. Until when?  2014, if they get control of the Senate?

In the meantime...while Congress is on recess...the battle for the public opinion on Obamacare rages on.

Democrats are right to get out in their communities this summer and try to get ahead of the curve.....or at least catch up to it.

Washington Watch: Week 27: "Scared of Her?"

(Official White House Photo by Lawrence Jackson)

Potential 2016 presidential candidate Hillary Clinton seems to be a target of opponents even though she has not yet stated if she is running.

First, there were the Benghazi hearings, now the Republican National Committee is threatening to pull their presidential debates from CBS and CNN because of documentaries the networks are planning to air on the former First Lady and Secretary of State.

RNC chairman Reince Priebus stated:

Washington Watch: Week 14

This past week saw the release of data sure to affect our daily lives and our voting for years to come! 

The first report concerns Obamacare -- aka the Affordable Care Act (ACA) or Health Care Reform. The Republicans use the term 'Obamacare' derisively....however during the 2012 campaign many Democrats embraced it as showing "Obama Cares." Nevertheless, whatever you call it, as we discussed a few weeks ago....there is still little information on the ACA that is making its way to the masses.

It seems many do not know -- THE AFFORDABLE CARE ACT IS LAW and its major provisions will be implemented SOON!

This past week, Kaiser released its April Health Tracking poll with the heading:

"Six Months Before Open Enrollment Begins, Many Americans Remain Unaware Of, Or Confused About, The Affordable Care Act As Federal and State Officials, Community Organizations and Advocates Gear Up For Consumer Information and Assistance Efforts."

The summary of findings includes:

• Four in ten Americans (42%) are unaware that the ACA is still the law of the land, including 12 percent who believe the law has been repealed by Congress, 7 percent who believe it has been overturned by the Supreme Court and 23 percent who say they don’t know enough to say what the status of the law is.

• About half the public (49%) says they do not have enough information about the health reform law to understand how it will impact their own family.

• The share of the public that says they lack enough information to understand how the ACA will affect their family is higher among the two groups the law is likely to benefit most – the uninsured (58% of whom say they lack enough information) and low-income households (56%).

• When it comes to where they are getting information about the law, Americans most commonly cite friends and family (named by 40%), “newspapers, radio news or other online news sources” (36%), and cable news (30%). About one in ten report getting information from a health insurer, a doctor, an employer, or a non-profit organization. Similar shares say they have gotten information from “federal agencies such as the Department of Health and Human Services” (9%) or “state agencies such as your state Medicaid office or health department” (8%).

Read More

Obamacare is sure to be a point of contention in the 2014 and 2016 campaigns. Some expect the President's own party to do their usual duck and cover on this issue as reported by Politico in an article entitled: Democrats fret over Obamacare as 2014 looms. 

The Hill quotes one of the bill's writers, Senator Max Baucus (D-Mont), who said:

"I just see a huge train wreck coming down," he told Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius at a Wednesday hearing. "You and I have discussed this many times, and I don't see any results yet."

Baucus pressed Sebelius for details about how the Health Department will explain the law and raise awareness of its provisions, which are supposed to take effect in just a matter of months.

"I'm very concerned that not enough is being done so far — very concerned," Baucus said.

Read More

Baucus is retiring in 2014, but it will be interesting to see how Democratic candidates who are running for office will treat the bill. 

Again...IT IS LAW!


The Administration could use some 'communications' help. Maybe they need Bill Clinton. After his rousing speech at the DNC last year, Obama mentioned the ex-President should be in-charge of "explaining stuff."  Clinton is indeed needed to explain the health care roll-out and options to everyday Americans.

Responding to criticism of the application form, which was compared to complicated tax forms, the Administration recently rolled-out a simplified version of the form. HuffPo reports:

"After a storm of complaints, the Obama administration on Tuesday unveiled simplified forms to apply for insurance under the president's new health care law. You won't have to lay bare your medical history but you will have to detail your finances.

An earlier version of the forms had provoked widespread griping that they were as bad as tax forms and might overwhelm uninsured people, causing them to give up in frustration.

The biggest change: a five-page short form that single people can fill out. That form includes a cover page with instructions and another page if you want to designate someone to help you through the process."

Read More 

Someone needs to explain to the American people what's here and what's coming... otherwise Republicans will continue their efforts to block and repeal the Affordable Care Act. They will do this at the state and federal level. Not sure what kind of offense the Democrats will provide -- especially in swing states. If the Republicans gain traction with painting health care reform as confusing, not needed, or expensive, will Democrats fight back?

Overturning Obamacare would be a major blow to middle-class and poor families struggling with health care costs.... as well as to the nation's over 45 million uninsured and those with pre-existing conditions.

This week, I tried to see what information the Administration is putting out on Obamacare. Starting at the White House website -- whitehouse.gov, I navigated to their health care site -- Healthcare.gov, and from there I found a somewhat useful page called Information for You .  Clicking on your state provides some preliminary information.  

Click here to go to page with health care reform information by state.

One of the first items on state's page says:  "Beginning Oct. 1, 2013, individuals in every state will be able to shop for health insurance and compare plans through the Marketplace."

So what is 'The Marketplace' and why do they assume people know this?  

Also -- the average person may not know the meaning of commonly used health insurance phrases like 'grandfathered in' or 'donut hole.' 

So, I went on a quest through the site to see: What is this 'Marketplace' that they speak of?

I did manage to find a page with information on 'The Marketplace' again by state... But not all states! Some states aren't going along with setting up the exchanges and will have to partner with HHS (Health and Human Services) to provide alternatives. (Not sure what this will mean for those states...mostly Republican governors who are saying NO. Will their residents suffer because they won't go along with ANYTHING the Administration supports?)

Here is the page with preliminary Marketplace info... Your State Marketplace. From there I was led to my home state's (California) page, called California Benefit Exchange. Okay.

Click on it and see if you better understand what is coming. Okay.

Remember beginning Oct. 1, 2013 we can start signing up!

Vested interests, both pro and con, are starting to release their own information on Obamacare. Okay.

What to do?

I think there will be a lot of confused people unless this whole process gets a lot simpler to understand. No doubt many will decide to stick with what they have rather than wade through paperwork. Others will take the first plan they are offered. Some unfortunately will continue to do without. 

Hopefully... understandable, ACCURATE information will get out to the masses SOON. October is fast approaching.

Stay Tuned....


Are Black Voters Appreciated? 

Another research project gaining media coverage this past week was an Associated Press Analysis which shows the significance (and dare I say POWER) of the BLACK vote, now and for years to come.  To summarize... WE VOTE. Maybe it is memories of the obstacles our ancestors faced to be able to go to the polls. Maybe it's the recurrence of these obstacles by those who are STILL trying to disenfranchise voters who don't look or think like them.  Or, maybe it was the chance to elect and re-elect the nation's first African-American President. At any rate...in 2012 blacks voted at a higher rate (percentage-wise) than any other minority group and "surpassed the white vote for the first time."


The HuffPo's Helen Yen offers the following:

"....the numbers also offer a cautionary note to both Democrats and Republicans after Obama won in November with a historically low percentage of white supporters. While Latinos are now the biggest driver of U.S. population growth, they still trail whites and blacks in turnout and electoral share, because many of the Hispanics in the country are children or noncitizens.

In recent weeks, Republican leaders have urged a "year-round effort" to engage black and other minority voters, describing a grim future if their party does not expand its core support beyond white males."

Read More

The questions to be answered in the months and years ahead include:

• Will other Presidential candidates be as successful as Obama in securing (and turning out) the black vote?  (Many suggest Hillary Clinton might.)
• Should African-Americans be more strategic in their voting?
• Is either party addressing the needs and concerns (and they are many) of blacks?
• Will Republicans...who many view as the party of Limbaugh, Palin, and Bachmann...ever make any traction with black voters?

Again, Stay tuned....

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President Obama's First Term

A Look Back at Week 14 - 2009:

(Excerpts from my blog National Scene -- Week 14)

• The Administration began the week with the confirmation of the President’s cabinet pick for the Department of Health and Human Services—former Kansas Governor, Kathleen Sebelius. Sebelius was the last of Obama’s picks to be confirmed (by a vote of 65-31) and the new Secretary had to hit the ground running as the nation dealt with the swine flu pandemic. The vote came after Democrats urged quick action so that Sebelius could get to work leading the federal response to the world-wide flu outbreak. The week ended with reassurances that the flu was not as severe as first suggested. However, the Administration vowed to keep close tabs on the outbreak as it spread across the country.
• President Obama marked the actual one hundredth day of his administration at a town hall meeting in Arnold, Missouri. During a moment of retrospection, he recalled, “Now, back in November, some folks were surprised that we showed up in Springfield at the end of our campaign. But then again, some folks were surprised that we even started our campaign in the first place. They didn't give us much of a chance. They didn't think we could do things differently. They didn't know if this country was ready to move in a new direction. But here's the thing -- my campaign wasn't born in Washington. My campaign was rooted in neighborhoods just like this one, in towns and cities all across America; rooted in folks who work hard and look after their families and seek a brighter future for their children and for their communities and for their country.”

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And Finally.....back to 2013:

In case you haven't seen it...here it is..... the President's Remarks at the Annual White House Correspondent's Dinner: