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(42%) are unaware that the ACA is still the law of the land, including 12 percent who believe the law has been repealed by Congress, 7 percent who believe it has been overturned by the Supreme Court and 23 percent who say they don’t know enough to say what the status of the law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%).
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.
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:
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?
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."
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.
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 questions to be answered in the months and years ahead include:
President Obama's First Term
A Look Back at Week 14 - 2009:
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:
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."
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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- 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:
