The ACA Summarized

A nice summary of what the Affordable Care Act is . . . and isn’t.

ObamaCare In Plain English: What It Means for You
AddictingInfo.org | March 23, 2013

As a Life-Long UT Fan, It’s Hard to Type “Go Kentucky”

“The open-enrollment period for the Affordable Care Act has gone better in some areas than others. The state that’s leading the way, oddly enough, is Kentucky. Gov. Steve Beshear (D) has committed himself to leading on this issue, and the follow-through has produced impressive results.”

For Uninsured, Clearing a Way to Enrollment
New York Times | November 4, 2013

Are the Good Facts Starting To Be Heard through the Loud Lies?

“Millions of people could qualify for federal subsidies that will pay the entire monthly cost of some health care plans being offered in the online marketplaces set up under President Obama’s health care law, a surprising figure that has not garnered much attention, in part because the zero-premium plans come with serious trade-offs.”

Under Health Care Act, Millions Eligible for Free Policies
The New York Times | November 3, 2013

Charts Are Wonderful Things!

Nice summary in easy-to-understand terms with no false anecdotes like we’ve been hearing the last two weeks or so.

Winners and Losers from Obamacare
TPM LiveWire | October 31, 2013

What, Exactly, Is the Affordable Care Act Supposed To Do for Us?

There’s more to the Affordable Care Act than just the individual mandate and the uninsured.

Obamacare—The Rest of the the Story
New York Times Op-Ed | October 13, 2013

Way To Go, New York

More than 40,000 New Yorkers signed up for insurance under the state‘s health exchange in its first week, the state Health Department said today.

40,000 NYers Have Signed Up for Health Exchanges
Democrat & Chronicle | October 9, 2013

All This Would Be Funny If It Wasn't So Crazy

Just maybe I had a little something to do with this blog post and the on-air segment on The Rachel Maddow Show later that night. Ya never know . . .

'All this would be funny if it wasn't so crazy'
The Maddow Blog | September 26, 2013

GOP Fears American Appreciation of Obamacare
The Rachel Maddow Show | September 26, 2013

Barack and Bill, Together Again . . . for Healthcare

The last two Democratic presidents got together for a little healthcare discussion.

Obama, Clinton promote healthcare reform ahead of October 1 start
Reuters | September 24, 2013

‘Chief of Explaining Things’ at It Again, Thankfully

Thanks to his obvious skill at explaining ideas clearly, the White House asked former president Bill Clinton to talk about the Affordable Care Act (ACA)  in an attempt to get the message out to the general public. So Clinton made the economic case for implementing and improving the ACA on Wednesday morning at the Clinton Presidential Library in Little Rock, Arkansas.

Personally, I'd love to see Clinton do a series of one- or two-minute public-service announcements on the most important aspects of the ACA. Actually, it would be great if other celebrities joined in.


Clinton’s Simple Case For Obamacare: ‘It’s Better Than The Current System’
The National Memo | September 4, 2013

Better Late Than Never, Michigan

Michigan's Senate passed the Medicaid expansion bill at the last minute. The expansion covers those who fall within 133% of the federal poverty line, or up to $15,281 a year for a single person without children. The current income eligibility standard is 37% of the poverty level for jobless parents and 64% for working parents. That equates to $7,226 and $12,500, respectively, for a single parent with two children.

Michigan's Medicaid Expansion a Relief for Hospitals Giving Unpaid Care
The Detroit Free Press | September 2, 2013

Helpful Resources from WebMD

The folks at WebMD have some really good information about the Affordable Care Act on their web site. Check it out:
 

• Health Care Insurance Quick Start Guide
• Quiz: Health Care Reform Myth or Fact
• Health Marketplaces in the United States

Ohio Joins the Club with 20+% Savings on Healthcare under the ACA

The latest state to contribute data: “Ohioans who buy their own health insurance should see an average out-of-pocket savings on premiums of 21 percent because of taxpayer subsidies under the Affordable Care Act, according to a new study by the Rand Corp., a widely respected think tank.”

New Study on Obamacare Says Ohioans Who Enroll Will See Savings, Thanks to Subsidies

The Plain Dealer | August 30, 2013

Dialysis Center Profits vs. Universal Healthcare

Let me see if I‘ve got this straight: we can overpay dialysis centers for drugs patients don‘t need—and actually harm them in many instances—because their lobby is super powerful, but we shouldn‘t have healthcare for all? <scratching head>
 

House Bid to Undo Dialysis Cuts Show Lobbyists‘ Muscle

The New York Times | August 28, 2013

Cuccinelli on Uninsured Going without Healthcare: “Human Beings Will Adjust”

How many times have you heard this argument: the United States doesn‘t need health insurance for all Americans because if the uninsured get sick, they can just go to the emergency room? Short-sighted at best; heartless at worst.

But Virginia gubernatorial hopeful Ken Cuccinelli (R) has an especially “interesting” take on the issue. Cuccinelli offers quite a strange vision in this video clip. Struggling American families shouldn‘t have access to subsidized insurance; they shouldn‘t be able to rely on emergency rooms in a crisis; and, if they do show up at an ER, they should make sure bill collectors can hound them later for getting sick in the first place. But don‘t worry, Cuccinelli assures us, “Human beings will adjust.”

This has to be one of the more ridiculous things I‘ve heard regarding the poor and the ER.

New York Residents to Win Big with State Health Exchange

New York joins California, Maryland, Washington, Oregon, Rhode Island, et al. with significantly reduced benefit premiums under the Affordable Care Act‘s state health insurance benefit exchanges. It‘s getting hard to ignore the very real economic advantages of the health exchanges.

Health Plan Cost for New Yorkers Set to Fall 50%

The New York Times | July 16, 2013

Medscape's ACA‘s Timeline

The good folks at Medscape provide a handy timeline of events under the Affordable Care Act.
 

ACA Timeline: Key Dates for Providers and Patients

Medscape | August 23, 2013