Obama’s Mythical Health Care

Wednesday, June 24, 2009

As ABC and other major media outlets ignore all the problems with Obama’s health plan and blitz American’s with Obama propaganda, I decided to include some immutable facts about his plan. These facts will not change no matter how many speeches Obama makes.

“If you like your health care plan, you can keep it.” A lie from Obama

Wrong. The truth is that you will have no control over whether you can keep your plan. That decision is up to your employer. The OMB estimates, conservatively, that 15 million would lose coverage from their employer. That’s 15 million that had a health care plan that they were able to pay for, but now do not have the private option to do so. I say that it is a conservative estimate because I find it more likely that employers will drop their plans once they start getting taxed for having them.

Obama is coming up with all sorts of savings to pay for his health care. Another lie.

The White House recently released how they had found another $80 billion in savings worked out with the drug companies. The only problem is that the White House can only really account for $30 billion of the $80 billion touted. I know that the libs feel as though we conservatives won’t give Obama a break, but honestly, the White House has no credibility when they keep throwing these lies out to the public like this. If news outlets covered more of the truth as opposed to carrying the water for Obama, I’m certain no one would ever believe a thing Obama says.

“Let me be clear, I don’t want to run the health care industry.” That remains to be seen Mr. President.

Let me make sure I’m clear. Obama doesn’t want to run banks, but he’s running banks. He doesn’t want to run the auto industry, but he’s running the auto industry. He is so serious about not running banks and the auto industry that he has created 15 Czars to run them for him. There is already a Czar for health care so that Obama doesn’t need to run that industry. I’m sorry, but as I’ve pointed out, the White House has no credibility.

Obama’s plan pays for itself. Wrong.

CBO estimates it will cost over $1 trillion.

“The ranks of the uninsured are swelling.” Not true.

The total number and percent of uninsured decreased from 2006 to 2007.

“There are over $45 million who can’t afford health care.” Not so fast!

About 13% of those are illegal aliens. 43% of the uninsured elderly have incomes 2.5 times the poverty level and can afford their own health care. There are many, many millions that can afford it and don’t want it or qualify for free health care, but don’t know about it.

Let’s put the rhetoric and ignorance aside for a second. The “health care crisis” is a myth. In truth, if you are uninsured, you probably can afford health care. If you can’t, you probably can afford health care.

I did a little research to see what health care plan I would get if my company did not offer a health care plan. I found the following insurance available through my state. You should know that I am a working, middle class professional and even I qualify for the State subsidized plan, Healthy NY (that is if my employer did not offer a plan).

It would cost me $220/month with prescription drug and $180/month without. That is actually cheaper than what I pay now! Here are the costs and Here is the coverage. This is very good health care.

Now let’s put this into perspective. I pay nearly as much in car insurance. I pay nearly as much for phone/cable/internet. I pay more for my car loan. I will pay about twice the amount/month in school loan payments over the next 20 years. If I needed a second job to pay for it, I would be able to cover the cost by working 8hr/week at minimum wage.

3 comments

Idisputable facts my friend! I am so glad to see you back, I'm going to somehow work this into my piece today and link back to you..........

June 24, 2009 at 6:16 PM
The Law said...

Nice to have you back in the blogosphere =)

Since we both spend a good amount of time analyzing and crunching numbers, data I found support the president's talking points:

http://www.cbpp.org/cms/?fa=view&id=628 - Americans are mainly losing insurance because private businesses are dropping healthcare coverage out of their benefits package. This research also shows uninsured people *increasing* since 2005.

"If you like your healthcare plan you can keep it" refers mainly to those like you who have your own healthcare plan. He said this in the press meeting three days ago. Furthermore, its not like your options are better with private insurance... in many cases you can only go to the doctors they tell you. That was the case when I was insured back in the day.

And the notion that we're joking when we say we can't afford healthcare is saddening. Because for me, $220 a month, even $50 a month is too much for me to pay. I have to make decisions each time I have access to money where is it going to go... is it another round of ramen noodles so i can knock off this bill, or eat real food and make the minimum payment. I'm happy you can afford insurance but believe me that there are many many people who legitimately cannot spare a extra penny. I have worked with these people. I have taught these people. And I have lived with these people. The idea that we cannot get access to healthcare without worry of financial oblivion to me is very saddening. The typical "tough luck, life's not fair" response I get to these stories is more saddening.

June 25, 2009 at 1:42 AM

Rebel,

thanks for your comments.

tL,

I got my stats from the bureau of labor statistics. I'll have to check out your source.

I do not believe you are joking and I hold you in the highest respect. However, I am going to be painfully honest about your situation and ask you where are your priorities? I know you have internet. Do you have a phone? That's half the cost of health care right there. How many jobs are you working? How many hours a week do you work? I'm sure I could think up nearly a dozen ways you can come up with money to afford health care. You may even qualify for medicaid which is free.

As far as fair goes? You forget that for everyone you feel is unfairly treated there is someone like myself who has been through hell to better themselves. I will also remind you that I've been in your exact position before. I may have been in a worse position than yourself. I worked 75 hours a week at three jobs while going part time to college for 6 years to get out of my situation. They weren't wonderful cushy jobs. I worked at restaurants and grocery stores. There, I worked harder than I ever have in my entire life. I worked shifts like noon-6am, slept for 3 hours and worked 9am-4am the next day (I did this on a weekly basis). I'm not making this up.

I learned this responsibility from my parents. My mother was a working mom and my dad worked 3 jobs for most of my childhood. I never once heard them claim that the government should bear the responsibility of providing for the family. They took the responsibility upon themselves.

I never once felt as though my situation was unfairly forced upon myself nor felt as though others in the country should bear my burden. I also spent far more time on the roles of the uninsured than yourself. When I look back on it, I see it was foolishness. I could have afforded it, but I didn't want to spend the money. That's where I chose to cut my budget. I emphasis chose. The consequences of which would have been my fault.

I've paid my dues and took responsibility to better my condition so that I would not be a drag on society. Please keep in mind that when we talk about passing government health coverage it is not as though Obama is personnally covering everyone. You are asking that Obama forcefully take my money away and give it to others. Many who can actually afford health care as it is or have free access but haven't signed a piece of paper to get it.

Depending on cap and trade and health care, I may actually have to start working more than one job again. If it comes to that, I'll do so, because that's the responsible thing to do.

Life is not fair. It will never be fair. It was never meant to be fair. Taking other people's hard earned money to try and tilt the scale of fair is not conpassion. It it unfairly stealing one person's hard earned money and giving it to someone else.

June 25, 2009 at 8:32 AM

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