Why do many liberals think Obamacare is a success?
Let me add one more success story.. I have a heart condition, I’ve had it all my adult life and I’ve had 4 heart surgeries - 3 open heart surgeries and one minimally invasive surgery. 15 years before the ACA came into existence, my health insurance was cancelled by my provider after my last heart surgery and since that day getting health insurance has either been incredibly expensive or just impossible. When the ACA went into effect, I got health insurance for the first time at the same rate as other people, through my employer. It was, to me, an absolute miracle. I was able to afford the preventative care necessary for my condition (which, by the way, was mostly corrected through the last heart surgery and I was no longer a huge insurance risk….but that’s a different story) and felt, for the very first time, safe. That year, I also needed a hysterectomy due to a cancer scare and didn’t worry about the costs, which, after surgery, were about $500 in co-pays.But that wasn’t the biggest benefit for me. I was laid off in 2016 and received information on COBRA. It was $400 per month! Generally, if I did receive a COBRA letter after getting laid off or when a company went under (which was rare), it was for $1800-$3000 per month. $400 was incredible! But, I didn’t have to do it. NYS embraced the Medicaid expansion and while on unemployment, I received Medicaid. First time in my life I had health insurance while unemployed and I didn’t have to worry about using my pittance of unemployment dollars to pay for it. During that time period, I had emergency gall bladder surgery for a blockage and paid NOTHING. (Some may say I am living off of the welfare of others while on Medicaid and I say, bite me. I have worked and paid my taxes for more than 25 years and didn’t have health insurance for many of those years. I think I earned a year on Medicaid.)The ACA truly did save me. It saved my life when I had the cancer scare - I got the surgery I needed without constant stress of bills and debt. It saved my life when I had emergency gall bladder surgery. And when I go back to work this month, I will be eligible, once again, for employer provided health insurance. Does it have problems? Sure, but I would rather have it and push our government to fix those problems than have nothing again. And, I think, so would most of us.
How much will the Obamacare penalty be for not having health insurance in 2014?
If you cannot afford to buy your own health insurance, then there is no fine or penalty. If you can afford to buy your own health insurance, but refuse to do so, then the penalty is $95. (Officially, it is a tax, not a fine, so I guess the "fine" is still $0, technically.) If you can't afford the fine, then you also can't afford health insurance, so the penalty is $0. If you can afford to buy your own health insurance, but refuse to do so, and also refuse to pay the penalty, then it will be taken out of your tax refund. They will not put you in prison for not paying the fine. In theory, if you lie and say that you have health insurance, when you don't, then they might put you in prison because you lied to them, but that's very unlikely. If you tell the truth, then they definitely won't put you in prison. No one will be punished like criminals. A slightly lower tax refund is not being punished like a criminal. No one will be punished merely because their employers decided not to provide health insurance. They will be punished only because they, themselves, the persons being punished, could afford to buy their own health insurance, with their own money, and refused to do so. Anyone who is willing to buy their own health insurance, but can't afford it, won't be punished in any way.
When will Obamacare make my insurance rates go down?
That's the lie they peddled and now the cats out of the bag and they are doing everything they can to stuff it back in the bag. Pelosi said it right when she said you'll have to pass it first before you know how bad you've been screwed. Guess what, the morons did it. Your rates are never going down and if you're white they're going up until you can't afford them any longer.
Why do republicans want to lower taxes?
history has shown time and time again that raising taxes is very good for the economy look at clinton he raised taxes for the wealth ronald reagan raised taxes 11 times! but maybe you guys didn't know that. sources; http://thinkprogress.org/economy/2011/06/28/256605/chart-lower-taxes-on-the-rich-dont-lead-to-job-growth/ i rest my case.