Friday, April 25, 2014

Horror Stories of ObamaCare: More in CA

In the past week, I heard two more horror stories about Obamacare.
Covered California
Not Covering

First, a congressional candidates, Elan Carr, told me that an insured resident had a Covered California plan, which then fell through.

Doctors rejected it, and the patient lost the plan.

Covered California certainly did not cover him.

Today, I spoke with a retired dentist. For fifty years, he worked with all kinds of patients.

For the last thirty years of his practice, he worked with Medi-Cal to treat patients who needed fillings. He also screened patients for who would receive Medi-Cal payments.

In the last three years, however, as Medi-Cal was cut, his practice became unprofitable and he quit.

What's the point of pushing legislation to expand access and grant "affordable care" when the program makes government subsidies harder to find and pushes medical professionals out of their practice in the first place?

No matter kind of spin Washington bureaucrats and national Democrats play to make Obamacare worthwhile, their arguments are not worth the while they spend justifying the government overreach which has done more harm than good.

The Hippocratic Oath in Medicine begings with "First, do no harm."\

The Obamacare Hypocritic Oath has many clauses:

If you like your plan, you can keep it.

If you like your doctor, you can keep him.

It will not cost you one penny more.

It will not raise taxes.

It will increase access.

It will increase affordability.

6 comments:

  1. The ACA is working just fine for millions, asshole, including me. I have a pre-exisiting condition, am self-employed with a small business, and I now have a better plan with a similar monthly premium to my last group plan. Cheery-pick anecdotal "evidence" to your heart's content, you ignorant sap; the ACA is here to stay.

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  2. Name: Kathy Bentzoni, 58
    Hometown: Slatington, Penn.
    Job: Freelance graphic artist/part-time school bus driver
    I started feeling sick in January, but I thought driving a school bus, I was picking up whatever the kids had. But when I was checking the school bus early in the morning in the cold, all my fingers would go numb.

    I had signed up for health insurance early enough to get coverage for Jan. 1. I had to drop my old, useless insurance back in November because I could no longer afford the premiums. The insurer denied every claim I sent in because they said it was a pre-existing condition. That's the wonder of Obamacare ... they can't say that anymore.

    I have a Highmark Blue Shield silver plan. I pay $55 for the premium with the tax credit. I almost cried when I saw it. I thought 'Oh my god, I can actually afford this. It's amazing!"

    On March 1, I had to go the ER. They found my hemoglobin level was 5.7, and the normal is 14. I needed a transfusion. It was due to a rare blood disorder.

    Where would I be without Obamacare? ER, 3 units of blood, multiple tests in the hospital and a 5-day inpatient stay without insurance? Probably dead.

    I have to thank Obamacare for saving my life.

    Name: Gurvinder Bindra, 39
    Hometown: El Segundo, Calif.
    Job: Tech contractor
    I've tried to get individual health insurance, but was rejected because I am diabetic.

    I'm a contractor, so when I was between jobs, I didn't have health insurance.

    I signed up on Covered California. There was no issue. I now pay $900 a month (for a family plan) with a $20 co-pay and no deductible. I found a new doctor. I'm getting my insulin, needles, whatever I need.

    Having continuous care, monitoring and advice is important for me. Without someone looking out for me, I've faced pitfalls. My kidneys and eyes have been affected. If I had constant monitoring, I wouldn't have those problems.

    I have a wife and two kids with medical issues. My older kid hit his head against the couch and had an asthma attack. Fortunately, Covered California was there. In a previous attack, we had to pay $7,000 out of pocket because we weren't covered.

    I just lost my dad last year to diabetes. The Affordable Care Act couldn't have happened fast enough for me.

    Name: Laurie Muffley, 52
    Hometown: Tampa, Fla.
    Job: Adjunct instructor/librarian
    I signed up to get coverage starting January 1st. On January 2nd, I went to a local clinic and received a flu shot and a pneumonia shot.

    I've worked two part-time positions for years, without health coverage. I didn't have the money to buy insurance. It was about $140 a month.

    I got the silver plan through Humana. I'm paying $10.01 a month with a $500 deductible.

    By early February, I visited my primary care physician for the first time and received a tetanus shot, a blood test, a prescription for a mammogram, back X-ray and a colonoscopy.

    When I saw my new doctor, they discovered I'm pre-diabetic and I had absolutely no idea. My father had diabetes and died at 59. I had no clue because I simply couldn't get the blood work that everyone else takes for granted. It could have killed me.

    The Affordable Care Act has helped me dodge at least one bullet, maybe more. I've lost weight since I've seen the doctor. I've joined the gym. I got the message.

    I have to wonder what my future would have been like without any medical care. The Affordable Care Act has really saved my life.

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  3. Name: Matthew McGlynn, 50
    Hometown: Pittsburgh, Penn.
    Job: Piano teacher
    I used my Obamacare coverage as soon as I got it in January to get a flu shot and a physical. No problem using it at all.

    I am a piano teacher and I don't make tons of money a year so I am thrilled to be getting very good health care at a very affordable price. I had not had health insurance for a long time, more than 10 years.

    I have high blood pressure and cholesterol, but not really high. I was able to get discounted medication at a free clinic run by Catholic Charities. But a free clinic doesn't cover everything and you can't go there for emergencies.

    I paid next to nothing for the physical and paid a reasonable amount for my high blood pressure and cholesterol medicines. The monthly premium for my Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield silver plan is about $40.

    The biggest thing is the assurance that if something big happens, I'll receive good medical care just like everybody else. If you are uninsured, you may not be treated equally in your care.
    Name: Dianne Koehler, 62
    Hometown: Austin, Texas
    Job: Retired nurse
    I've been a contractor and uninsured half my life.

    My husband is covered by the VA medical system, but spouses are not. How have I coped? I'm a nurse so I know what to do and I'm healthy so my (medical) bills were only running several hundred dollars a year.

    Several of my friends who also were relatively healthy have had accidents or would up diagnosed with a surprising illness that was quite costly in their 60s and 70s. It just became practical to go ahead and sign up for an insurance plan.

    I have a Humana HMO silver plan and I qualify for almost a full subsidy. I'm paying 8 cents a month. My deductible is $500.

    I have already seen my primary care doctor, had my mammogram, bone scan, flu shot, blood work and a referral to a dermatologist.

    Everything is fine. My doctor said to come back next year.

    It's nice to know I have the coverage. My plan is not the use it, but just have it be there.

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  4. Mr. Schaper, I have information for you. How can I get it to you?

    ReplyDelete
  5. You can contact me at ArthurSchaper@hotmail.com

    Thanks.

    ReplyDelete
  6. I've got some phony dirt on a local politician that you can use to report as fact! Don't forget to cite the Hatch Act! HAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!

    ReplyDelete