Posts Tagged ‘health care reform’
Image thanks to the Kaiser Foundation Apparently the American public doesn’t know.
Does all the noise out of Washington leave you confused?
You have screaming politicians, bleating pundits and loud lobbyists all hurling their spin your way.
The cacophony makes it hard to distinguish truthful statements from spin.
Now a new research poll suggests the nasty noise is blurring the citizens understanding of policy.
A poll done by the Kaiser Family Foundation was released on Monday, measuring the public’s knowledge about America’s health care reform bill.
It seems a large number of uninsured Americans don’t realize the law was created to help them.
The Affordable Care Act (ACA)has been the target of much partisan debate, both during its passage last year and in the most recent session of Congress, when Republicans in the House attempted to repeal it.
Among the numbers gleaned from Kaiser’s poll on the ACA:
it appears that only about half of uninsured people have any idea that help is on the way. And fewer than a third (31 percent) say they think the law will help them obtain health insurance.
A few quick facts on the ACA:
- The act will extend insurance coverage to over 30 million uninsured individuals
- It allows young adults to be covered by their parents’ insurance until the age of 26
- The ACA requires everyone to have some form of health insurance
- Medicaid will be expanded to cover more low-income adults
- New tax credits will be provided to low- and middle-income households to help cover the costs of health insurance
And perhaps most concerning is that misconceptions are increasing. In a similar poll conducted last December, 72 percent of respondents knew that the ACA would provide financial help to those purchasing health insurance. In this go round of the poll, only 58 percent knew so.
One reason for these misunderstandings may be that some of the biggest effects of the bills won’t be implemented until 2014.
The president of the Kaiser Foundation also speculates that
People who are busy in their everyday lives (and who are being bombarded by a highly spun, confusing political debate about the ACA), will only understand what a complex law like this does when it is tangible for them…when there is real insurance coverage available for people who don’t have it…These benefits will technically be available in 2014…but will be 2015 or 2016 before there is a real test of awareness and affordability.
However, Washington Post blogger Sarah Kliff writes that this poll shows a failure for both major parties in effectively communicating their message about health care.
Despite their best efforts, Republicans and Democrats see their bases gravitating away from them on health reform. Since March, when the law passed, the number of Republicans who have a favorable opinion has gone up by 9 points. Over that same time period, Democratic approval ratings fell by 10 points…Both sides, it seems are losing the message war.
What do you think? Are politicians not communicating their message well? Or will it take time until the benefits go into effect for people to make up their minds about health care reform?
Image Thanks to the Mirror!
A quiet weekend in Britain? Increased police presence prevents weekend riots.
Mandate or can’t-date? An appellate court strikes down individual healthcare mandate and a prediction of what comes next.
Losing a good one: trailblazing women’s health advocate Bernadine Healy passes away.
Super PAC strikes! Stephen Colbert’s political action committee puts out its first campaign ad.
Ernie and Bert – should they or shouldn’t they? Get married, that is!
Light the fireworks!
As of Wednesday, the brand-spanking new Congress is back in action. This time with more Republicans!
These new conservatives are promising lots of fireworks in Washington in the months ahead.
Number one target in their sights: the health care reform passed in early 2010. These new Republicans are determined to get rid of “Obamacare”… a campaign promise which catapulted many of them to victory.
Some congressional newcomers have gone as far as turning down their own government-funded health insurance.
Though the GOP claims to have a mandate from the American people to reverse President Obama’s health care plan, the Republicans are in a tight spot.
They only control the House of Representatives… leaving the Democrats in control of the Senate (and let’s not forget the White House).
Yet, against all odds Republican leadership is fighting on…or just wasting time? What do you think?
Fretting over getting accepted to your college or grad school of choice? Still resentful of getting rejected from your dream school? Don’t worry — these people got turned down and ended up successes!
The Daily Beast asks, “have you heard the one about health care?”
Pro-health care reform Democrats are being threatened! But Obama’s not being threatened as much!
So the Democrats gotta be feeling pretty good after passing health care reform. There were parties, dancing, cake, hats and. . . boxing
“So I threw my right then jabbed with my left and piggy went ‘wee wee wee all the way home’” we are sure that’s what was said. What do you think? Click the pic above and leave your suggestion of a punchy punchline for the Pres.
So, you might have heard, a little think called HEALTH CARE REFORM was recently passed by the political folks in Washington. You might have been clued in by the mass media coverage… even your grandmother is talking about it.
So if you think all the partisan shouting is over, well we’re sorry to disappoint.
When this new bill goes into law, we will enter a new phase of fighting.. we will be entering a proverbial Thunder-dome of legal wrestling.
We will be entering…The courts!
With all of the talk of health care reform flying about (seriously, check any news-related website) one issue is often glossed over: what changes will the health care reform bill actually generate?
Well, we at USDemocrazy have taken the noble task of rounding up wisdom from across the ‘net in order to enlighten you on the what the Democrats’ magnum opus will actually do when it is signed into law (most likely sometime today).
We’d like to pretend we understood everything that was going on in the House over the past two days… But, well, we didn’t. (Hey, you try explaining parliamentary procedure!)
So, we’re here to show you what we’ve been reading to educate ourselves on just what happened yesterday when the House (well, the House Democrats, really) voted to pass this historic health care reform legislation. …read more.
Yes, this is a post about health care! And before you hit the little red X in the right-hand corner of your browser, give us a chance!
We’ll admit, our eyes have been glazing over recently at any mention of health care reform. But we promise, NOW it’s getting interesting! Really!
You see, things are really coming to blows in Congress. The Democrats are counting the votes as they are declared to the press to see if they can’t just pass this bill.
It all started somewhere, but we’re not sure where that was. What we do know is that yesterday, Dennis Kucinich, a cute little gnome Democratic representative from Ohio, agreed to vote for the bill that faces the House now! …read more.
Here we go again… another weekend, and we here at USDemocrazy are going to wrap up the week like a cheesy burrito.
First an absolutely priceless clip that has been flying around the web.This video, thanks to videogum.com, is “what you see right before you die.” …read more.
Did somebody say party? Image Courtesy of WikiCommons.
We at USDemocrazy love a good party.
But if someone was to invite us over for a rousing discussion of health care policy…hmmmm
We would probably be “busy” that night walking the dog. (Unless there was food. Never turn down food.)
But, alas, suppose the guy asking was the President of the United States!
You see, the Republicans in Congress just got such an invite via a TV interview before the big game Sunday (props to the Saints.) Come on over and discuss policy, President Obama says… and there will be food! Would you go?
Stand up, sit down, applaud, guffaw, chuckle, smirk, repeat…for one hour.
That pretty much describe how the folks in the Senate chamber reacted to the State of the Union address last night.
If you were sleeping listening to the President’s speech, you heard a lot of talk and a lot of promises… But what does it all mean?
We’ve found some pretty good analysis of the big event to help answer that question (And make you sound incredibly informed during the discussion at the water fountain/cooler today).
Some of the best commentary came via live blogs and Tweets. Catch up on what we had to say on Twitter in case you missed it! Some other great Tweets:
From the political satirist @BorowitzReport: Instant Poll: 90% of Republicans Who Did Not See Obama’s Speech Disagree With It
Getting to the point is @PatrickRuffini: This change stuff is HARD #shortersotu
Political analyst @marcambinder indicates a positive response to the address: CBS Instapoll: approve of the proposals? 83% said yes. Obama has same priorities as you have? (57% to 73% in sample from pre to post)
Like making sausages… The health care reform may be getting messy again.
Got Wind? It could save on the energy bills.
If you thought Obama was inexperienced: Senator-elect Scott Brown was asked if he is considering a run for the White House.
Whenever we here at USDemocrazy are bored or depressed we try to make ourselves laugh.
This includes pranks, clowns tricks and watching funny videos. The videos that never fail to lift our spirits are those of our cartoon friends Wile E.Coyote and the Road Runner.
For the uninitiated, Wile E.Coyote and the Road Runner are classic Warner Brothers cartoon characters (see the clip above) whose antics are the pinnacle of slapstick comedy.
Wile E. Coyote employs endless gadgets and traps to catch the speedy Road Runner. No matter how hard he tries, or diabolical he gets, his plans always backfire, leaving the poor Coyote scorched, crushed, frustrated but determined to try again.
Which, if you think about it, is a little bit like the Democratic party in Washington today!
First, the coyote is armed with an arsenal of weapons (courtesy of ACME). Likewise, the Democrats have the White House, a forty seat majority in the House, and previously a twenty seat majority in the senate.
But just like the lovable lunatic Coyote, the Dems have proven to be their own worst enemy. …read more.
Redjeson Hausteen Claude, 2, is rescued from the rubble in Haiti.
Haiti experienced a big aftershock on Wednesday, but thankfully, no one was hurt and rescuers managed to save more people.
Scott Brown’s victory in Massachusetts has Democrats scrambling to save their health care plan.
Skip those French Fries! Air France might not let you on their planes if you’re obese.
