Health
Care, We Hardly Knew Ye
 The
Supreme Court, Inc. seems primed to rule against the
Affordable Care Act, which is a shame as, while not
perfect, it held great promise.
Here are 18 examples of what we're going to miss (borrowed
from eclectablog.com):
1. A Harvard study found that 45,000 Americans die
every year for lack of insurance.
2. After a century of trying, President Obama was the
first president to sign a law that would achieve near
universal health insurance coverage.
3. For the first time, health insurers are required
to spend 80 to 85 percent of customers’ premiums
on actual care. More than $1.3 billion in overcharges
will be returned to consumers and employers this year.
4. The law allows many Americans under age 26 to stay
on their parents’ health plans. Today, as many
as three million young people have already taken advantage
of this benefit.
5. Tens of millions of people now getting preventive
care at no extra cost, including cancer screenings
and vaccinations. Last year, 32.5 million Americans
on Medicare and up to 54 million Americans with private
insurance received one or more free preventive services.
6. 3.2 million small businesses — employing 19.3
million workers nationwide — were eligible last
year for tax credits worth $15.4 billion or $800 per
employee.
7. 3.6 million Medicare beneficiaries saved on average
of $600 each as part of the phasing out of the donut
hole.
8. Health care fraud prosecutions are up 27 percent.
Recoveries are up 58 percent, taking in $4 billion
last year.
9. Most health plans cannot deny coverage to children
under age 19 because of pre-existing conditions.
10. Insurance companies can no longer cap the dollar
amount of care you can receive in a lifetime
11. Insurers cannot drop your coverage due to a mistake
on your application when you get sick.
Beginning in 2014:
12. Marketplaces will be established in every state
for people and small businesses that buy their own
health insurance. Pregnancy, contraception and newborn
care, along with vision and dental coverage for children,
will be covered in all exchange plans and new plans
sold to individuals and small businesses.
13. Plans will no longer be allowed to turn away people
with pre-existing conditions.
14. If your income is less than about $88,000 for a
family of four and your job doesn’t offer coverage,
you may get tax credits to pay for insurance.
15. The national Medicaid minimum eligibility level
of 133% of the federal poverty level ($29,700 for a
family of four in 2011) for nearly all Americans under
age 65.
16. Health care insurers will no longer be allowed
to charge women more than men for their coverage.
17. Up to 30 million Americans who are currently not
insured will be covered, saving thousands of American
lives.
18. How is this all paid for? By slight tax increases
on the investments of Americans earning over $250,000
a year, “Cadillac” insurance plans, medical
device companies, penalties for businesses and individuals
who can afford insurance but choose not to get it and
tanning.
Oh, well, at least we have the Republican health care
plan to fall back on... Die, and die quickly.
=Lefty=
--------------------
Oh, that Mitt.
 Mitt
Romney is making the rounds in states like Florida, Iowa,
Virginia, and Ohio, bemoaning the woeful unemployment problem
each labors under. He's even spending a ton of money running
ads echoing his position.
"That darned old America-hating Obama!" he huffs.
Problem is, all those states are doing just fine. Virginia's
unemployment rate is 5.6%. Ohio's is 5.9%. Iowa is 5.1%!
Heck, even poor old benighted Florida is at 8.6%. The governors
of those
states are not happy with Mr. Romney's anti-Obama message
but still he continues.
But what do you expect from a liar like him?
---------------------
And
now our Chart of the Day:
U.S. Wealth Distribution: Perception vs. Reality.
Larger version of chart to be found here.
------------
Republican Job Creation Update
 6-27-2012: The
House was pro forma on Monday but was in session
until almost 11:30 Tuesday night. Nothing got done.
They
couldn't
even
agree
to name
four post offices. No jobs were created.
For the full 2001-2012 list of Republican sloth
please visit republicanjobcreation.com.
------------
Fox News Lies. Dump
Fox News
 Fox
News spent HOURS of broadcast time questioning president
Obama's Christian
faith. Now, lo and behold, only
34% of Americans correctly identify him as a Christian.
What
a shock!
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