Obamacare; Why Marco Rubio is wrong
Long, awkward pause for a drink of water aside, the substance of Rubio’s rebuttal to President Obama’s State of the Union speech, while well read, is misleading. Let’s investigate.
Obamacare
Obamacare was supposed to help middle class Americans afford health insurance. But now, some people are losing the health insurance they were happy with. -Marco Rubio
It is unclear exactly who Rubio is referring to here, but this could be an allusion to “grandfathered” plans. When the Affordable Care Act passed, it included a provision to protect existing health insurance plans so people could keep their plans if they so wished. If you had a plan that existed on March 23, 2010, then you could keep it pretty much as is. Plans purchased after that date will have to be changed to meet the Affordable Care Act requirements (see below.)
This means that many of those “grandfathered” plans do not have to meet some of the new requirements, but why Rubio is wrong is that the requirements actually help more middle class Americans afford health insurance.
Here’s how.
- In 2007, an estimated 12.6 million non-elderly adults could not get health insurance because of pre-existing conditions. Now they will be able to.
- In 2009, one study estimated that 20,000 to 25,000 Americans could not get health insurance from their employer because they had hit a lifetime limit. Obamacare cuts lifetime limits.
- Before Obamacare, a Texas nurse was denied coverage when she was diagnosed with aggressive breast cancer because she did not disclose that she once saw a dermatologist to treat acne. Known as rescission, this process of canceling customer’s insurance by finding minor, accidental mistakes or omissions is now illegal.
- Annual limits on coverage are being phased out.
- After Obamacare, preventive care like mammograms are free to certain people.
The list could go on.
Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness
Rubio, and many other Republicans continue to fight Obamacare claiming that it will hurt business and profits, but would they say that to the widow who couldn’t insure his spouse? Or what about the parents who’s newborn was denied coverage? People are being denied their constitutional liberties, when their life is cut short because of their inability to pay for health care.
Obamacare saves American lives, and Republicans are worried about business.
Before you listen to scare tactics about how the middle class will be destroyed because shareholders may loose on their dividends, understand that the Affordable Care Act may one day save the life of your child, your spouse, or you.
Photo by DonkeyHotey/Flikr
Jason Franklin
Jason is editor-in-chief of Franklinian.com as well as a contributor to multiple news sources including Examiner.com and Wehoville.com. A southern California native, Jason studied at Woodbury University and Columbia University.
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