USian health care

I listened to Romney's speech right after the decision came down, and it's clear the GOP are making this SCOTUS decision the centre plank of their platform for November. It's going to get very, very nasty from here on in - this is an extremely divisive subject in America. The GOP/Tea Party/Sarah Palin are all fucking nuts so this is going to get very very bad.

 Yep already some pretty crazy reactions.  I stopped paying close attention or even caring much about US politics over a year ago in order to lower my blood pressure.  Now I play cursory attention to whats going on with the occasional dip into 'what are people saying and doing' when something major happens. Looking at it more like watching some weird pseudo reality show up there with the likes of Jersey Shore.  If I don't treat it as entertainment and laugh at it's sheer absurdity I'll just cry.  I have no problem admiting that this is a defensive mechinism but you do what yah gotta do.  

I have spent a lot of time talking about this with some American friends though most are of the mind expressed by some in this thread that context is key.  They understand and think that politics is their country is a mess and polarized to the extreme and at this point will take what they can get. They think a Canadian type system would be a utopia.  At least three who don't have health insurance because they fall into the 'pre-existing condition' category and either can't get insurance or would have to spend the majority of their work pay to get it.  One guy says that he would be better off being unemployed because at least he might qualify for medicare.   It's absolutely a ridiculous and in my mind abhorrant situation that is being addressed.  You want health insurance in case you get sick? Well sure, just make sure you're not actually sick.....   It's just pathetic that a gov't has to pass a law saying it's not right. 

Anyways regardless of my opinion on the stinkiness of the act in general I'm happy that these few people I actually know are going to benefit.  It's really not fun having real time (voice chat) discussions  with people who are sick with things like strep or bad stomach pains about whether or not they are sick enough (like potentially on their way to being hospitalized sick) to go get looked at because it's going to cost money and they're not sure how they're going to pay for it.   I've had more discussions about 'home remedies' and self diagnosis with American friends then I have with Canadian ones.  

From the Keith Olbermann Fan Page on Facebook: This is why republicans are against Obamacare, come 2014.........Congress and Congressional staff will only be offered the same insurance offered to people in the insurance exchanges, rather than Federal Insurance. Basically, we won't be footing their health care bills any more than any other American citizen.
Let's call out the republicans on this matter. They hate the idea that they will be in the same pool w/everyone else. Of course they'll never say that. So it's up to us to do it for them.

Citation: Page 81, sec. 1312 of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of the original documents

ETA: Oops! Keith may have his argument wrong. From a Facebook friend: This makes no sense. The standards of Federal Employee Health Benefits (FEHB) is the basis on which ACA is built. I cannot imagine that FEHB is not an approved insurance under the ACA. Oh, and FEHB is what all non-military federal employees have available to them.

They dont do that. By convention at least one of them has to write a dissenting opinion

[threadhijack] ElizaQ, so great to see you! I'm dying to know how your outdoor kitchen is going from this thread... [/threadhijack]

Practically speaking, this was the best they were going to get at this point, and they barely got it as it is. Weighing points of principle in the balance with the status quo - people losing their houses and livelihood, living untreated and in misery, and dying, I would call this a progressive start. 

As for criticising the fact that this is still feeding private insurance and medicine, I'll reserve that for using against the Republicans who are still trying to kill it. 

And by chance, I was in the states the morning this was announced, and have been treated to all the minutae of the Republican arguments. I don't think actual health care was mentioned once. It was all about the personal liberty to not be forced to buy insurance by the federal government. And of course claims that Obama lied about it not being a tax.

I will always remember the notice I saw posted to a community billboard in Long Island, basically begging for money to be able to care long-term for a family member with a chronic disease