Thanks to the always generous pouring of gasoline by the Mainstream Media on whatever fire the Republican arsonists set on President Obama’s character or bills, each new day brings nationally broadcast exaggerations about how awful the Affordable Care Act is and how many people are being hurt by it instead of how many more are being hugely helped by it.
So, to put a bit of perspective into this slanted story, you are invited to test your ACA IQ in the following (and informative) quiz and the good thing is, whether you get most questions right or wrong, thanks to the ACA, you end up winning anyway.
1. The percentage of Americans who could be affected by insurance companies cancelling their policies because they are junk plans or don’t meet the minimum coverage required by the ACA is:
a. 22%
b. 16%
c. 5%
d. 12%2. What is the approximate percentage of Americans who have actually had their health insurance policies cancelled due to the ACA?
a. 18%
b. 1%
c. 7%
d. 12%3. Before the ACA, the percentage of young adults between 19 and 26 who were uninsured was 48%. After the ACA, due to the ACA’s rule allowing them to be on their parents’ plans, the percentage fell in 2012 to:
a. 29%
b. 41%
c. 33%
d. 21%4. How many Americans may be eligible for subsidies to pay for most or part of their health care premiums?
a. 5 million
b. 3 million
c. 17 million
d. 10 million5. Up to how much of the American population could be denied health insurance by insurance companies due to pre-existing conditions if the ACA was repealed?
a. One half
b. One third
c. One fifth
d. One quarter6. The number of low income Americans who did not have health insurance but would be able to receive it under the expanded Medicaid provision in the ACA is:
a. 1 million
b. 22 million
c. 12 million
d. 8 million
The answers to the above questions are (each letter below is a link to a confirming article/document, you can click on them to view the source for that info):
Here’s an apples to apples summary in actual numbers from the questions above:
Population of the United States: 313.9 million
Number of Americans with health insurance through their employment or family members: 214 million
Number of Americans with individual healthcare policies: 15 million
Amount of those 15 million with individual policies who have not had their existing policies cancelled: 11.5 million
Amount of those 15 million with individual policies whose individual policies have been cancelled: 3.5 million
Amount of the 3.5 million Americans whose individual policies have been cancelled who could purchase new policies with better benefits, many at even cheaper rates: 3.5 million
Number of young Americans who were uninsured but now have health insurance through their parents due to the ACA: 3.4 million
Number of Americans who are eligible for subsidies on their health care premiums: 17 million
Approximate number of Americans who are or could be classified by insurance companies as having pre-existing conditions and denied coverage: 157 million
Number of Americans who would be eligible to receive health care under expanded Medicaid (if all states complied): 22 million
It sure would provide the American public with a much clearer and more honest picture of the ACA/Obamacare if the actual numbers related to it were what the MSM constantly broadcasted instead of simple and unsubstantiated hyperbole, propaganda and mudslinging.
One of the most irritating things the baggers do is to constantly harp that the Dems/Progs are backing socialist/Marxists/communists, and other degradable forms of governments in the same manner that Goebbels did in 1930s Germany while all the time pushing Nazism. And as I recall Nazism was Germany’s downfall.
While all of this is going on the baggers align with some of the most destructible organizations in America such as the neo-Nazis, White Nat’l Socialists, and various pilot groups with the same ideologies. Then we have Cruz who desires the onset of Dominionism.
In each case the baggers talk of support for the Constitution but their ideologies do not.
The baggers are so full of those that wish to tear down the American society that it’s difficult to determine exactly what direction they are coming from, and I think that is their desire; to distract the People and quietly insert their Nazism.
fjb, I think it is just mindless name calling and the Baggers have no idea what any of those political ideologies actually represent. After all, they call Obama a Marxist, a communist and a socialist which are not all compatible. You can’t be all of those and be a fascist and a dictator.
I agree, the Baggers are bent on one agenda, crippling the US Government so the wealthy and mob rule would control the country. If one was to apply an label to them, there are several that could fit but I think the most applicable is “traitor”.
Adlib, you are right. It is just mindless name calling; and, they have no good idea what those terms/doctrines actuality are.
I doubt, in a thinking sense, that they know what they want. What they do know, is what they feel. They feel fear and anger; and they feel ‘hard done by’. And, they need a scapegoat.
I do not think that they are traitors. I think that the best term is: blind kittens.
Hmm…considering how hostile they are, maybe they’re more like angry blind kittens on crack?
I’m new here and I want to say that it is very refreshing to find civil and intelligent conversations going on.
declutterbug, welcome to The Planet! Very happy to have you here and thanks for the kind words.
The Planet is a place for having the kinds of discussions and debates that thoughtful people seek. No trolls allowed, people may disagree here but know there’s no need to be disagreeable. Our primary rule is just to respect others but feel free to express yourself.
Our stock and trade are substantive conversations that enlighten with plenty of wit to go around.
Look forward to seeing you around!
Thanks for the welcome, AdLib.
Cheers back!
The U.S. Government is doing an excellent job of destroying itself. The president tries to do one thing, and the rest of the government does everything in its power to prevent it from happening. Then on to the next thing, and the next and the next. Same result every time.
jj, it is the avowed plan of the Tea Bagger Right to take over government and strangle it to death. They’ve been in a position to greatly hobble our government since 2010 and it’s been hell for the American people and of course Obama.
But next year, people may vote in a way that expresses how fed up they are with this. The Repubs have nothing to offer anymore, just more manufactured crises and blocking government from helping the people.
The ACA website is already working better nd by next year at this time, there will be broad awareness that millions of Americans who weren’t insured before, now are. This BS chest pounding over 1% of Americans having to switch plans will be reduced to the minor issue it truly is by then and all the howling of Repubs about the ACA then will bore voters who will be just fine with the ACA then.
Not only that, between now and then we will see more manufactured crises from House Repubs over the budget and debt ceiling, the spotlight will shift back again to what nihilists and saboteurs they are and they will once again be surprised by elections results in 2014 (“The polls are skewed, Mitt Romney is a sure thing to win the Presidency!”) as long as the rest of us do our part.
Hi, This is my first comment. A great summary, except in last sentence, it is Medicaid not Medicare that is being expanded except in states that refuse to do it. Thanks for all the great posts
HeraD, a very warm welcome to The Planet!
Thanks so much for catching that typo, corrected now!
Hope to see more of you soon!
HeraD, welcome to the planet. We all welcome your thoughts and ideas.
I spend most of my time in the Off Topic section, hope to see you there.
Okay, I come to you from the land of Brain dead DeFazio. He is not from my district. He is from the district that Michelle Bachmann said she was moving to Oregon to run in because she thought she could beat him. GOD forbid! I know that he has already been attacked from Oregon’s Senators. Slap him down, boys!
Anyway, thank you for all the information. I will use it often. Sorry that the MSM loves drama more than facts.
Sally, what a pain in the DeFazio to have that idiot as a rep. Despite all the GOP and MSM glee at the problems with the rollout, I am confident that by next year, all of this will be an old story, all the millions of people who are referenced above will be walking campaign ads for Dems and we will have a good shot at getting rid of Repubs like DeFazio and taking back the House.
DeFazio is a Democrat and not really a Blue dog one at that. He was for the “public option” and can’t give up on it. Not that I am against that but now is not the time and voting with the Repugs on this won’t get it any sooner. He voted against them the other 46 times but voted with them on delaying the ACA for a year or whatever they just voted on. He is catching hell for it. I think he might find out that it was a BAD move on his part.
BUT, PLEASE, PLEASE DON’T SEND US BACHMANN!!!! DeFazio is better than her any day. Of course, so is Donald Duck, so, don’t get a big head there, DeFazio.
Whoops Sally, spaced out there on DeFazio!
So he voted yes on the Upton bill? WTF? He might as well be a Republican, that bill is a torpedo aimed right at sinking the ACA completely. It would gut the mandate for people to buy policies that had any minimum benefits which the insurance companies could exploit to block ACA enrollment and destroy the economics of the plan.
And this weasel voted for that? What an idiot! The only path to single payer/public option is THROUGH the ACA. Gut the ACA and it is hard to imagine that a national healthcare plan would ever pass again in our lifetime…and that includes the offering of a public option.
I may have messed up about DeFazio’s official party membership but based on that vote, I don’t see a difference between him and the Louis Gohmerts who he voted with to critically wound the ACA.
AdLib, I thought I knew my stuff on Obamacare, but you’ve taught me more than a few things here.
I think I’ll have to share this with credit on facebook, because there’s a stunning amount of misinformation out there that needs correction.
Thank goodness, PBS is finally starting to interview folks and families whose lives have been dramatically improved by Obamacare. I wince when I think of how few people actually watch PBS for news, but it is at least (as my son, the mathematician, says) a number greater than zero. And every bit of accurate reporting is all to the good.
This is not only good — it’s better and best!
Hey Kes, I didn’t know all these figures before researching this article though I did know that only 1% of Americans had their plans cancelled and many millions were and will be helped by it.
Congress won’t even pass gun control when 90% of Americans demand it…and our national healthcare program has to be altered because 1% of Americans are complaining about wanting to keep crappy plans because they’re (naturally) cheaper?
Actually it’s because the MSM collaborates with Repub propagandizing because it’s better for their bottom line to create upset and conflict. So, 1% of Americans unhappy in a new national health program that will bring 10% of all Americans who are currently uninsured under health insurance is the critical issue.
I really despise the MSM right now for this dishonest and bogus demonizing of the ACA. The press no longer serves the people, they are as a whole, a willing adversary of the public welfare whenever it conflicts with potential profits.
You are spot on, Kesman. I created a FB page for only fact checked posting of lies, etc. due to the number of political lies that are still floating around (mostly about Obamacare). I’m dedicated to get more truth out there one way or another. If you care to, please share my We the People: Fact Checked Information
https://www.facebook.com/debunknontruths?ref=hl
Thanks so much, declutterbug! I’m sorry it took me a while to respond. I was with a family member all day today — who was feeling a bit under the weather.
I think there have been more lies put out about Obamacare than anything since Dubya’s phony, trumped-up stories about WMD in Iraq. It’s disheartening, to say the least.
And we all have to fight back with the truth.
I’m all for posting the truth on FB, kesman, and anywhere else having a data entry text box. I have a FB page dedicated to spreading the truth, fact checked by the award winning PolitiFact.com in support of the POTUS for exactly the reason you mention…there is a huge amount of mis-information out there about him and the ACA, in particular. Feel free to use any part of it. It’s called, “We the People-Fact Checked information located at
https://www.facebook.com/debunknontruths
As for PBS, I hadn’t given that a thought for getting “good” news. Thanks…I’ll be getting the best news possible now.
OOps, didn’t realize I had already replied to your comment, kesman. Haven’t been here in a while. Plz forgive the redundancy.
Not to worry, declutterbug. Glad to see you back and equally glad to see that you’ll be having a look at PBS for an alternative news source too!
Brilliant and beautiful and wise. Thank you, AdLib.
I JUST got updated enrollment figures – and info that the site is now working WELL, so I will try to put this together for a post tomorrow. Noting, of course, I do policy. Not tech. So KALIMA!!!! Heeelllllpppp!
I’m just on my way out for a bit of draining, choicelady, but rest assured that either AdLib or moi will be on to your post like butterflies on bright, pretty flowers. 😀
Take care and see you all tomorrow.
Hey CL, thanks!
And as Kalima said, we’ll be right here to handle all the tech and get your post published, that’s what we do!
NEVER MIND…. I clicked on the links in the letters….Duh!
No worries! Sometimes when you try to be so concise, you become more obscure. Tried to streamline the source linkage since it’s always so bulky in articles.
Ad Lib….you know I will be challenged on these numbers. How do I respond to the “sources” questions that will pour in. I have about 20 trolls stalking me right now and everything I post gets hammered.
Murph – Click on the letters in the answer section and they link to the sources. Amusingly enough, I used Fox News as a source for Question 3., the numbers related to those 19-26 who have become insured.
Wait for the amusement when Repubs dispute their God, Fox News.
Murph – just link this and note that the sources can be found in the answers.
Hah.
Murph, If you fact checked each piece, you might want to just provide links to the information. That’s what I am doing on my FB page “We the People: Fact Checked Information
https://www.facebook.com/debunknontruths?ref=hl
I’ll get as much truth out there as I possibly can in support of the POTUS.
Hello declutterbug, and welcome to The Planet.
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Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding!
BINGO!
BAZINGA!
GIVE THAT MAN A CIGAR!
Guess where I am going to use this masterwork with full credit of course?
Hmm…is it bigger than a bread box? And what the heck is a bread box anyway?
The GOP/TP has so much hate for Obama that they will sink to the depths that Nixon and his cronies did with their “dirty tricks”. All the while the “media” plays along.
Nirek, these dirty tricks seem so much more transparent though, who truly believes the Repubs are being honest in their “outrage” over the ACA website not working?
As the site improves and millions enroll, the GOP and MSM will be left all alone in their ACA hating.
It should be pretty clear that there is no ‘disaster’ or ‘calamity’ or whatever other hyperventilating word that you want to use.
I came to the conclusion, years ago, that the ‘news media’ does not want to get and tell the story. They want to be the story.
There has always been an element of that – the media want to be the story – but, today, it seems more so.
This law is very complicated, and implementing it will be complicated as well.
Agrippa, the ridiculous attacks the MSM repeats from the Repubs of the ACA being Obama’s Katrina is an insult to the public’s intelligence. So Bush’s disastrous roll out of Medicare Part D was his Katrina? Er…wasn’t Katrina his Katrina and the ACA’s troubles rollout Obama’s Medicare Part D rollout?
It is an insult to their own intelligence.
I am glad that I do not watch TV, listen to talk radio. There are very few newspapers that I read; and, fewer
worth reading. I read non fiction books – history and biography. And, I actually read the footnotes.
On line, there are a few sites that I follow.
Looks like Jon Stewart has the same opinion of the bogus Katrina comparisons to Obama and the ACA:
AdLib, don’t over look the Colbert Report. He was so funny last night. He picks up on the comparison of President Obama to the Toronto Mayor, Katrina and Bachmann proclaiming them all genius. He was a hoot. I don’t know how to post the screen but here is the link to the show. Parts 1 and 2 are the ones I am talking about.
http://www.colbertnation.com/