Thursday, December 12, 2013

The other ObamaCare orphans

My posts about ObamaCare have focused on those who have health insurance now but will lose their current plans as a result of the implementation of the Affordable Care Act. They are (we are) people who have gone along, taking care of our insurance needs, and are now getting a raw deal.

However, there is also another group of people who are getting a raw deal from the structure and implementation of ObamaCare: the people who have not been able to afford or not been able to get health insurance, and who were promised they would be able to get it as of January 1, 2014. It’s easy to say that they won’t miss what they’ve never had but I can imagine the worry, frustration, and heartbreak of those who are ill or, worse, have sick children; thought they would finally be able to get health insurance; and are now discovering they can’t afford the premiums or can’t afford the deductibles or simply can’t get through the websites to discover what’s available to them. And even those among them who don’t have illness in their family but believed the time was coming when they didn’t have to lie awake at night terrified that one of their kids would fall ill, must be bitterly disappointed.

This was all so unnecessary. There are many, many ways to help those who can’t afford health care. Ways that don’t require a huge, complex government mechanism; that don’t require a competent Administration; that would spend money on getting people health insurance - and health care - rather than on websites and administrative overhead. Ways to help that would actually help those who need it rather than serving the goals and ambitions of politicians and bureaucrats and ideologues

For the government to have made so many people’s lives worse is unforgivable. But for the government to have made promises it must have known it couldn’t keep to the most vulnerable among us is shameful.

3 comments:

E Hines said...

For the government to have made so many people’s lives worse is unforgivable. But for the government to have made promises it must have known it couldn’t keep to the most vulnerable among us is shameful.

In our social compact, government is our creature. The shame and unforgivability is ours, not that of our employee; we keep renewing the contracts with the same personnel.

Elections must have consequences. Or, to paraphrase Pericles, we had better take in interest in our elections, for our election outcomes surely will take an interest in us.

Eric Hines

Elise said...

Agreed with some reservations. How much responsibility do those who voted against a policy have for its disasters? (And what is it with me writing everything as a question lately?)

I also have to say that the idea of voters having any control over government seems more and more fantastic. I do know that very sense of powerlessness is part of what enables government to continue ignoring us but government does seem like some giant robot that we've started up and is now mowing us all down in its path.

E Hines said...

Those who voted against have the same responsibility for those disasters as all members of the compact. Those who voted against have the added responsibility of proffering concrete alternatives and working for their passage.

As to voters not having control over their government, it's a slow control, but it exists. However, as long as they choose to rehire the same failed politicians, they'll get the same results--and they know this, or I want to know who their nurses are who are neglecting their own duties vis-a-vis these outpatients. Voters think they have no choice in who their politicians are? Of course they do: there are primaries, and the voters can stand themselves, instead of wishing that off onto someone else. When we have a divided electorate that actually participates in the elections instead of sitting home watching others go vote, then that division might be an excuse for a popular failure.

There are too many excuses for not acting, and not enough energy left over from that actually to act. It's why you and I write--that's how we put our talents to use. And I don't actually run because I have a wife who doesn't want me to to: I have that added responsibility.

Eric Hines