I spend a lot of time at another forum, and

[WeekendWarrior]

it's not a political forum, but just an average everyday Internet forum where people from all walks of life contribute on a wide variety of subjects.

But here's the thing. Somebody asked what's in the bill that was passed and someone else posted all the steps that will be implemented. Then a REPUBLICAN chimed in and said, "Shit, what the hell have all my friends been screaming about? This sounds pretty damn good to me."

In other words, NONE OF THESE PEOPLE EVEN KNOW WHAT'S IN THE FRIGGIN' BILL. It has been so distorted over the months that they have NO clue that it will actually BENEFIT millions of people.

Once they find out -- as this one Republican did -- you can count on a surge in popularity for the Dems.

[polichick]

1. Yep - that's why the leadership is shitting bricks. nt

[Dappleganger]

2. Not surprised one bit.

[SpiralHawk]

3. You can thank the republicon-owned corporate media propaganda pimps

for deliberately mis-informing most of America.

Worse than frikkin Pravda.

[goclark]

4. +1

[JuniperLea]

12. +1

[NJmaverick]

5. Most of the opposition is the result of ignorance and misinformation

guess who has been supplying the misinformation?

[JuniperLea]

15. Wouldn't you be pissed as all hell...

If you found out you were lied to and you took those lies, ran with them, and screamed them?

Oh boy, I sure would!

This will not bode well to the purveyor of lies! Be they the shovelers or the spreaders! ;)

[NJmaverick]

21. You would think, but I didn't see it when they found out Bush lied to them about Iraq

[JuniperLea]

26. You have a point there...

Very true, I didn't either. Weird.

[Egnever]

41. Oh I don't know

There were lots of defections from the republican party over the last few years. Most of them were people finally wising up to the lies.

[eridani]

34. Very true. And so is most of the support n/t

[Stuart G]

37. I agree..eventually people will find out the truth. That may take time

but it will happen.

[Motown_Johnny]

6. Exactly, it was all lies and distortions

I assume what was posted was.....




FACTBOX: US healthcare bill would provide immediate benefits

WITHIN THE FIRST YEAR OF ENACTMENT

*Insurance companies will be barred from dropping people from coverage when they get sick. Lifetime coverage limits will be eliminated and annual limits are to be restricted.

*Insurers will be barred from excluding children for coverage because of pre-existing conditions.

*Young adults will be able to stay on their parents' health plans until the age of 26. Many health plans currently drop dependents from coverage when they turn 19 or finish college.

*Uninsured adults with a pre-existing conditions will be able to obtain health coverage through a new program that will expire once new insurance exchanges begin operating in 2014.

*A temporary reinsurance program is created to help companies maintain health coverage for early retirees between the ages of 55 and 64. This also expires in 2014.

*Medicare drug beneficiaries who fall into the "doughnut hole" coverage gap will get a $250 rebate. The bill eventually closes that gap which currently begins after $2,700 is spent on drugs. Coverage starts again after $6,154 is spent.

*A tax credit becomes available for some small businesses to help provide coverage for workers.

*A 10 percent tax on indoor tanning services that use ultraviolet lamps goes into effect on July 1.

WHAT HAPPENS IN 2011

*Medicare provides 10 percent bonus payments to primary care physicians and general surgeons.

*Medicare beneficiaries will be able to get a free annual wellness visit and personalized prevention plan service. New health plans will be required to cover preventive services with little or no cost to patients.

*A new program under the Medicaid plan for the poor goes into effect in October that allows states to offer home and community based care for the disabled that might otherwise require institutional care.

*Payments to insurers offering Medicare Advantage services are frozen at 2010 levels. These payments are to be gradually reduced to bring them more in line with traditional Medicare.

*Employers are required to disclose the value of health benefits on employees' W-2 tax forms.

*An annual fee is imposed on pharmaceutical companies according to market share. The fee does not apply to companies with sales of $5 million or less.

WHAT HAPPENS IN 2012

*Physician payment reforms are implemented in Medicare to enhance primary care services and encourage doctors to form "accountable care organizations" to improve quality and efficiency of care.

*An incentive program is established in Medicare for acute care hospitals to improve quality outcomes.

*The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, which oversees the government programs, begin tracking hospital readmission rates and puts in place financial incentives to reduce preventable readmissions.

WHAT HAPPENS IN 2013

*A national pilot program is established for Medicare on payment bundling to encourage doctors, hospitals and other care providers to better coordinate patient care.

*The threshold for claiming medical expenses on itemized tax returns is raised to 10 percent from 7.5 percent of income. The threshold remains at 7.5 percent for the elderly through 2016.

*The Medicare payroll tax is raised to 2.35 percent from 1.45 percent for individuals earning more than $200,000 and married couples with incomes over $250,000. The tax is imposed on some investment income for that income group.

*A 2.9 percent excise tax in imposed on the sale of medical devices. Anything generally purchased at the retail level by the public is excluded from the tax.

WHAT HAPPENS IN 2014

*State health insurance exchanges for small businesses and individuals open.

*Most people will be required to obtain health insurance coverage or pay a fine if they don't. Healthcare tax credits become available to help people with incomes up to 400 percent of poverty purchase coverage on the exchange.

*Health plans no longer can exclude people from coverage due to pre-existing conditions.

*Employers with 50 or more workers who do not offer coverage face a fine of $2,000 for each employee if any worker receives subsidized insurance on the exchange. The first 30 employees aren't counted for the fine.

*Health insurance companies begin paying a fee based on their market share.

WHAT HAPPENS IN 2015

*Medicare creates a physician payment program aimed at rewarding quality of care rather than volume of services.

WHAT HAPPENS IN 2018

*An excise tax on high cost employer-provided plans is imposed. The first $27,500 of a family plan and $10,200 for individual coverage is exempt from the tax. Higher levels are set for plans covering retirees and people in high risk professions.

[WeekendWarrior]

13. Yep. That's it. nt

[RKP5637]

20. Thanks for posting this, I sent it to a bunch of whining republlcans... n/t

[renate]

40. the accurate information... IT BURNS!!!!

If I'd gone to town halls and screamed and shrieked to defeat health insurance reform and then found out what I'd actually been protesting against, I would feel as though I had been manipulated by a bunch of liars. And I would not be happy about it.

I'm sure that over time, and not too long, a vote for health insurance reform will be a point of pride rather than a liability in some districts. If only our side had done a better job of explaining all this stuff AHEAD of time.

[RKP5637]

7. I think a lot of R's listen to Fox News and RW radio/friends that generally

focus on hot buttons and half-truths driving the emotions of listeners than in reality based facts.

[rox63]

8. The Obama admin needs to start a huge PR campaign so people know how to reap the benefits

And they'd best do it soon, well before the mid-term elections.

[BadgerKid]

14. Also it's us helping family, friends, and communities.

My parents aren't internet-savvy, so I will be helping them.

[WeekendWarrior]

9. It would be nice if, after it's signed, etc.

If the Dems -- preferrably Obama -- could do a little show and tell, explaining EXACTLY what's coming in easy to swallow language. Wouldn't it?

[pscot]

25. With charts

If he tells them, they can dismiss it as "just talk". The Prez has to get out there and draw them a picture. So they can see it with their own eyes.

[grantcart]

10. And that is why they can't run against it

What are they going to be against - more insurance coverage.

[JuniperLea]

11. The Pubbies and 'Baggers with the little light bulbs above their heads...

Have been angry for a while... soon most will understand what tools they have been, and that they have been lead around by the nose for quite some time.

I'm waiting for some of my 'Bagger cousins to see the light... so I can practice being a gracious winner... :)

Come into the light! All are welcome! All are welcome!

[BeFree]

16. Education works.

Here's the thing.... if the bill were that bad the pubbies would have just laid down and let it get passed and then watch as the Dems lost elections.

They didn't. They fought it to the bloody end.
They pulled out all the stops to defeat this law.

If they thought it would kill the Dems they'd have just let it slide.
But they knew it is gonna be one of the best things to happen for the people in a long, long time, and they know the Dems will reap rewards.

Then a REPUBLICAN chimed in and said, "Shit, what the hell have all my friends been screaming about? This sounds pretty damn good to me."

[tosh]

17. Yesterday on C-Span,

they were taking callers during breaks and unrelated votes. NOT ONE SINGLE CALLER WHO OPPOSED THE BILL knew anything about it. It was fascinating to watch & hear the host and her guest respond to those callers.

[Dappleganger]

22. They kept saying "I heard it had..."

they were so stuck on the socialism meme they didn't bother to use half a brain cell.

[CoffeeCat]

18. ....and then the disdain for the lying Republicans...

...will kick in as well.

People will like healthcare reform and have a newfound respect for
Democrats. However, these same people will be wondering when the
sky will fall in, when Socialism takes over their neighborhoods
and when the death panels will start hauling away granny to the firing
squads.

When none of this happens--no one will trust the Republicans. They will
have a credibility problem for many decades. Bill Kristol said that if
the Dems pass healthcare they will be in power for the subsequent 40 years.

Kristol knew the Republicans were lying and fearmongering. It's what they do.
That's why they can't have Dem ideas passed, because we win and they are revealed
as chicken-little charlatans. Look at the gay marriage issue. Repubs heavily
lobbied against it in my state of Iowa--claiming over and over that marriage
in general would be destroyed.

Well hey. We passed gay marriage in Iowa and we're all fine here. See. Their
plot of fear, lies and trickery only works if our ideas are never passed.

I'm going to enjoy every last second of their misery and demise.

[bobburgster]

19. So funny I should see this now.

I was reading this republican slanted newspaper earlier and their headline proclaimed something along the lines of an oncoming apocalypse with the health care passage. Down further they had highlighted bullets of the changes. As I read them, I was thinking to myself, "Now that the smoke is clearing, about what the health care bill really consists of, I believe its support will blossom among reps. and indep.".

[jtrockville]

23. Democrats need to be MUCH better at getting the message out.

[JBoy]

24. In simple, easy to understand talking points. Repeated over and over.

Because that approach obviously works with the people who need to be brought back to reality.

[Dyedinthewoolliberal]

27. I would like to see

the Administration be more assertive in publicizing the elements of the bill. I have several family members frothing at the mouth about this and I KNOW they don't know what it's really about. They are under the spell of 'liberals are dangerous and Obama's a Muslim'

[NoSheep]

33. I think that is what is about to happen. I heard today on NPR

that Obama plans to go around the country explaining it.

[HughMoran]

28. It's true

As Obama said "this is not a radical bill".

[Soylent Brice]

29. the disinformation has been monumental. i think you're dead on.

[progressoid]

30. Of course a Republican would like it - it's a Republican bill.

If any of them bother to look beyond the political fight, they would see that this is in reality quite a conservative bill.

Of course, one can say the same for Democrats that are vehemently supporting it. Most are doing so only because it's a "Democratic" bill.

[WeekendWarrior]

35. Actually, I think you're wrong about that

I don't think most Democrats are supporting this because it's a Democratic bill, but because -- despite it's limitations -- it actually DOES improve on healthcare insurance quite a bit. It will certainly help me in many ways. And I think once Republicans see this, they'll support it as well.

[TransitJohn]

42. Republicans didn't get their one single most overriding magic pill though

That would be limiting malpractice lawsuit damage awards.

[upi402]

31. zactly! and they may begin to suspect their pundits n/t

[patrice]

32. The opposition call-ins to CSPAN lastnight CLEARLY support your conclusion.

NONE

of them made specific reference to ANY detail of the legislation. Lots of repetition. Lots of globalizations and generalities.

These are people who woke up from some kind of apolitical-coma the day before YESTERDAY and started screaming and freaking out about stuff that they know absolutely NOTHING about.

[old mark]

36. That's why all the ridiculous lies - the truth is that bill is moderate,

even by republican standards (back when they HAD standards). As the truth becomes known and the benefits of the bill are realized, the GOP will start sinking.

They are really going to hate this November - really hate it a lot.

mark

[Lydia Leftcoast]

38. There's actually nothing in there for A REPUBLICAN to object to

For a traditional Democrat, quite a bit.

[Carni]

39. I have no idea what's in the bill...

And I TRY to follow these things!

The media has not covered what is actually IN the bill throughout this process.