Why healthcare reform could work for Democrats now

[babylonsister]

http://www.salon.com/news/healthcare_reform/index.html?story=/news/feature/2010/03/23/politics_of_healthcare

Tuesday, Mar 23, 2010 04:01 EDT

Why healthcare reform could work for Democrats now

Passing the healthcare bill may mean it's no longer weighing down Democrats -- and GOP repeal plans may help, too
By Mike Madden


WASHINGTON -- About six weeks before the November elections, insurance companies will be legally prohibited from dropping coverage for patients when they get sick. They'll be required to offer policies to children with preexisting medical conditions. Parents will be able to keep their kids on their own insurance until those kids turn 26. And lifetime caps on how much an insurance provider will pay for your care will go out the window.

All that will take effect six months after President Obama signs the healthcare reform bill into law -- which he's doing Tuesday morning at the White House, thanks to the House passage Sunday night of the landmark legislation. Many of the bill's changes to the healthcare system are years off -- but not all of them. Some of the most popular provisions in the legislation will be active far sooner, just in time for the elections.

Which is why some Democrats are practically begging Republicans to make repealing the healthcare law the centerpiece of the fall campaign, the way top GOP leaders have promised to do. Sure, polls now show voters are upset with the way the legislative process worked, and in some districts, they're really angry about it. But the legislation will probably never be as unpopular once it's law as it was when it was being endlessly debated. When no one from the federal government shows up to kill Granny the day after the law is enacted, after all, it's going to be a lot harder to scare people about "death panels."

"You saw it with the Republicans, when they passed the prescription drug plan," said Democratic pollster John Anzalone. "There was a net opposition when that was voted in, and then within six months -- way before any benefits started to accrue -- there was a net support for it ... {The healthcare bill} is never going to get any less popular. It only has room to improve."

snip//

"If people want to campaign on taking tax cuts away from small businesses, taking assistance away from seniors getting prescription drugs, and want to take away a mother knowing that their child can't be discriminated against by an insurance company -- if that's the platform that others want to run on, taking that away from families and small businesses, then we'll have a robust campaign on that," press secretary Robert Gibbs said Monday.

[elias49]

1. I agree with this

I think all the sturm und drang from Repugs and the Scumbaggers may play against them in the fall. In the absence of anything constructive from the right, they will continue to be seen as the party of 'No': witness financial regulation out of Dodd's commmitte - strict party-line. Zero repugs on board. When will they learn that the public wants things DONE, whether they thinks it's done badly or not. If they're so upset about a black man in the White House, let's move for a unicameral legislature.

[customerserviceguy]

2. Six weeks before the election?

That's way too little time to see any noticeable effect from these things. Besides, in the next six months, insurance companies are going to jack premiums through the roof, citing the new requirement to pay for all the people they will be required to cover.

Let me know when someone actually benefits from this, and what it will cost them in premiums to get covered. It doesn't really matter if an insurance company HAS to take you, then charge you a completely unaffordable premium to do so.

[babylonsister]

3. That didn't take long. You might want to read this:

not everyone agrees with you, and I'll listen to them, thanks.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=433x240336

[customerserviceguy]

6. Very well

I'll join the discussion on that thread. All I can say is that if premiums skyrocket by November, I can tell you who's going to get 100% of the blame for it at the ballot box.

[fugop]

4. Six weeks is perfect!

I was thinking about this last night and laughing over it to my spouse. Basically, right in the heat of the election season, the Dems can start a huge new PR push about how the bennies from healthcare are kicking in. They'll be able to push the great changes taking effect because it will be breaking news all over again. I can't think of better timing. It will be past all this rancor, past all this heat-of-the-moment insanity, and they can calmly but passionately come forward and remind people: Here's what our hard-fought battle earned. All these things are kicking in now. DO you want to give them up just when you're about to start reaping the benefits?

I hadn't thought about the timing until it was pointed out last night that this stuff doesn't kick in until September. I really think that's about as fantastic as it gets.

[customerserviceguy]

5. I guess we'll see if you're right

I would imagine that the reich wing will have people up in a considerable lather over this way before the news media starts talking about a few benefits kicking in.

[Jennicut]

7. If no one comes for Granny, does that mean teabaggers will admit they were wrong?

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Over time, people will like some of the things in the bill. I hope Rethugs run on repeal.