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Chuck Toad (sic) interviewed Obama about a number of things, including the fact that hundreds of thousands of people per state are having their budget insurance policies cancelled, contrary to a promise that Obama repeated often during the run up to ACA that people who liked their policies could keep them, "period."
The policies that are being cancelled are budget policies that, under the ACA, do not give enough coverage. Who is likeliest to buy these policies? Based on my nephew, about whom I have posted before, people who simply cannot afford to buy a policy that provides more coverage. Also people who either do not have jobs at the moment or whose jobs provide few to no benefits, like health insurance. (Until recently, my nephew did not even get a single paid sick day. Thank heaven, he now has a job that provides things like health insurance, paid sick days and paid vacation days.)
In speaking with Toad, Obama apologized for not having done a good enough job in the legislation to ensure that people could keep their budget policies, if they wanted them. The reason being that the law says they could keep the policy if they had it in 2010, when ACA passed. However, most policies renew annually. So, even if people think they have the same policy they've always had, technically, they don't. (Maybe that's what happens when you let a health insurance industry representative write the bill and legislators are totally out of touch with the real world?)
Anyhoo, MSNBC supports Obama, except possibly when Obama admits making a mistake. (Did he have a choice? Previously, he had tried pretending his original promise had been worded differently, rather foolishly, IMO, since there was so much video of the 2009-2010 promises. Even the Daily Show did not let him get away with pretending his original promise had been different than it was.)
The panel on O'Donnell's show feigned bewilderment as to why Obama was apologizing at all, then as to the specific reason he was apologizing. Then O'Donnell, who claims to be a socialist and whom I find as riveting as watching paint dry, explained that Obama was apologizing for the legislation, but, really, the whole problem is that the website it not working. For, if it were working, consumers would be able to review the options available to them and make an informed consumer choice to pay another $70 bucks or so a month and buy a policy with more coverage.
What part of simply not having enough money to buy better coverage escapes O"Donnell and the members of O'Donnell panel?
Most health insurance comes from employers, so, if you are buying your own policy, maybe you don't have a decent job. And not because you don't want one or are not qualified to hold one. (My nephew has a Ph.d and is very smart, but, when his first boss died during the recession, my nephew could only find part time work, so he had two jobs and zero benefits.)
BTW, though Obama finally came clean about not having done a good enough job in the legislation to make good on his oft-repeated (on video) promise, he did not exactly come clean. He referred to this affecting only 5% of the population (of the US).
While that may seem like a small percentage, as I said, most people get insurance through employers. And usually only one member of family buys health insurance for the family. Not to mention that a good portion of the population of the US is either under 26 or is getting Medicare because of being a senior or disabled or a "survivor" of a deceased worker. If you look at only the people who bought their own health insurance last year, the percent of that group that is getting a cancellation notice is probably a lot higher than 5%. Besides, even 5% of the population of the US equals about 15 million people.
As a propaganda arm of the establishment, MSNBC does a relatively good job. As a media outlet that is supposed to serve its viewers in return for having a license to broadcast, not so much.
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