Republicans In Collapse as Obamacare Enrollment Skyrockets In December

[babylonsister]

http://www.politicususa.com/2013/12/29/republicans-collapse-obamacare-enrollment-skyrockets-december.html

Republicans In Collapse as Obamacare Enrollment Skyrockets In December
By: Jason Easley
Sunday, December, 29th, 2013, 11:43 am


The Republican plan of running against Obamacare is in freefall today as HHS announced that 975,000 people signed up for health insurance in December alone.

According to the announcement from the Department of Health and Human Services,

As we continue our open enrollment campaign, we experienced a welcome surge in enrollment as millions of Americans seek access to affordable health care coverage through new Health Insurance Marketplaces nationwide. More than 1.1 million people enrolled in a qualified health plan via the Federally-facilitated Marketplace from October 1 to December 24, with more than 975,000 of those enrolling this month alone. Our HealthCare.gov enrollment nearly doubled in the days before the January 1 coverage deadline compared to the first few weeks of the month. December enrollment so far is over 7 times that of October and November. In part, this was because we met our marks on improving HealthCare.gov: the site supported 83,000 concurrent users on December 23rd alone.

The entire Republican strategy has been to discourage people from enrolling in the ACA. Judging by these numbers, they have completely failed. Republicans are basing their entire 2014 and 2016 strategies on running against Obamacare. Their plan is backfiring, and they are setting themselves up for an epic backlash.

SNIP//

The success of the ACA will have a profound impact on elections around the country. In Kentucky, Mitch McConnell is defying the success of the exchange in his own state by refusing to talk about anything but repealing Obamacare. McConnell is already tied with Democratic challenger Alison Grimes, and his Obamacare or bust strategy may very well cost him his Senate seat this November.

President Obama trusted his instincts. The president has never wavered. He knows that people want access to affordable healthcare and he is being proven correct every day. Millions of people are signing up, and the Republican Party is being reduced to rubble as the final beam that was propping up their teetering house cracks under the weight of the ACA’s success.

[ProSense]

1. Spread the headlines

to piss Republicans off:

Federal Obamacare Enrollments Soar Past One Million Mark Through Christmas Eve
http://thinkprogress.org/health/2013/12/29/3106501/obamacare-enrollments-soar-past-million-mark/

[NutmegYankee]

2. With 1.1 million million on the federal site, and perhaps as many on state sites this is good.

And at least 1 million have enrolled in medicaid. I'd love to see the final numbers.

[napkinz]

3. ACA Signup Success Stories

1. https://www.facebook.com/acasuccessstories

2. https://www.facebook.com/acasignupsuccessstories

3. https://www.facebook.com/ilikeobamacare

4. https://twitter.com/ACASuccessStory

5. http://acasignups.net


Spread the good news!

[Cha]

4. Mahalo babylonsistah.. mitch mcconnell is a

special kind of stupid.

[Cracklin Charlie]

16. This statement from the article...

"In Kentucky, Mitch McConnell is defying the success of the exchange in his own state by refusing to talk about anything but repealing Obamacare."

is absolute proof of your observation. In Kentucky??? One of the states with the most enrollment success???

McConnell's a doofus. Or, he's trying to lose.

[Cha]

22. That's what I'm talkin' about, Charlie..

[paleotn]

39. He's trying to appeal to the KY Rethuglican base...

...and not get "tea partied" in the primary. I think his tune will change after the primaries. He does run the risk of damaging himself in the mean time. I think he's in quite a predicament.

[Blanks]

46. Are they really gonna run someone against McConnell in the primaries? eom

[napkinz]

5. ACA will be President Obama's Apollo 13; the GOP is America's Katrina ...

[freshwest]

12. LOVE IT! n/t

[Cha]

23. Brilliant, napkinz! nm

[DisgustipatedinCA]

6. Recommended.

[napkinz]

7. Time to start reporting the REAL SCANDAL! ---->

The media turned a few glitches into a scandal.

They have FAILED to report the real scandal ... one that should plague the GOP this election year:



The Medicaid gap hits home in red states

Joan McCarter
Dec 9, 2013

The politically motivated decision by Republican governors to refuse the Medicaid expansion money offered under the Affordable Care Act is now being felt every day by people seeking health insurance, and the people trying to help them. It's the dark cloud surrounding the silver lining of a functioning HeatlhCare.gov, and the masses of people now flocking to sign up.

Navigators are forced to tell more and more people that they probably won't be able to get covered because their states, all of which had a GOP-controlled legislative chamber or governor, have refused to expand Medicaid. Lynne Thorp, who is overseeing the University of South Florida's navigator program in that state, told TPM that about one in four people who contact her team fall into that Medicaid gap.

"Those are hardest phone calls because it doesn't make any sense to them," Thorp said. "We have to explain that they fall into this gap where this program can't assist them." ...

Florida and Texas lead the nation in uninsured. The two states also lead the nation in dollars lost by their refusal to expand. Now they'll lead the nation in people really pissed off when they realize that the only reason they can't get health coverage is because they are represented by assholes.

Yes, Obamacare and Medicaid expansion will be campaign issues in 2014 and 2016.

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2013/12/09/1261429/-The-Medicaid-gap-hits-home-in-red-nbsp-states#

[spanone]

15. exactly.

[Drunken Irishman]

26. Absolutely. Thank you.

[sheshe2]

35. Bye bye, Governor Perry

Hello Wendy Davis!

Thanks napkinz!

[mdbl]

43. Keep the public aware of where the blame lies...

or Fux Nooze will have them all blaming it on the democrats.

[DallasNE]

52. This May Only Be Part Of The Larger Picture

A lot of people in States like Texas and Florida are discovering that they qualify for Medicaid under the old rules so they will be getting coverage even without Medicaid expansion except the federal government will not be picking up 100% of the tab meaning those States will be taking a hit to their budget, possibly big time. Will this be enough to convince those States to modify their approach and ask for Medicaid expansion? Don't count on it. Many of these States will elect Governor's and members of their State legislature in 2014 where voters may hold them accountable.

[JDPriestly]

53. In contrast, California Care will help many, many uninsured Californians who wouldn't have

qualified for assistance in obtaining health insurance before Obamacare.

We have friends who are only now able to afford health insurance. Unemployed, not enjoying good health, middle-aged, they can now get insurance. It is great!

[stopbush]

54. We just received our official plastic cards for CA MediCal.

We only qualified because the MediCal expansion under Obamacare is dropping the assets means test on 1/1/14.

Prior to the expansion, a family of 4 could have no more than $3300 in assets in order to qualify for MediCal. That included owning one car. That assets test is now gone, which is how we qualified.

MediCal may not be the greatest, but it's better than nothing. At least we won't be raiding our retirement accounts to pay for health insurance. We were on my wife's crappy COBRA until September, at $400+ a month. Now, we have free insurance.

Sure, I hope to get a decent job again and get back on either employer-sponsored insurance or insurance through the exchanges. But for now, MEdiCal is something rather than the nothing we would have were it not for Obamacare.

[JDPriestly]

56. Wonderful!

[uponit7771]

57. +1, This should be it's own OP

[napkinz]

8. Republicans will have to go back to ...

[SummerSnow]

33. maybe even Birtherism...

They'll be calling Oily Fake real soon

[grantcart]

9. isn't it interesting how a score of newbies who joined in Nov

And made negative blanket statements on every ACA thread are now silent.

[freshwest]

14. Typical of negative posters. Like Rush, they want Obama to fail, don't care who gets killed...

Perhaps they can go back to watching RonPaulTV for a thrill.

[Cha]

24. Oh yeah.. where the hell are they

Now?!

[paleotn]

42. I know. I never understood the mainstream media hysteria either.

...It's just a damn website. It's fixable! Geezzz! "Bugs" are simply a part of life with new programs. Now that the benefits are becoming integrated in the American consciousness and given the average American's 5 minute attention span, all the Oct. turmoil will be long forgotten come Spring.

[Kablooie]

10. And it's a Republican plan that Democrats used to disparage.

Developed back when the Republicans had the ability to debate ideas and present plans to solve problems.

They've completely lost any ability to govern because any kind of independent thinking will get you thrown out of the party.
All that's left is the ability to parrot time worn dogma that has no relationship to reality or governing.

[grantcart]

11. while the structure of the plan came from Rep roots significant

Changes made it Democratic. I don't think the Republicans ever dreamed of some of the additions I.e. limiting the MLR.

[ProSense]

18. Also, there were provisions

in the Heritage proposal worthy of being disparaged by Democrats. Heritage proposed converting Medicare to a voucher program. Sound familiar?

The goal wasn't to help people, but to trick Americans into supporting a proposal that did more damage than good.

As Krugman put it:

And here’s the thing: Republicans don’t want to help the unfortunate. They’ll propound health-care ideas that will, they claim, help those with preexisting conditions and so on — but those aren’t really proposals, they’re diversionary tactics designed to stall real health reform. Chait finds Newt Gingrich more or less explicitly admitting this.

http://krugman.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/12/13/a-health-care-mystery-explained

Republican proposals are hypothetical and theoretical BS. They have no intention of doing anything positive. They get credit for pushing things that they don't actually support and would never enact.

It's like Romney's veto of the most significant parts of the MA health care law.

[Iliyah]

13. Corporate media ain't gonna cover this

plus they are 2 busy finding out about how many times Pres O went to church and of course Benghazi and Issa spreading and leaking more lies about Obamacare.

[freshwest]

17. BWAHAHAHA! Please, GOP, run on killing the ACA, the poor, the children and the elderly again!

[titanicdave]

19. How Sweet It Is..............

say good night rethugs.........

[calimary]

21. Welcome to DU, titanicdave!

Glad you're here! I hope and pray to be able to say "good night rethugs"! We kinda have, here in California, where there simply aren't enough of 'em up in Sacramento to screw anything up or obstruct any moves to try and solve problems and do good. And the results are - that our red ink has dried up and California is now in the black! Not enough bad guys to gum up the works so we could finally get there. I've even read coverage, much to my delight, that characterizes the state republi-CON party as basically an endangered species, and on life support. Thank you, Sweet God! That's FABULOUS news for all the rest of us.

Here's how I feel about the GOP:

Once upon a time there was a wolf-in-aw-shucks/sheep's-clothing named ronald reagan. He sweet-talked America into voting him into office and then rolling over and dozing off while he set about devouring everything valuable of ours he could eat. And what he couldn't eat, he let all his little voracious friends out to run amok and gobble up. He brought all these crowds of vermin in to work and play with him, and even had his own backstage pals quaintly referred to as his off-the-books/out-of-view "Kitchen Cabinet" advising him on issues and legislation - kinda like his own personal ALEC. They were mainly SoCal-based tycoons, industrialists, captains of industry, all trickle-downers and supply-siders - pirates like holmes tuttle and justin dart. justin dart was notorious for a rather disgraceful quote regarding the wanton, no-restriction/no-regulation/hog-wild/Katie-bar-the-door clear-cutting of trees in old-growth forests in California (part of our state's most precious heritage), and elsewhere, too. This particular schmuck advocated saving a mere "100 acres, for the kids." Well, okay then. So be it. Let's make sure we have, remaining, a mere 100 republi-CONS or so. You know, for the kids.

[calimary]

20. I'll feel better when I start seeing this on the mainstream news and reading it

in the headlines in the NY Times, Washington Post, and elsewhere. We need this out there REALLY broadly, so that it's hard to miss. Pox Noise won't cover it but other media outlets hopefully will.

[Blanks]

48. Did you see Howard Dean on Fox News this morning?

I usually scream at the TV when Fox News is on, but Dean defended Obamacare on Chris Wallace show and he covered all the good points.

The thing is - the republicans started this 'offensive' too soon there is plenty of time to recover from the bad roll out of obama care before the mid-Terms.

[napkinz]

25. GOP, you want to be pro-life, well this --->

[napkinz]

27. The GOP Health Care Plan ...

https://www.facebook.com/conservativelogic101

[malaise]

28. Bwaaaaah hahahahahahaha

Oh happy day - we knew this was coming.

Happy Holidays babylonsister

[mbperrin]

29. The real end will come sometime after January 1, when the first claim is paid on

a former uninsurable, and they will LOVE it, and they will SHOUT it out! Too late to kill it after that, Pugs.

Now I'd like to start the process, even if it's slow as when Canada did it, to get us moving toward single payer universal.

[Beartracks]

30. Don't forget: enrollment isn't the end-game.

Let's all hope that actual healthcare delivery & program costs going forward continue to bear out the promise in such an obvious manner so as to blunt any noisy, ongoing Republican windmill-tilting.

====================

[Liberal_in_LA]

31. exactly!

[ProSense]

36. Reminds me

"Don't forget: enrollment isn't the end-game. Let's all hope that actual healthcare delivery & program costs going forward continue to bear out the promise in such an obvious manner so as to blunt any noisy, ongoing Republican windmill-tilting."

...of this:

UPDATE: New Silly ACA Attack: "But how many have actually PAID???"

by Brainwrap

I included this as an update to my previous diary, but decided that given how often I'm hearing this new attack lately, it deserved it's own diary.

First it was "No one can get on the website!"

Then it was "OK, the site is loading but no one can create an account!"

Then "OK, you can create an account but no one can view the plans!"

Then "OK, you can view the plans but no one can fill out their application!"

Then "OK, you can apply but no one can actually enroll!"

Then "OK, it works now, but no one bothering to do so anymore!"

Then "OK, (a lot of) people are enrolling, but none of the data is being transferred to the insurance companies!"

And now that we've hit over 1.8 million private enrollments, the new attack is:

"FINE, a lot of people have ENROLLED, but how many have actually PAID???"

- more -

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2013/12/25/1265346/--But-how-many-have-actually-PAID

Next, well they paid, but how many actually have the money in the bank.

I wouldn't be surprised if a Republican suggests drug testing applicants.

During the furor over cancellation letters, there were endless stories about Obamacare causing people to lose plans they liked.

Still, given that the majority of Americans have employer-based coverage, the quality of health care isn't going to change for the worse. In fact, it's changing for the better, even for those who have employer-based coverage.

Wendell Potter on Obamacare

by teacherken

in an interesting piece at Reader Supported News dated yesterday and titled Obamacare: What's in It for You? Plenty, So Take Time to Find Out.

He notes a number of things that most Americans do not seem to know, in large part because of how the media has covered the roll-out, starting with this: the average increased in premiums of 4% much lower than the average of the past decade.

Here's a few more things people don't seem to know:

- 3.1 million young adults have been added to the insurance rolls because they cabn stay on their parent's policy until age 26

- $1.2 billion in rebates in 2011 and $2.1 billion in 2012 from insurers who did not spnd the requisite 80% of premiums upon benefits

- $7 billion saved on prescription drugs by Medicare beneficiaires as a result of closing of the "Doughnut Hole" in Part D

- > 25.4 million people on original Medicare program receiving at least one preventive service at no cost to them during just the first eleven months of 2013

We know the numbers of those enrolling are surging.

It is unfortunate there have been glitches in the rollout, in the sign-up procedures.

But the Affordable Care Act is working, and providing real benefits.

Now, if only the media would do its job and tell the WHOLE story.

Peace?

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2013/12/25/1265241/-Wendell-Potter-on-Obamacare#

For the tens of millions of uninsured who gain access to health care, the law also ramps up additional community health centers.

A Health Care Success Story

Sen. Bernie Sanders on Wednesday brought together leaders of community health centers from across Vermont where three new centers opening in January are part of a dramatic expansion of affordable primary care. A Sanders provision in the Affordable Care Act authorized $11 billion to build, expand, and operate community health centers throughout the United States. “This is a huge step forward,” said Sanders, chairman of a Senate subcommittee that oversees primary health care.

Sanders was joined at the news conference by representatives of the Battenkill Valley Health Center in Arlington, Vt., the Five Town Health Alliance in Bristol, Vt., and the Gifford Medical Center in Randolph, Vt. The Bennington, Addison and Orange county centers will become the newest in the state thanks to $2.4 million in federal funding released last month.

The eight current Federally Qualified Health Centers already provide primary and dental care along with mental health counseling and low-cost prescription drugs to more than 130,000 patients.

The three new centers will bring the total number of Vermonters served to about 163,000, more than one in four people in the state and one of the highest participation rates in the country. In addition, about 25,000 Vermonters now receive dental care at community health centers, a number which will also rise.

http://www.sanders.senate.gov/newsroom/recent-business/a-health-care-success-story

[Beartracks]

50. Thanks for info. Dems need to make sure people know this stuff is because of Obamacare.

And make sure they know that Obamacare is the ACA, too.

====================

[Pretzel_Warrior]

32. Too fun

Obama win a second term, ACA a success, and McConnell OUT would be a great trifecta

[SummerSnow]

34. I scare rethugs when i tell them that...

Obama is getting a 3rd term. They get so scared.lol

[sheshe2]

37. Oh how sweet the sound of the Re-pukes,

imploding!

ACA, rocks.

President Obama trusted his instincts. The president has never wavered. He knows that people want access to affordable healthcare and he is being proven correct every day.

Thank you, bsister!

[Kingofalldems]

38. Issa to investigate immediately!

[musselmanm]

49. for as long as he holds office.

He will then go back to stealing cars.

[Gman]

40. I would not at all say they failed in discouraging people to enroll

I wonder what the numbers would be if they were not working so hard to discourage people. They are probably saying "it could be a lot worse."

[Chaco Dundee]

41. you are so righth

I enjoy your take of the H.care situation like I do most of your posts.I see common sense as the only thing which will prevail in the long run.but we have to be on our toes.the repubs are out of touch but they are not sleeping.

[PADemD]

44. What I would like to know is

How many ACA enrollees registered to vote.

[Kath1]

45. Yes! Love it, babylonsister!

Sickening that they wanted the ACA to fail just to discredit the President and advance their own political ambitions.

"Millions of people are signing up, and the Republican Party is being reduced to rubble as the final beam that was propping up their teetering house cracks under the weight of the ACA’s success." - That is just awesome and I am sooooo glad to see it!

I LOVE OBAMACARE!

[Major Hogwash]

47. The Republicans are still going to run against Obamacare next year.

It's going to be like the Alamo . . no survivors.

[DallasNE]

51. NBC/WSJ Polls Shows

That Obama's approval in December improved from 42 to 43 percent and that is likely due to the fixes applied to the website December 1st. By the end of March the die will be cast. We recently saw the media casting good news as bad news by failing to put the data into proper context and I expect this to be the tact they use in 2014 so it will be a messaging war over the meaning of statistics. A rapid response team is necessary because nobody called out the media (WSJ) for the misleading poll result.

[tblue]

55. Cue the Benghazi scandal and the birth certificate.

They got nothing. Absolutely nothing. Not that they don't make something out of nothing, but they are an empty vessel. No content whatsoever.

[4dsc]

58. my company gave all parttime employees the option of buying health care insurance

and most of them took the company up on their offer.

More success.

[Orsino]

59. Collapse?

Oh, yeah. They're left with only limitless secret donations and controll of mass media to keep them afloat.

Collapse imminent!

[rtracey]

60. THIS IS FANTASTIC

BUT..... IT MUST WORK.....I can see a miscue here and their, but when someone who signed up goes to the physician, they must be able to access their insurance information, or this will go down in a flame.....just my opinion and hopefully not a vision too come....

[johnnyrocket]

61. I wonder if right-wingers in red states won't sign up because it has been made so political?

I mean, the more people the better in the system, and conservatives need health care too. I wonder if their twisted political beliefs will keep them from signing up?

[Kablooie]

62. The Republicans will be taking credit for this soon.

If the ACA becomes popular and creates votes they will turn around and start talking about how Republicans were responsible for it.
It was a Republican plan that Democrats dismissed and Romney, long ago, put a successful version of it into play.

They know how far back American's memory goes, about 3 minutes, and know that if they say they were responsible for the ACA loud and long enough the people will begin to believe it and vote Republican to get more of this good Republican stuff for themselves.

[NewJeffCT]

63. While I'd love for them to really be in collapse

They do have a huge media machine on their side to help them overcome all their problems.

[openfield]

64. If this leads to wining back the House

We can make the progress we so deeply need from 2014 onward.

[Hekate]

65. Happy New year, Babs. This is music to my ears.

[napkinz]

66. Watch These Healthcare Professionals Explain What Obamacare Means For YOU

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=xr5QikGnZUA


http://youngprogressivevoices.com/2013/08/24/watch-these-healthcare-professionals-explain-what-obamacare-means-for-you/

https://www.facebook.com/beingliberal.org

[napkinz]

67. Republican plan ...

[napkinz]

68. kick

nt

[napkinz]

69. new graphics ...

https://www.facebook.com/LiberalLicious

[napkinz]

70. Republicans In Collapse and the President on the rise!

Obamacare for the Win! Presidential Approval Rating on a Steady Climb as More Americans get Covered

Simone Sanner
January 2, 2014

Now that the websites are fixed and over 2 million Americans have signed up, President Obama’s daily approval ratings are climbing steadily! Millions of Americans who were unable to get insurance before now have access to health care, and people are celebrating with a big thumbs-up for the President.

Pollsters Gallup.com notes that presidential approval ratings are climbing due to several factors, among them support of same-sex marriage (over 50% of the nation) and legalization of recreational marijuana.

Support for President Obama led to him being tapped as the world’s “Most Admired Man” for the 6th year in a row despite scandals such as the NSA spying on…well, everyone, even gamers.

read more: http://aattp.org/obamacare-for-the-win-presidential-approval-rating-shoots-up-five-percent/

https://www.facebook.com/NoTeaParty