1. Sarah Palin Joins the Hypocrisy Parade
Sarah Palin visited Canada this week, her first visit since stepping down as Governor of Alaska in 2008, and joked about how, as a child, she and her family would cross into Canada to take advantage of that country's free, government run, single-payer health care system.
"We used to hustle over the border for health care we received in Canada. And I think now, isn't that ironic?"
From a woman who has spent so much energy decrying the ACA, (beware of those "death panels!"), I have trouble calling her family's questionable use of another country's government program "ironic". To me, it sounds not just a little illegal and a lot like more Republican I've-Got-Mine-And-I-Don't-Want-Anyone-Else-To-Get-Any hypocrisy.
2. Better and On Track
Reports released in recent days from states that have set up their own ACA exchanges contained good news. Both California and Kentucky reported that the pace of people investigating available plans as well as the number of people signing up for insurance has doubled over the last two weeks and they are well on their way to reaching their goal for the number of people with coverage by the sign-up deadline. Other state run exchanges also reported that the first two weeks in November showed a definite up-tick in the number of people who have signed up.
People in states whose Republican governors refused to develop their own exchanges are reporting that the federal exchange is improving, but is still not "fully functional."
Think how much better this whole mess would be if Republican run states had chosen participation over obstructionism.
3. Michele Bachmann: Lying or Maybe Just Stupid?
Last Saturday, I wrote about Michele Bachmann's lying to Wolf Blitzer about her "loss" of health insurance because of the ACA. You can read the details here: http://whateyethynk-politics.blogspot.com/2013/11/michele-bachmann-stop-lying.html
Turns out, she's even less informed than I originally thought.
First, let me correct something I've said in the past in several posts. Members of Congress will not be getting their insurance through their state exchanges--many of those exchanges in home states where Republican governors refused to set up state exchanges and where the resulting federal exchanges have floundered badly. (Though that would not include Ms. Bachmann whose state run exchange is running just fine, thank you.)
Members of Congress will, instead, be required to sign up for insurance through the local Washington D.C. exchange known as D.C. Health Link. And, as it turns out, this has been made easier than could ever be imagined by those Republican constituents left hanging back home. According to Eleanor Holmes Norton, the District of Columbia's non-voting delegate to the House, D.C. Health Link has "set up shop right here in Congress."
Members of Congress do not have to navigate the D.C. exchange alone either. They have access to "in-person support sessions" which are conducted at the Capitol and in congressional office buildings, they can log onto a special Blue Cross/Blue Shield website just for members of Congress and they can reach Aetna through a special number that company has dedicated to "services for members of Congress and staff." If that isn't enough, they can call a special toll-free number to access a "dedicated health insurance plan assistance line" for members of Congress only.
I wonder how Republican members of Congress who hail from states where Republican governors have systematically denied their constituents access to information or assistance of any kind can justify this inequality?
Jacqueline A. Thomas, aide to U.S. Representative Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-Florida) used the available Congress-only perks to assist her in choosing a $60/month Kaiser plan over a $120/month Blue Cross/Blue Shield plan--plans that, according to Ms. Thomas offered "comparable coverage."
Given these facts, you can look at Ms. Bachmann's interview with Mr. Blitzer as Bogus with a capital B or you can wonder how a woman who is too stupid to be aware of all the help available to members of Congress is capable of tying her own shoes in the morning. It has to be one or the other.
Sarah Palin visited Canada this week, her first visit since stepping down as Governor of Alaska in 2008, and joked about how, as a child, she and her family would cross into Canada to take advantage of that country's free, government run, single-payer health care system.
"We used to hustle over the border for health care we received in Canada. And I think now, isn't that ironic?"
From a woman who has spent so much energy decrying the ACA, (beware of those "death panels!"), I have trouble calling her family's questionable use of another country's government program "ironic". To me, it sounds not just a little illegal and a lot like more Republican I've-Got-Mine-And-I-Don't-Want-Anyone-Else-To-Get-Any hypocrisy.
2. Better and On Track
Reports released in recent days from states that have set up their own ACA exchanges contained good news. Both California and Kentucky reported that the pace of people investigating available plans as well as the number of people signing up for insurance has doubled over the last two weeks and they are well on their way to reaching their goal for the number of people with coverage by the sign-up deadline. Other state run exchanges also reported that the first two weeks in November showed a definite up-tick in the number of people who have signed up.
People in states whose Republican governors refused to develop their own exchanges are reporting that the federal exchange is improving, but is still not "fully functional."
Think how much better this whole mess would be if Republican run states had chosen participation over obstructionism.
3. Michele Bachmann: Lying or Maybe Just Stupid?
Last Saturday, I wrote about Michele Bachmann's lying to Wolf Blitzer about her "loss" of health insurance because of the ACA. You can read the details here: http://whateyethynk-politics.blogspot.com/2013/11/michele-bachmann-stop-lying.html
Turns out, she's even less informed than I originally thought.
First, let me correct something I've said in the past in several posts. Members of Congress will not be getting their insurance through their state exchanges--many of those exchanges in home states where Republican governors refused to set up state exchanges and where the resulting federal exchanges have floundered badly. (Though that would not include Ms. Bachmann whose state run exchange is running just fine, thank you.)
Members of Congress will, instead, be required to sign up for insurance through the local Washington D.C. exchange known as D.C. Health Link. And, as it turns out, this has been made easier than could ever be imagined by those Republican constituents left hanging back home. According to Eleanor Holmes Norton, the District of Columbia's non-voting delegate to the House, D.C. Health Link has "set up shop right here in Congress."
Members of Congress do not have to navigate the D.C. exchange alone either. They have access to "in-person support sessions" which are conducted at the Capitol and in congressional office buildings, they can log onto a special Blue Cross/Blue Shield website just for members of Congress and they can reach Aetna through a special number that company has dedicated to "services for members of Congress and staff." If that isn't enough, they can call a special toll-free number to access a "dedicated health insurance plan assistance line" for members of Congress only.
I wonder how Republican members of Congress who hail from states where Republican governors have systematically denied their constituents access to information or assistance of any kind can justify this inequality?
Jacqueline A. Thomas, aide to U.S. Representative Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-Florida) used the available Congress-only perks to assist her in choosing a $60/month Kaiser plan over a $120/month Blue Cross/Blue Shield plan--plans that, according to Ms. Thomas offered "comparable coverage."
Given these facts, you can look at Ms. Bachmann's interview with Mr. Blitzer as Bogus with a capital B or you can wonder how a woman who is too stupid to be aware of all the help available to members of Congress is capable of tying her own shoes in the morning. It has to be one or the other.
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