Quick Note Digest: Republican Anti-ACA Round-up (Spoiler Alert: It's Not Going Too Well)

1.  Pennsylvania resident Dean Angstadt is a Republican's Republican.  When Mr. Angstadt, who already had a pacemaker, found he also had a faulty heart valve, he was determined to work as long as possible and save the money needed to pay for his surgery, no ACA for him.  "I don't read what the Democrats have to say about it because I think they're full of it."

Unfortunately, his health deteriorated, making it impossible for him to continue working.  He needed private health insurance that would not penalize him for having a pre-existing condition.  Still, Mr. Angstadt refused saying he just "didn't trust this Obamacare."

Finally, family and friends convinced him that the ACA was the only chance he had to stay alive. He signed up, paid his first premium of $26.11 and, at the end of March, had the surgery to replace his faulty heart valve. 

"Not only did (the ACA) save my life, it's going to give me a better quality of life.  For me, this isn't about politics.  I'm trying to help other people who are like me, stubborn and bullheaded, who refused to even look.  From my own experience, the ACA is everything it's supposed to be and, in fact, better than it's made out to be.  A lot of people I talk to are so misinformed about the ACA."

People are "misinformed about the the ACA?"  Gee, how did that happen? 

It is inevitable that there will be more newly-minted Republican supporters of the ACA like Mr. Angstadt.  The dawning realization that their party has been lying to them all along just may be Republican's worst nightmare.

2.  Florida Governor Rick Scott (R) is facing a tough re-election fight and his campaign is heavily invested in anti-ACA rhetoric.    

He recently visited a Southern Florida senior center for an ACA roundtable.  Expecting to take away horror stories of reduced Medicare Advantage coverage, Mr. Scott left empty-handed.  

The 20 seniors who participated reported they were largely happy with their Medicare and ACA coverage and had no negative stories to share.  When asked if they'd seen any changes in their Medicare plans, one lady replied, "Not really."  Others replied they were "very happy", or had "no problems" with it.  One couple said they were "very pleased." 

Harvey Eisen, 92, told the governor he wasn't sure "if, as you say," Obamacare has resulted in cuts to Medicare.  He reported seeing no difference in his coverage.  

Struggling to find some point he could rail against, Mr. Scott asked if they were finding that doctors were opting out of Medicare under the ACA, most said "No."

Ruthlyn Rubin, 66, pointed out that people too young for Medicare need the coverage they are getting from the ACA.  Remember, she told the Governor, "People were appalled at Social Security. They were appalled at Medicare when it came out.  It think these major changes take some people back...That's wrong to me."

I'm willing to bet that Mr. Scott wished he had not invited the media to this event.

3.  And finally, this week, House Republicans called representatives of the health insurance industry to testify before one of their endless committees.  Expecting another forum to support their anti-ACA campaign arsenal, Republicans were met with an entirely different narrative.

These health insurer executives told the committee that...

1. No, government has not taken over their industry. Health insurers are still in charge.
2. No, stock prices did not drop; in fact, they have gone up.
3. No, they would not endorse the Republican claim that premiums will go up sharply next year.  They are expected to remain steady and in some cases decrease.
4. No, federal subsidy payments to help the poor and middle class purchase insurance have not been delayed.  They are already being received.

Unable to accept the facts voiced by the insurance executives, Representative Michael Burgess (R-Texas) complained to the media that no one "wanted to be forthcoming."

Oh, come on!  Not forthcoming?  Really?  So now Republicans want us to believe that the insurance industry is lying in order to show support for the ACA?  Where else would health insurance executives be more likely to vent against the Affordable Care Act than in front of a Republican led we-hate-Obamacare gathering? 

Though I suppose it is a much easier stand to take than admitting they are wrong. Think of the cost of reprinting all that campaign material!

Representative Jan Schakowsky (D-Illinois) put it another way: "These companies were not the biggest supporters of the law.  They still oppose many provisions, but they do not live in a Republican echo chamber.  They live in the real world."

And when it comes to the "real world," Republicans can't get a visa.