Pet peeve 2

[averygoodun42]

"If your state can create a plan that can cover as many people as affordably and comprehensively as the Affordable Care Act does, without increasing the deficit, you can implement that plan and we'll work with you to do it," Obama told the governors.

Obama's offer is not as sweeping as it may sound at first. In fact, the law already allows states to propose their own framework for health care. But under the law, states cannot offer their plans until 2017. The president said Monday states could submit their ideas three years earlier, in 2014.

Liberal-leaning states like Vermont would be able to experiment with a coverage-for-all approach similar to Medicare while Republican-leaning states would be able to propose plans that don't rely on a government mandate to buy insurance. One alternative would be to automatically enroll people in health coverage. (emphasis mine)


How... Tell me, what does "automatically enrolling people in health coverage" even mean? And, um, how is that any different from compulsory insurance/government mandate?

I... just don't understand. I'm hoping it's because the writer isn't able to convey the information rather than my having caught the terminal stupidity engulfing this country.

Comments

[timestep.livejournal.com]

*shrugs*

Wyoming is planning to put a referendum on the ballot in Nov to make it state law that people don't have to be forced to have health insurance. Interesting that they do require car insurance. They also have a law requiring wearing seat belts.

Oh wait, I forgot the rule of we should only require it if its our idea, not theirs.

[averygoodun.livejournal.com]

*snerk* Yeah, that's about right. Except that it needs to be presented by us, too, because the current law was their idea first.

Meanwhile, those same people want to make sure that same sex couples can't be married, women can't have abortions except to save their lives (and sometimes not even then) and make sure that we all generally live by the law of the Bible. Even if we don't ascribe to that truth.

*rolls eyes*

[sister-snape.livejournal.com]

I fail to see the difference between mandatory health insurance and mandatory car insurance. Either way if you get hurt(sick) it can cost thousands, doesn't this mitigate that, like car insurance...

Some of my friends think I'm crazy for thinking this way, but we are all incredibly luck and have really good insurance paid for by work, perhaps it's the idea of losing that, that has them so flustered.

I'm glad you feel good today, and I hope Page's molars don't give him too many problems.

[timestep.livejournal.com]

The argument is that mandatory car insurance protects other drivers. But, mandatory health insurance only helps the individual so therefore you only have yourself affected.

For the people who argue that, I point out that uninsured health care does affect everyone because the unpaid write offs cause increases in health care for the rest of us.

If they still insist, I point to car seatbelt laws because that only protects the individual.

[averygoodun.livejournal.com]

Yes, it should. That's the theory, anyway. Of course, car insurance doesn't subsidize research into how to prevent car crashes or auto theft like health insurance indirectly does.

Don't underestimate the power of propaganda. People will vote against their own interests if told to do so enough times.

Thank you! I hope they come through quickly!

[randomchris.livejournal.com]

I like being automatically enrolled in health coverage! *waves from the land of free healthcare forever where cancer doesn't mean bankruptcy*

[averygoodun.livejournal.com]

*clears throat* THBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBBPTTTTT!

:-D