Posted by emmanuel98 on June 28, 2012, at 20:34:25
In reply to Re: Welcome USA To Socialism Healthcare Bill Passed, posted by poser938 on June 28, 2012, at 15:13:16
As someone who lives in Massachusetts, which has had the equivalent of Obamacare for several years (and which Mitt Romney pushed through the legislature to avoid a single payer plan), I can tell you that it is a great improvement and absolutely nothing like socialism and has not led to employers cutting back on employment-based insurance (at least not more than in other states. Employment based insurance has been falling for years. Don't believe me? Check out census.gov or statehealthfacts.org). The state subsidizes premiums for those up to 300% of the poverty level ($17,000 for a family of three). My hairdresser, who had out of control diabetes for years and no treatment, now goes to the Joslin Clinic and pays $164 month for insurance. Only 2% of the population is uninsured, compared to 25% in Texas. This is not because of the stiffness of the penalty for being uninsured (it's only around $500/year) but because affordable subsidized insurance is available to everyone with no limits due to pre-existing conditions (like mental illness). Taxes are not particularly high in MA -- we fall about in the middle of the states for taxes. Employment is higher here than in the US as a whole. Housing prices fell by very little compared to other parts of the country. So I'd say Obamacare is working pretty well in MA. Or maybe we should call it Romneycare.
poster:emmanuel98
thread:1020322
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/20120608/msgs/1020383.html