Unmasking the GOP as the Party of Negligent Homicide

[truthout.org]

(When Republicans dismantle Obamacare, they kill people.)

I took a lot of bullshit from people the first year this went into effect speaking against it on facehack. And I'm still against it! When this went into effect I was paying through my employee program 31 and some change a week out of my check. Roughly 125 a month. My employer canceled that program the first year of Obamacare. Our office manager manged to get us insurance from one of our past insurers when we were an independent company. It was slightly cheaper for us than the government site. I went from 125 a month to 438 a month the first year! A lot of my co-workers couldn't afford it, especially those with families. The second year they force me to go to the government program being they were going to hike my rate. They quoted me a price about the same. 2 months in they gave me a story about an Ohio law and jacked me up to 550 a month, a 1200 hike for the year. End of story? Not a chance. I go in for my yearly wellness check at the end of October which is suppose to be covered by the insurer. They tell my doctor my insurance had been canceled. The one time I go to the doctor which is suppose to be covered, they screw me for the blood test and office visit. End of story? Not a chance. I'm getting the bills in Nov which they have already taken the money from my account for a canceled policy!?! As I'm trying to get it settled they feel free to also take my Dec payment. After half a year of trying to get them to settle my case, and quit bothering me to pay for insurance for the new year, I finally contact a lawyer. I'm pretty much told to eat it as he tells me it's 250 an hour for his services. I'm out 1100 in 2 months that I guess I didn't have insurance, unknown reasons, nearly 500 in blood test and office visit. End of story. Not a fucking chance. I go to do my income tax and I have no proof of insurance for Dec. I'm penalized for nearly half my usual refund! I finally get the tax form from the insurer in July, 3 months past the legal deadline to be sent out. For a policy I for unknown reasons was canceled and then somehow for unknown reasons was worthy of the Dec form that illegally came late. Don't get me wrong. I'm glad some people benefited from ACA. But it didn't even begin to solve any of the real issues with healthcare. It was simply a redistribution of wealth from certain groups of society as a mask to keep the healthcare industry making billions. It took the better part of 3 years before a lot of people started seeing the truth to ACA as they got to know people and family struggling because of it. This is why it is important for us not to allow partisan politics to divide us to the means of not being able to discuss issues intelligently. That other person may have a very legitimate story that needs heard.

(Neoliberal Democrats are complicit too. The devastating anti-poor measures that passed under the guise of “welfare reform” in 1996 were championed by Bill Clinton and supported by many Democrats in Congress. It cut cash payment to the poor and may have led to shorter life spans. It led to a 153 percent increase of deep poverty, with Americans living on $2 dollars a day. It led to people selling their plasma or food stamps for quick money.)

It also lead to a lot of people collecting scrap metal for an income. Poorer areas, raiding empty houses for siding and inside piping, theft at construction sites and factories, etc.

( In our nation of 325 million, the 40 million poor and 30 million without health care need the safety net to save them or save their lifespans from being cut by stress or sickness. )

(They die invisibly because we choose not to see them. They die away from the cameras. They die alone and scared.)

Imagine a politics where they fixed vacant Wal_Marts for makeshift housing for immigrants fleeing horrific situations we created in their home countries! "Out Of The Illusion "