Politics

[IrishLax]

EDIT: Nevermind, I completely misread it. Sorry.

 

[GoIrish41]

I'm sorry but a couple pages ago didn't you just quote a bunch of polls to show majorities favoring things you like? But when pat does it, popularity = meaningless?

I was making the same point in that post. If you go back and read it you will see. Someone cited a poll and I said, look here is a bunch of polls that your side wouldn't like. Meaningless, because that isn't how we govern.

 

[IrishLax]

I was making the same point in that post. If you go back and read it you will see.

Yup. Sorry. Was having to remember it from days ago and I was wrong. You're making the same consistent rationale point between the two posts.

Someone cited a poll and I said, look here is a bunch of polls that your side wouldn't like. Meaningless, because that isn't how we govern.

I totally agree with you. +1.

 

[GoIrish41]

Hahahaha....THEY HAVE TO or get penalized. My families current coverage thru my wife's work is changing (not for the good) and it looking like we will have to change to my organizations plan (which will be more expensive). A good friend of mine is self employed and his plan is increasing by over $200 a month, so of course they are shopping around now. Oh and if my friend wanted to keep his current plan it would not only cost him $200 more a month his deductable would jump from 2500 to 5000....

again, they have to over the next six months. They are signing up on the first day it is available. Nobody is going to get fined until after the enrollment period is over. They are signing up because they want to. That is significant.

Edit: Also, you and your good friend should go onto the exchange in your state to shop for his insurance. I bet he would save hundreds a month. big insurance companies have been sticking it to their customers for a long, long time. And they seem to have getting that one last kick in the balls out of their system before Obamacare took effect. If they wouldn't have been ripping people off, there would be no such thing as Obamacare. People I know who have looked at the exchanges in Maryland have discovered much lower-than-expected rates.

 

[NDFan4Life]

We got a memo at work about FEHB and the Health Insurance Marketplace. I currently have BC/BS, but I don't know how much my premiums will go up or if they'll go up at all. I'm going to wait until I can check my LES to see which way is the best way to go.

We're having more furloughs for civil service next week. All of the contractors will be let go on Monday. Don't know if I'm going to be in the next group of furloughs. I've heard they're going to re-evaluate every 5 days. This is definitely not going to be a fun time.

 

[Ultimate Penn St. Hater]

We got a memo at work about FEHB and the Health Insurance Marketplace. I currently have BC/BS, but I don't know how much my premiums will go up or if they'll go up at all. I'm going to wait until I can check my LES to see which way is the best way to go.

We're having more furloughs for civil service next week. All of the contractors will be let go on Monday. Don't know if I'm going to be in the next group of furloughs. I've heard they're going to re-evaluate every 5 days. This is definitely not going to be a fun time.

Sorry to hear that. I hope the shutdown ends soon.

 

[enrico514]

AmCon's Pat Deenen just published a compelling article titled "Two Nations, Under Mammon" that sums up my political views pretty well:

Good piece

 

[Jebediah Springfield]

AmCon's Pat Deenen just published a compelling article titled "Two Nations, Under Mammon" that sums up my political views pretty well:

Kind of ironic that you post this on a football message board.

 

[FLDomer]

again, they have to over the next six months. They are signing up on the first day it is available. Nobody is going to get fined until after the enrollment period is over. They are signing up because they want to. That is significant.

Edit: Also, you and your good friend should go onto the exchange in your state to shop for his insurance. I bet he would save hundreds a month. big insurance companies have been sticking it to their customers for a long, long time. And they seem to have getting that one last kick in the balls out of their system before Obamacare took effect. If they wouldn't have been ripping people off, there would be no such thing as Obamacare. People I know who have looked at the exchanges in Maryland have discovered much lower-than-expected rates.

When did I say they or I were signing day one??? Shopping and signing are different things. I used to selll self private insurance and still have very close friends in the biz, I'm clear on how it works. The people signing up day one are those going for the freebies, ya know like many of the leeches on welfare.

 

[GoIrish41]

When did I say they or I were signing day one??? Shopping and signing are different things. I used to selll self private insurance and still have very close friends in the biz, I'm clear on how it works. The people signing up day one are those going for the freebies, ya know like many of the leeches on welfare.

I didnt say you or they were signing on day one. Think you misread my post.

 

[FLDomer]

I didnt say you or they were signing on day one. Think you misread my post.

No, you misread my initial post. You did say" they are signing up on the first day it is available"...where did I misread???

You did the same thing in the Zimmerman thread. You made "in fact" statements either misreading or assuming to know facts and passing judgement about others knowledge of facts. Kinda standard for libs to talk down to others, in this way. I guess as an act to demean others and feel as though to hold the upper hand.

 

[Ndaccountant]

It is a six-month open enrollment period, but millions jumped on it the first day. Doesn't look like people who are being forced to do anything. Looks more like people who couldn't wait to sign up.

You really think that is what is happening?

The people that are going to benefit the most from this are the uninsured and the under insured. Now, you are telling me, that these people (who are usually more cash strapped than others) are willing to shell out money for coverage they won't see for months?

Me thinks people were doing what rational people do.....checking out rates. After all, if I am going to be forced to purchase something that I may or may not want and I was cash strapped, I am going to want to know what I am looking at so I can plan ahead of time.

Success is not defined by who looks at or who purchases insurance, success will be if healthcare overall is improved.......time will tell on that one.

 

[GoIrish41]

No, you misread me. You said "they are signing up on the first day it is available"...

"They or I"? Assumed you were referring to your and your friend's situation but i didnt say you were signing up on day one. If you are saying that the "millions" who went to the sites didnt buy insurance -- many did, but i dont think i said that either. If i did i misspoke.

 

[FLDomer]

"They or I"? Assumed you were referring to your and your friend's situation but i didnt say you were signing up on day one. If you are saying that the "millions" who went to the sites didnt buy insurance -- many did, but i dont think i said that either. If i did i misspoke.

Ok, you misspoke, mis responded but I did not misread

 

[GoIrish41]

No, you misread my initial post. You did say" they are signing up on the first day it is available"...where did I misread???

You did the same thing in the Zimmerman thread. You made "in fact" statements either misreading or assuming to know facts and passing judgement about others knowledge of facts. Kinda standard for libs to talk down to others, in this way. I guess as an act to demean others and feel as though to hold the upper hand.

Take it easy there bud. I wasnt talking down to anyone. I made a statement about people going to exchanges then offered a suggestion that you check it out because i know people who did and were pleasantly surprised. Was trying to be empathetic to your situation. Sorry for trying to be helpful.

 

[GoIrish41]

You really think that is what is happening?

The people that are going to benefit the most from this are the uninsured and the under insured. Now, you are telling me, that these people (who are usually more cash strapped than others) are willing to shell out money for coverage they won't see for months?

Me thinks people were doing what rational people do.....checking out rates. After all, if I am going to be forced to purchase something that I may or may not want and I was cash strapped, I am going to want to know what I am looking at so I can plan ahead of time.

Success is not defined by who looks at or who purchases insurance, success will be if healthcare overall is improved.......time will tell on that one.

It is happening. I have read a half dozen articles today that talk about people who have signed up already. Feel free to google the articles.

 

[FLDomer]

Take it easy there bud. I wasnt talking down to anyone. I made a statement about people going to exchanges then offered a suggestion that you check it out because i know people who did and were pleasantly surprised. Was trying to be empathetic to your situation. Sorry for trying to be helpful.

Big help thanks bud!

 

[GoIrish41]

Big help thanks bud!

Don't mention it.

 

[FLDomer]

Don't mention it.

But I want to because I and so many others here would be lost without you... Good night pumpkin.

 

[phgreek]

again, they have to over the next six months. They are signing up on the first day it is available. Nobody is going to get fined until after the enrollment period is over. They are signing up because they want to. That is significant.

Edit: Also, you and your good friend should go onto the exchange in your state to shop for his insurance. I bet he would save hundreds a month. big insurance companies have been sticking it to their customers for a long, long time. And they seem to have getting that one last kick in the balls out of their system before Obamacare took effect. If they wouldn't have been ripping people off, there would be no such thing as Obamacare. People I know who have looked at the exchanges in Maryland have discovered much lower-than-expected rates.

really...how they lovin that 12k out of pocket max vs 3.5k on most plans in the market place before obamacare...DOH!

 

[Polish Leppy 22]

It's funny that both are doing the latter now. No one's actually doing the first one, stop kidding yourself if you really think that.

Care to provide any specific examples so I can stop kidding myself?

 

[FLDomer]

[/I]

really...how they lovin that 12k out of pocket max vs 3.5k on most plans in the market place before obamacare...DOH!

stop picking on my bud

 

[Irish Insanity]

<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p>Sweet <a href="https://twitter.com/NavyAthletics">@NavyAthletics</a>: <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23NavyFootball&src=hash">#NavyFootball</a> game on Saturday against Air Force is a GO. Kickoff 11:30 AM on CBS. No word on the rest of the sports</p>— Mark Schlabach (@Mark_Schlabach) <a href="https://twitter.com/Mark_Schlabach/statuses/385584646962298880">October 3, 2013</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

 

[BGIF]

Houston sorta blows.. just saying. I'd live in Austin any day of the week though.

Nothing sorta about it. I've worked in 45 states been to a lot of cities big and small. Having lived in Houston for 2 years I'm a firm believer that if the USA ever needs an enema the nozzle will be inserted there.

 

[Ndaccountant]

It is happening. I have read a half dozen articles today that talk about people who have signed up already. Feel free to google the articles.

If it is happening, people are even dumber than I thought. Absolutely no need to shell out cash for it now. SMH.

 

[Polish Leppy 22]

It is happening. I have read a half dozen articles today that talk about people who have signed up already. Feel free to google the articles.

Wouldn't it be "fair" and "equal" if each member of Congress signed up for it too and had their salary reduced to $50k?

 

[BobD]

Around the country

Early reviews from various states were mixed. For example:

• Arkansas. In the morning, Arkansas' online exchange was moving at a crawl due to heavy traffic. Mountain Home, Ark., insurance agent Joey Crump said a number of people approached him seeking help with insurance needs but he was not been able to get on. "It' been frustrating," Crump said.

• California. Applications for the Covered California exchange were slowed by website delays and glitches all morning on the main website. Screens were showing blank on apply.coveredca.com. Error messages showed up, but applications did not. Call center lines were ringing busy and wait times of more than 30 minutes were being reported.

Rachel Mansfield, a 30-year-old self-employed esthetician in La Quinta, jumped on the website right at midnight Tuesday to sign up for a new coverage plan. The website kept crashing, she said, so she ended up downloading the application and printing it 10 hours later. But even the frustration that she saw as inevitable couldn't stop her excitement. She went on Twitter to share:" It feels so good to be signing up today. Healthcare coverage that doesn't discriminate-finally!!!"

• Connecticut. Jason Madrak, the spokesman for the state's exchange, said there were initial bugs but the exchange had 11,000 visitors and its first customer at 9:30 a.m. and 24 by noon.

"We're off to the races," Madrak said.

• Florida. Florida Blue Cross and Blue Shield added five bricks-and-mortar sales centers, bringing the statewide total to 16, and doubled the size of its direct sales force. This was done in large part to acquaint people with the company's health exchange products, and to assist those ready to purchase, said Jon Urbanek, its Jacksonville-based senior vice president .

"We're getting better traffic than we expected. And, our expectations were high," Urbanek said.

He added that company company call centers were getting more than double the normal daily call volumes, and that demand was particularly brisk at sales centers in the east coast cities of Miami, Orlando and Jacksonville.

In Estero, in southwest Florida, Florida Blue Center Director Meredith Viskovic estimated morning visitor traffic was up by 3% to 4% percent in the morning, but had tapered off by mid-afternoon.

"Callers were asking about subsidies, and whether they should wait a day or two to come in," Viskovic said.

People who arrived "came in ready to purchase a plan," but Viskovic couldn't estimate what percentage actually did. The government health exchange website "at times, was overwhelmed," Viskovic said.

• Iowa. Problems there went beyond the exchange. Visiting Nurse Services and Planned Parenthood of the Heartland both received federal grants to hire "navigators," who are to help consumers figure out their options on the new online system. Both agencies say they're working to hire and train navigators, and should have them available within a few weeks.

• Kentucky. The state''s Kynect website, which opened after midnight Tuesday, had 24,000 visitors and had processed nearly 1,000 applications by 9:30 a.m. — more than officials expected. But then the registration function went down, keeping many from applying for insurance or seeing personalized rates for various plans. State technicians worked feverishly to fix bugs, but the delay frustrated thousands who went online or came to sign-up events such as one at Jefferson Community & Technical College in Louisville.

Vanessa Anglin, 61, said she'd waited for months after losing her job and her insurance, and had to make appointment with an application counselor for next week. "It's frustrating," said Kelli Cauley, a Kynector, or in-person assistor, who was on campus to help people sign up.

The heavy demand in Kentucky reflected how many of the state's 640,000 uninsured were clamoring for access to affordable coverage, said Bill Wagner, executive director of Louisville's Family Health Centers, which serve many of the city's neighborhoods with high concentrations of uninsured residents. "When we opened this morning, we had people standing outside waiting to make an application," he said. The state's health exchange call center had taken more than 2,500 calls by early afternoon, officials said.

• Maryland. Dr. Joshua Sharfstein, the state's secretary of health, said the state delayed its opening by four hours to work on some connectivity issues with the agency's partner organizations. But when its exchange opened at noon, an "unexpected bottleneck" made it impossible for people to create accounts. At one point, more than 1,000 people were trying to do so, he says. Maryland Health Benefit Exchange spokeswoman Danielle Davis said about 90,000 people visited the site and crashed it.

"It's really as a result of the tremendous interest," Sharfstein said of the glitch. "But our system should be able to handle that."

• Michigan. After the signup website stopped functioning, long lines formed early in the day at Dearborn-based Access, a non-profit social service agency that is helping people navigate the new law. Rick Murdock, of the Michigan Association of Health Plans that represents Michigan insurers, said technical glitches aren't unexpected and "will take care of itself."

Just after the Detroit-based Thea Bowman Community Health Center opened today at 8 a.m., a patient in for a regular check-up at 9:30 asked about his options on the marketplace, triggering a call from his doctor to Jamie Jackson. Jackson is one of four community health guides for Advantage Health Centers, which operates several clinics that provide free and low-cost care to the homeless and poor. Jackson said she wasn't surprised at the call and she was able to discuss options for the patient. Despite plenty of news about federal health reform and the stalemate in Congress, consumers are still working out the details for themselves, she said. "I don't necessarily think that people will be clamoring to sign up today," Jackson said, "but I do think that the questions will start today."

• Mississippi. At 9 a.m., HealthCare.gov would not show Mississippi's exchange. Instead, it displayed a message saying visitors would be directed to the login site as soon as traffic allowed. After several minutes, a message appeared saying the system was down. Several attempts to log in yielded the same result.

• New Jersey. Scott Hartung of Shore Benefits Brokerage in Allenhurst, N.J., said the phone was ringing off the hook, and described the first day that residents could sign up for healthcare plans as "frenetic pandemonium."

• New Mexico. The state's SHOP site for small businesses enrolled 29 businesses within the first 45 minutes the exchange was open. By noon, they had more than 100 businesses, said Mike Nuñez, interim CEO for New Mexico Health Insurance Exchange.

"I'm just really excited," he said. The first few employers were rural , and that's icing on the cake for us to know that we're reaching out to rural employers."

But the rest of the day proved more difficult as people had long waiting times to the federal call center and federal exchange.

• New York. Traffic apparently overwhelmed its website in the morning. Reports on Twitter cited 2 million visitors in the first 90 minutes that nystateofhealth.ny.gov was open for business. A spokesman at the Department of Health at 8:30 a.m. said the site was working fine, but already there were delays, locked screens and error messages. By mid-morning, the site was much slower. While the home page came up on Internet Explorer, Firefox and Chrome web browsers, server error messages were common when clicking on the individual and small business links.

Reporters trying to ask questions about the website were equally out of luck Tuesday. The Chicago-based Department of Health and Human Services staff bounced back emails stating they were furloughed and unable to answer press inquiries due to the federal government shutdown.

HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius said 52% of her staff is working despite the federal shutdown that started at midnight Tuesday.

Those who don't get through today can still rest easy. If you want coverage to start Jan. 1, you need to enroll by Dec. 15. Otherwise, enrollment for 2014 remains open through March.

 

[Black Irish]

So, health care's free now, right? Is that what's going on?

 

[Polish Leppy 22]

So, health care's free now, right? Is that what's going on?

Free for some, not all. Granted, one might have to wait a few weeks for an MRI, broken leg, etc. or to see their family doctor. Just ask our friends in the UK or Canada.

 

[autry_denson]

That moment you realize that you are on the fringe...

"Fully 72 percent of Americans disapprove of shutting down the federal government over differences on the Affordable Care Act; just 25 percent approve of this action."
Poll: Americans not happy about shutdown; more blame GOP - CBS News