Obama's health care law gives middle class free insurance

[DarthTom]

This is a mistake the Republicans won't likely let him forget about come election time.

MSNBC

WASHINGTON — President Barack Obama's health care law would let several million middle-class people get nearly free insurance meant for the poor, a twist government number crunchers say they discovered only after the complex bill was signed.
The change would affect early retirees: A married couple could have an annual income of about $64,000 and still get Medicaid, said officials who make long-range cost estimates for the Health and Human Services department.
After initially downplaying any concern, the Obama administration said late Tuesday it would look for a fix.

 

[Robert Maxwell]

Republicans already want to repeal the whole thing. They can't exactly get any more shrill about it.

 

[Kestra]

The title is rather misleading, and the hypothetical couple mentioned is even described as an unusual case by the people who came up with it. It's a problem, yes, but one they're looking to fix.

 

[DarthTom]

The title is rather misleading, and the hypothetical couple mentioned is even described as an unusual case by the people who came up with it. It's a problem, yes, but one they're looking to fix.

I wonder if they can fix part of the bill without undoing all of it?

 

[DonIago]

It's called an amendment...

 

[Robert D. Robot]

Yes... It is my understanding that most people do not realize how amendments are used so much to fine-tune legislation. Few laws do not get tinkered with so as to get the bugs worked out (or -unfortunately- sometimes slip bugs in!).

I just hope that they will eliminate the government Death Panels from the legislation!! If anyone is gonna ration health care and kill off Grandmas, it should be the insurance companies who have had so much experience actually doing this for so many years (seemingly unnoticed by most of these people who are so worked up over their silly fear of the creation of a government Death Panel)!

 

[DarthTom]

It's called an amendment...

Yes I know that. What I meant to say is any amendments to the Health Care Bill [in today's political climate] will likely amend it right out of existence since the Republicans have a lot of power in the Congress right now.

The safe bet would to leave it be - at least for the Democrats who want to keep the primary goals of Health Care reform in place.