Coloradans Continue to #GetCovered Thanks to Obamacare

(Promoted by Colorado Pols)

Here’s what the Quinnipiac poll didn’t get: Colorado’s marketplace, as has been demonstrated on Channel 4 and other news outlets as well as the countless success stories, is working well and enrollments are surging. The enrollment rate has actually doubled – as many people enrolled in the first two weeks of November as did in October. 

For example, Nurse Rebecca Haug of Del Norte CO, who enrolled and found out with subsidies she will pay nothing for her monthly premium. Or Janice Bakker of Denver, a breast cancer survivor who got a Kaiser bronze plan on the exchange for about $300 less than the high-risk pool she was in with good coverage.

As NBC points out, “What was true two or three weeks ago [about health care] might not be true anymore.” And that certainly applies to Colorado.

The effort to set up Colorado’s marketplace, connectforhealthco.com, was bipartisan. Rep. Amy Stephens (R-Monument, now a Republican primary challenger against Udall) and former Sen. Betty Boyd sponsored the bill that produced Connect for Health Colorado. Rep. Stephens and 12 other House Republicans, including then-Speaker Frank McNulty, joined House Democrats in support of the bill. The exchange also has strong business support.

And there’s a glimmer of hope that Congressional Republicans might be coming around to think the Affordable Care Act is good policy.  Reps. Cory Gardner and Mike Coffman may rail against the Affordable Care Act on television, but their offices are helpfully referring constituents to connectforhealthco.com so they can get health insurance.

Issue questions are notoriously easy to misinterpret, and depending on how the question is phrased, you could be picking up people who are dissatisfied with the law from the left or preferring to improve it instead of repeal it. An October Kaiser poll shows a higher share would like to see Congress expand the law or keep it as is (47 percent) rather than repeal it (37 percent). A November United Technologies/National Journal Congressional Connection survey found fewer than two in five Americans say it should be repealed, virtually unchanged since last summer.

So the question remains for those opposing Obamacare: What’s your alternative? Going back to the old days when kids with asthma could be denied insurance for a pre-existing condition?  When women could be charged more for insurance simply for being female? When mental health care wasn’t included? When breast cancer survivors were left to fend for themselves? 

They don’t have an answer for these questions – because every day these questions are being answered by Coloradans whose lives are improving thanks to the Affordable Care Act.

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New Q-Poll: Obamacare Hurts Udall (For Now), Christie Gets Love

From the latest poll from Quinnipiac University out today, looking at approval of President Barack Obama, his signature health care reform law, and upcoming races for U.S. Senate in 2014 and for President in 2016:

U.S. Sen. Mark Udall gets a split 44 – 44 percent approval rating, but voters say 47 – 41 percent the Democratic incumbent does not deserve to be reelected. 

In the 2014 U.S. Senate race in Colorado, Sen. Udall gets 45 percent to 42 percent for Republican District Attorney Ken Buck. In other possible matchups:
Udall over State Sen. Randy Baumgardner 44 – 39 percent;
Udall tops State Sen. Owen Hill 45 – 39 percent;
Udall at 43 percent, with 40 percent for businessman Jaime McMillan;
Udall leads State Rep. Amy Stephens 45 – 38 percent;
Udall tops businessman Mark Aspiri 45 – 36 percent.

"Though running even or ahead of six possible Republican challengers, Sen. Mark Udall must be pulling for a quick fix of the Obamacare website and a change of heart by Coloradans who dislike the Affordable Care Act by a wide margin," [Q-pac assistant director Tim] Malloy said. 

Colorado voters disapprove 59 – 36 percent of the job President Barack Obama is doing, his worst approval rating in any state or national Quinnipiac University poll since he was elected. Even women disapprove by 52 – 41 percent, while men disapprove 66 – 31 percent. Disapproval is 98 – 2 percent among Republicans and 65 – 27 percent among independent voters, while Democrats approve 78 – 15 parent. 

The Durango Herald's Joe Hanel has a good summary up on today's poll:

The poll found the popularity of Democrats in general plummeted since the last time Quinnipiac surveyed Colorado voters in August. But Republicans don’t have much to cheer about. Their popularity ratings remain even lower.

Colorado voters have unfavorable views of the Democratic Party, with 39 percent approving and 54 percent disapproving; the Republican Party, 34 percent to 56 percent; and the GOP’s tea party faction, 34 percent to 48 percent.

First of all, there's no question that the disastrous rollout of the federal health insurance marketplace has severely impacted polling numbers for Democrats. The numbers for both Sen. Mark Udall and President Obama undeniably have taken a major hit, and Obamacare is the obvious explanation. The only ray of sunshine in this bad news for Democrats is that nearly a year remains before the next election. This week, the narrative on the rollout of Obamacare has begun to shift as news reports finally show appreciable numbers of signups through the marketplaces. Whatever the polls show today, once the story of Obamacare changes from dysfunction to hard-won success–you might say 'if,' but we believe it will happen–these numbers should turn around.

On the GOP side of the 2014 Senate race, we see, much like the numbers for Gov. John Hickenlooper yesterday, a total inability to capitalize on Democrats' self-inflicted wounds. Udall's lead over all GOP challengers is significant, but even more noteworthy is the failure of Rep. Amy Stephens to differentiate herself from a weak pack of Republican candidates. As the only woman in a field of generally underrecognized GOP contenders, we truthfully expected her to outperform in a head-to-head matchup against Udall. Instead, she's one of the weakest.

Lastly, and though it's far too early to meaningfully poll the 2016 presidential race, the evident popularity of Republican Gov. Chris Christie in Colorado shouldn't be overlooked. On a number of occasions, including Christie's cooperation with Obama on Hurricane Sandy relief efforts just before last year's elections, as well as Christie's very public chastisement of Colorado Republicans for their hypocritical disaster relief votes, he has distinguished himself as the kind of pragmatic statesman local independent voters love. There's a lesson in that for Republicans and Democrats in Colorado, but with our local GOP lurching ever rightward, we doubt they can follow the example.

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Udall’s Shrewd Obamacare Proposal

Sen. Mark Udall (D-CO).

A press release from Sen. Mark Udall's office today:

Citing the concerns of Colorado families recently notified of their insurance companies' decisions to cancel health plans, Mark Udall introduced common-sense legislation today that would allow Americans in the individual insurance market to retain their current health insurance. This bill keeps faith with consumers who want the option of maintaining their current coverage and follows Udall's continued efforts to make sure the health law works better for Coloradans.

"I have repeatedly said that the Affordable Care Act isn't perfect, and it will need to be improved as it is implemented. This common-sense bill ensures the health reform law allows Coloradans to maintain insurance coverage," Udall said. "I share the concern that some health insurance companies are choosing to cancel thousands of Coloradans' plans. That's why my common-sense bill will allow Coloradans the option to keep their current coverage if they want or to purchase new plans through the Connect for Health Colorado marketplace that may better meet their health care needs."

The Continuous Coverage Act would:

Ensure that consumers have the choice to keep their current health insurance coverage — despite any cancellation notices — for a full two years through December 31, 2015.

Help smooth the transition from our current system to the newly-crafted health insurance marketplaces.

FOX 31's Eli Stokols has more coverage of Sen. Udall's proposal:

As Democrats on Capitol Hill are growing increasingly angry with the White House over problems with Obamacare — and increasingly uneasy about their individual fortunes heading into 2014 — Colorado Sen. Mark Udall Wednesday became the latest Democratic lawmaker to introduce legislation to change the beleaguered Affordable Care Act, FOX31 Denver is first to report…

“We’re protecting the stability of the insurance market in the exchange while allowing people to hold on to their current plans a little bit longer,” Joe Britton, Udall’s deputy chief of staff, told FOX31.

This proposal is being floated just ahead of a major meeting of Senate Democrats at the White House tomorrow. Democrats are aware that startup troubles with the Affordable Care Act could play hell with deadlines consumers are under. As the exchange's troubles delay signups, unease grows–especially for the 5% of policyholders in the individual and small group markets making up the vast majority of cancelations. Republicans are eagerly exploiting that unease both among those actually seeing policies canceled and, via misinformation, everyone else.

On the other hand, so-far paltry Obamacare enrollment numbers are certain to improve as the marketplace websites get fixed. What's more, nobody is counting the hundreds of thousands of consumers who have qualified for Medicaid as a success for the exchange, even though those are people without health insurance who will have it on January 1st. As these admittedly troubled startup narratives today get resolved in the coming weeks, Republicans are going to run out of ammunition to keep their shrill attacks on the new law going.

Where does that leave Udall and this proposal? That depends on how this all resolves. At the very least, he looks today like someone in search of a constructive solution, to be distinguished from Republicans who are simply trying to dismantle the entire Affordable Care Act. If these startup problems continue and a stopgap measure of this kind truly becomes necessary, Udall looks prescient. In the more likely event that the situation stabilizes, he still can claim credit for being responsive.

Above all, Democrats should have a little trust in Udall to chart the right course through a politically complicated situation. To prevail here, there's a need to acknowledge the difficulties without conceding ground to reform's intractable opponents. We believe that's what Udall is trying to do.

View the original article here

Abraham Lincoln and the Affordable Healthcare Act (Obamacare)

(Promoted by Colorado Pols)

This evening the Democrats won a great victory in Congress and upheld the principle that budgets and more importantly, the credit of our country, should never be held hostage by a relatively small minority of members who don't like a particular law (in our case the Affordable Healthcare Act – AHA) or the individual who proposed it and saw it through to become the law of our land. Although a great victory has been won, this is not a time to gloat or rub noses in the dirt.

Senator Cruz, as late as this evening, from the floor of the Senate addressed his colleagues and harangued the AHA as the cause of great misery for the average American. He alleged it was costing average Americans a great deal of money, that their health insurance coverage has been canceled by the AHA and that businesses are cutting the hours of their employees across the country to avoid providing health insurance under the AHA. He offered no proof but it wasn't a moment where a detailed analysis or documentary evidence is expected. On the House side, Speaker Boehner acknowledged defeat, but again asserted he will continue the battle to repeal the AHA and he cited many of the assertions attributed Senator Cruz in the preceding sentence.

Let that debate begin but let it be based on facts and experience rather than unfounded theory or worse. And they should keep in mind the words of the the greatest Republican:

Let me not be understood as saying that there are no bad laws, nor that grievances may not arise for the redress of which no legal provisions have been made. I mean to say no such thing. But I do mean to say that although bad laws, if they exist, should be repealed as soon as possible, still, while they continue in force, for the sake of example they should be religiously observed.

A. Lincoln

Respect for existing laws should be the rule in almost all circumstances. There have been exceptions like the civil disobedience required during the Civil Rights movement but the AHA certainly doesn't rise to that. Our lawmakers should not try to ransom our credit, our budget or our good name where they do not have the votes or political majority in our national legislature. Such efforts as we have witnessed brings other consequences, including economic dislocation, disrespect abroad and most important contempt for our national government here at home. None of those consequences are of service to our country either in the long or short term. 

The Republicans aim to repeal the AHA. Let them try but before they begin they should look to history and guidance from the greatest Republican:

The best way to get a bad law repealed is to enforce it strictly.

A. Lincoln

Present day theoretical criticisms should never be the basis for amending or repealing a law. Let the AHA go into effect. Let the nation experience it. Let the citizens of this country decide whether or not they like the provisions of the law that allows their children coverage until they reach the age of 26. Let them experience the AHA provision that allows those with pre-existing conditions obtain insurance. Let them experience whether or not the AHA requires their employer to cancel a company's health insurance. Let them find out whether the AHA cuts healthcare costs and usage. Let the law be enforced and obeyed.  If the criticisms become fact, it will surely be amended or repealed.

In the meantime, let's "enforce it strictly."  

View the original article here

Obamacare

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Obama Care Bridget Dames, Nick Crawford, Ally Cromer, and Sam Homan Definition National Health Care plan aimed at reforming the American Health Care program Mission Statement Main focus- Providing more Americans access to affordable health care, improving quality of health insurance, regulating the health insurance industry, and reducing spending on health care. Background facts Law that established program: The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act President when established: Barack Obama Date established: March 23, 2010 Democrats/Liberals Supports it Everyone deserves health care Benefits the majority of the population Republicans/Conservatives Oppose It Government should not be involved Its unconstitutional Less privately owned practices Increase taxes on medical equipment Controversial Today? ? Liberals - Still think that everyone should have health care benefits. ? Conservatives - Still oppose and think that this isn’t constitutional. It is now harder to own small businesses. Don’t want to be taxed more Modifications ? Waivers giving exemptions to some businesses (about 1,150 of them) for about a year ? Republicans have accused the administration of awarding waivers to allies who supported the health care act. ? Lifting the requirement on businesses to file a form called 1099 for a variety of businesses expenses Agency and cost The health and human services administration oversees what goes on with obamacare The final premium is decided on lower than the CBO predicted but higher than people are [aying now. 95 fine comes out of tax returns for not being insured, it will double the cost for 27 year old males. It is predicted to cut the deficit by 200 billion in the first 10 years State participation 25 states have accepted Obamacare, as well as the D.O.C. The cost borne by Federal and State Government 75% of Obamacare is borne by the Federal Government, while 25% of the program will be given to both States and companies within the states. The companies mainly help to serve just as “navigation” programs. How will it be Administered? The state government will collect through insurance companies, with various prices depending on which state you are in. Companies can also choose to get rid of their insurance program and make the associates use Obamacare. Some companies will serve as “navigation” programs and get people to sign up for Obamacare , and receive funds for doing so. How will money be distributed? The federal government will be giving funds to all the states in order for them to distribute Obamacare. Companies will also receive money so that they can get people to sign up for Obamacare. Requirements for joining Obamacare There really aren’t any requirement, the bill just needs to be passed and the states that want to receive the funds do, and even companies decide if they want to give it to their employees. The federal government offers the states grants for running the healthcare within the states, and again it offers companies grants for helping people sign up for obamacare Works cited www.politico.com/story/2013/08/capitol-hill- obamacare-crisis-solved-95100.html www.news.yahoo.com/obamacares-average- monthly-cost-across-u-328-040209815.html Multiple Choice 1. Which of the following are not a main focus of obamacare? A. Improving quality of healthcare B. Getting rid of healthcare C. Regulating health insurance industry D. Reducing the cost of healthcare Multiple Choice B. Getting rid of healthcare Multiple Choice 2. Who primarily opposes the act? A. Republicans B. Democrats C. Neither D. Both Multiple Choice A. Republicans Multiple Choice 3. What government agency oversees Obamacare? A. Department of Education B.The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act C. Health and Human Services Administration D. None of the above Multiple Choice C. Health and Human Services Administration Multiple Choice 4. What percent of the cost is borne by Federal Government? A. 25% B.50% C. 75% D. 100% Multiple Choice C. 75% Multiple Choice 5.How many states have accepted Obamacare? A. 25 B. 10 C. 45 D. All Multiple Choice A. 25

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Doug Lamborn Muddles Through Obamacare Shutdown Debate

Rep. Doug Lamborn (R-Colorado Springs).

As the Colorado Springs Gazette's Tom Roeder reports, Rep. Doug Lamborn of Colorado Springs is sort of worried about the consequences of a shutdown of the federal government in his party's increasingly desperate battle to kill the Affordable Care Act, a.k.a. Obamacare. After all:

A government shutdown should be avoided, Lamborn said. In his military-heavy 5th Congressional District, as much as 40 percent of the economy is based on Pentagon spending.

The Defense Department has warned that a shutdown would delay paychecks for troops and payment on contracts. It would be the first time since the Revolutionary War that the military has delayed pay during wartime.

"No one wants a government shutdown," Lamborn said.

With that said, gentle reader,

[H]e might embrace a shutdown if it puts a wooden stake in Obamacare.

"As bad as a delay of pay would be, we have to remember that Obamacare is causing tremendous turmoil in the economy," Lamborn said. [Pols emphasis]

We seriously doubt the soldiers and defense contractors in his district would agree with that tradeoff. But the fact is, Lamborn's boilerplate rhetoric, and his party's endless fiscal brinkmanship, has always conflicted with the massive economic dependency of the 5th District on government funding and spending. It's a conflict that has been thrown in sharp relief over and over, from Lamborn's hypocritical disaster relief requests–after accusing the administration of using disaster relief to curry political favor, and voting against Hurricane Sandy relief–to the local business Mitt Romney toured last year that received a pile of stimulus money.

F. Scott Fitzgerald once famously wrote that "the test of a first-rate intelligence is the ability to hold two opposing ideas in mind at the same time and still retain the ability to function." If Rep. Lamborn is any guide, Fitzgerald was mistaken–we don't know anybody who'd call him a "first-rate intelligence." At the very least, Lamborn is not living up to the "ability to function" part.

Which is, of course, the part that matters.

View the original article here

Buck says GOP strategy to shut down gov’t over Obamacare not Kamikazi or Kabuki but “legitimate”

(Promoted by Colorado Pols)

Ken Buck, who's running for U.S. Senate, isn't always so great at making up his mind about things (e.g., the personhood amendment).

So, even though Buck had tweeted his support for Sen. Ted Cruz's crusade to shut down the government in order to stop Obamacare, it was wise for Fox31 Denver's Eli Stokols to phone Buck to find out his latest thinking about the standoff in Washington.

Unfortunately, the Buck campaign did not return Fox31's phone calls.

So I'll fill in the media gap with Buck's comments on the topic Sat. on KNUS radio's debut of the Jimmy Sengenberger show (Sundays 5-8 p.m.).

In a move other talk-radio hosts should copy, Sengenberger injected some refreshing conflict into his conservative show by asking Buck to respond to righty Jonah Goldberg's position against trying to shut down the government to stop Obamacare.

Sengenberger played Buck a Fox News interview with Goldberg about the passage of the House bill defunding Obamacare:

Interviewer from Fox: Jonah, is this a Kamikazi mission?

Jonah Goldberg: I don’t know if it’s a Kamikazi mission, there’s definitely a lot of Kabuki theater in it. It’s like a long con, where you try to convince people to part with their money, and the trick is that the con artist is supposed to leave before they realize it’s a con. And what’s happened here is this whole ‘Defund Obamacare’ thing is, it has been exposed with the con artist still sort of left out there. I mean, I like Ted Cruz. I like Mike Lee, but these guys have been selling a plan that simply won’t work and they’ve been denouncing anyone who says it won’t work as prematurely surrendering, when in fact, all they were doing was just predicting where the facts would take them.

Then Sengenberger asked Buck to respond:

Sengenberger: Is trying to defund Obamacare a Kamikazi mission or just Kabuki theater, or is there a real legitimate reason to put up that fight?

Buck: I think there’s legitimate reason, Jimmy, there. We cannot allow Obamacare to become one of the entitlements in this country. We’ve got to deal with healthcare. We've got to create a more open marketplace. We’ve got to give a patient centered healthcare system a chance. We’ve got to give consumers the information they need to make good choices. We’ve got to do better job at educating the public about their personal accountability for their health and give them incentives. And if Obamacare becomes a part of our cultural expectation, we have lost. We can’t afford another huge entitlement like Obamacare.

Listen to Buck on KNUS Sengenberger Show 9.21.13

This is what Buck said on Saturday. So you'd assume he would have said the same thing if he'd returned Stokols' call Tuesday. But, to make sure Buck's thinking hasn't changed over the past couple days, I'd suggest that Stokols stay after him.

View the original article here

Do Ken Buck, Owen Hill Back Government Shutdown over Obamacare?

Ken Buck, Owen Hill, Randy Baumgardner’s ‘stache.

The Hill newspaper noted that nearly every Republican candidate for U.S. Senate in 2014 supports Republican efforts to sacrifice the entire federal budget at the Tea Party altar in hopes of defunding Obamacare. As The Hill noted, there appear to be few 2014 candidates in opposition:

Two notable exceptions are former South Dakota Gov. Mike Rounds (R) and Alaska Lieutenant Gov. Mead Treadwell (R), who have not fully embraced the efforts.

Rounds applauded the House bill, but he didn’t go as far as saying he’d be willing to have the government shut down in order to force the issue.

"I support the House CR — keep government running and shut down ObamaCare,” he said. “We don't know what (Senate Majority Leader) Harry Reid will do to the CR on the Senate side, but it's a fight worth having. This is a prime example of the importance of Republicans recapturing the Senate in 2014."

Treadwell, who is facing Miller, said he supports “any attempt to defund and repeal ObamaCare” but that “shutting down the government is not a good idea.” [Pols emphasis]

Not mentioned by The Hill, however, is how Colorado Senate candidates Ken Buck, Owen Hill, and Randy Baumgardner's mustache think about the budget sacrifice. Both Buck and Hill have signed a petition from the Senate Conservatives Fund to "defund Obamacare" (we just assume nobody bothered to ask Baumgardner), but neither have been publicly chatty about whether they support shutting down the entire federal government as a strategy to try to get there.

Do Buck and Hill have both feet firmly off the fiscal cliff, or are they just peering over the edge and maintaining a link to reason?

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This time Gardner says he’s ready to allow government shutdown to repeal Obamacare

(Priorities – Promoted by Colorado Pols)

Last month, Rep. Cory Gardner said he'd block an extension of the federal debt ceiling to "reduce the size and scope of government."

Today, Gardner stated on the radio that he'd allow the government to shut down, by holding up annual budget negotiations, in order to repeal Obamacare, explaining that "if the government gets shut down, it's going to be the President's decision to do so."

KOA's Mike Rosen let Gardner's salvo go by as if Gardner were talking about the weather.

Rosen: "Perhaps we can talk about some other items on the agenda, such as the current dispute, even with the Republican Party, about whether Republicans, who have a majority in the House, ought to take a stand now, as the continuing resolution question comes up, take a stand on Obamacare, and refuse to fund it, while at the same time, agreeing with a continuing resolution that would allow the rest of the federal government to operate. Have you got a position on that?

Gardner: I want to do anything and everything I can to stop Obamacare from destroying our health care, from driving up increases in costs. Whether that's through the continuing resolution, I want to defund everything that we can….

Rosen: There's a political concern that if the Republicans stand their ground on this [repealing Obamacare], they are going to be blamed for shutting down the government.

Gardner: Well, I think if the government gets shut down, it's going to be the President's decision to do so. I believe that we don't need to shut down the government because we ought to just lift this health-care bill out of the way and let America work.

Listen to Gardner saying he'll shut down government to repeal Obamacare 8.1.13

Rosen should invite Gardner back for a full discussion about the economic and political ramifications of a move by the House Republicans to block funding Obamacare and shut down the government in the process.

View the original article here