Oh, somewhere in this favored land the sun is shining bright;
The band is playing somewhere, and somewhere hearts are light,
And somewhere men are laughing, and somewhere children shout;
For there IS joy in Teaville……A three-judge panel of the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals has ruled 2-to-1 along party lines that subsidies for health insurance premiums made available under the Affordable Care Act (aka ObamaCare) are only available to those who purchased their coverage in state-based exchanges, invalidating the 4.7 million citizens who used the federal exchange and therefore… …they have been shut out.
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In this case, the “favored land” where the sun is shining and hearts are light, is the land of Tea Party Republicans who are falling all over themselves celebrating this decision that puts the health – and lives – of millions in jeopardy. And, as usual, it is those who are favored who reap the benefits. Nothing gives right-wingers more undiluted ecstasy than making life even more difficult for people on the lower end of the income scale. These are the same people who cheer executions and holler and spit at children. You know, conservative “Christians.” Even the GOP judges recognized the potential hardship they were creating:
“Our ruling will likely have significant consequences both for millions of individuals receiving tax credits through federal exchanges and for health insurance markets more broadly.”
The good news is that this ruling means very little at the present time. First of all, it was stayed by the court pending an expected appeal. Secondly, the administration will likely request an “en banc” hearing by all eleven members of the court. Presently the court has seven judges appointed by Democrats and four by Republicans. This, by the way, was made possible when Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid removed the super-majority requirement for judicial appointments. Prior to that Republicans were filibustering nearly all of President Obama’s nominees, and even proposed eliminating the three vacancies on the D.C. court. Subsequent to Reid’s maneuver, three of Obama’s nominees received a majority vote and were seated on the court that will re-hear this ruling.
Finally, the 4th Circuit Court of Appeals in Virginia ruled today on the very same issue and found that the federal subsidies were proper and intended by the Congress when the law was passed. As it stands now there are two courts of appeal that have arrived at opposing decisions, but the en banc review by the D.C. court is likely to agree with the 4th Circuit. If so, both courts will have upheld the subsidies. That is significant should additional appeals be brought to the Supreme Court. There is no telling where the Supreme Court might come down, but there is a possibility that they won’t even take the case if two appeals courts agree that there is no constitutional issue.
Whatever the outcome of the legal wrangling, this is another opportunity to observe the right-wing at their worst. They are palpably giddy over the prospect of millions of Americans becoming either uninsured or bankrupt. This is an issue that can have some play in the midterm elections as the threat hanging over the heads of these citizens weighs on their political decisions. In Florida and Texas alone there are 1.5 million people who could lose their insurance. Those are highly motivated votes for Democrats in November making both states more likely to turn blue. Now we just have to get the rest of the Democrats to get motivated and VOTE!
Thank you – I really was having trouble figuring out how the Rethuglicans stuck us for the bill on this one. Still, it’s hard to figure out precisely how one means of payment is prohibited while the other is not. It’s just another “Big Brother can’t be allowed to help us” decision, isn’t it?
In any case, we all know the FoxPods are only seconds away from their commentaries about how ObamaCare has been destroyed for good and all by this ruling (even though I could not precisely see how – and even though that fact wouldn’t have stopped them for a minute).
Based on your hopes and the hopes of the Marks of the world (from his article bitching about us right wingers wanting to keep our hard earned money) I guess I better keep working – a lot of people are depending on me to help pay for their health insurance – and no “thank you” to be found. I’m so glad we have this wonderful law that steals from one citizen (I’m one of those) to support another – sounds like more welfare to me. I may need to work until death to keep this system afloat – Kali – maybe you can try to convey the thank you to me and all us actually working to hold this together for the likes of you and Mark.
Steve:
Like you, I’m really annoyed over people who do no work and get a monthly check from the government: they’re called the Tea Party legislative welfare queens in the House of Representatives. My taxes go to pay for those free loaders.
I have a secret for you: the people receiving the government subsidy on their insurance aren’t taking from you, as you probably don’t pay enough taxes to cover the medical costs of even a single person.
Sounds to me like you’re just another Faux News fool…
have a nice day…
Gene
Not the thank you I was looking for, but I guess it’s the best I’ll get from this crowd – so here is your very own – YOU’RE WELCOME!!!
And some advice – don’t bite the hand that feeds you.
It’s the only sort of reply you deserve, especially given your original post.
This isn’t about keeping your hard-earned money. I for one will not let you get away with framing the issue that way.
Of course you won’t – you don’t believe it’s my money so why would you. You’ll never convince anyone with any sense until you acknowledge the taxpayers roll in any legislation like this. Just once – it would be nice to see one of you communists acknowledge the people who work and earn a living so these programs can even exist. Government owns NOTHING without taking it from someone else – you can live in your own fantasy land that all these wonderful things you think are provided by government just happen without the financial support of the people through the money taken out of their paychecks before they even get an opportunity to use it to support themselves. Try being grateful for once and maybe the rhetoric will come down. There is NO patriotic responsibility for any person to just accept their enslavement through involuntary taxation. And you wonder why I’ve compared your ideology to terrorism – you clearly are every bit as dangerous to our well being as citizens since what we earn isn’t really ours in your world. What a sad human being – no self respect at all.
‘…NO patriotic responsibility…’
Wow, the founders would be ashamed that you live in the land of their vision. You think taxes are a mark of tyranny. You don’t want to ANY taxes. What a childish way of thinking, that also just happens to shut out the reality of living, let alone of living in the modern world. I’ll tell you what Steve, you can live as just an individual and you don’t have to pay taxes anymore and you can have whatever you need free from the–just crushing–whims of the society that you abhor to be a part of. Oh but wait, you’ll need to grow all of your own food, generate all your own electricity, water, transportation, defense, infrastructure…well let’s just say you don’t have to do ALL of that yourself, I mean shit, what kinda shit life would that be, am I right? So, you’ll need to be a very limited member of society but you still don’t have to pay taxes. Ok, so you’ll need to work with other people to make your own money so you can buy things like food and electricity and transportation and shelter and defense. Oh but wait, in interacting with other people you’ll have to build your own infrastructure to facilitate said interaction, and you’ll be too broke to do that, and you’ll be doing it all yourself while still working in what limited way you can to make money working with other people. And those people won’t want to work with you because instead of doing good focused work, you’ll be building your own infrastructure and providing your own defense. Ok, so you can be slightly more involved in society, and use our collective infrastructure to help facilitate your working with other people to make money to buy shelter, food, electricity, defense, etc. But you didn’t pay to build that infrastructure facilitating your work to make money to buy all the things you need to live because you still don’t pay taxes like everyone else did to build an infrastructure to help facilitate our lives. But you’ll have to use it…hmmm, ok, so you’ll have to pay *some* taxes, otherwise you’re just using our infrastructure making money for yourself and not contributing to what you use. A freeloader, if you will. Oh, but wait, you’ll have to defend and maintain the infrastructure you use to make money to buy the things you’ll need to live, but you have to do that while still working with other people to make money. Ok, so you’ll be more involved and pay more than just *some* taxes so you can use a maintained and defended infrastructure to help you make money to buy the things you need to live. Oh, and the people you buy food, electricity, defense, shelter, etc, from all have to use that infrastructure to get those things to you. So, you would reap benefits of the infrastructure that you wouldn’t have paid for. Shit, this is hard huh? It’s almost like humans, as social beings, have developed societies as a means of survival in a dangerous world.
You don’t think about things very hard, do you Steve? Your extreme philosophy of individualismwould mean you would live as just that, an individual. Nothing would ‘stolen’ from you, but then again nothing would be there for you to use that you didn’t build, maintain, and defend yourself. With all that in mind, is there really ‘NO patriotic responsibility’ to pay taxes Steve? Really? Your views are completely sophomoric. Thinking people should pay taxes is ‘more of a threat to the citizen than any terrorist’? Your shit is bush league, every time. Every single time. You do a disservice to your side.
tdve:
Now listen closely, as there will be a qiz following.
It’s not “your money”: you didn’t print it, you don’t distribute it, you don’t guarantee it’s value in a transaction. It’s the GOVERNMENT’S money. As a member of the tribe (the US society), you receive certain benefits,and incur certain obligations. One obligation is to participate in tribe related activities: protection, health, communication, to name a few. You can do his in one of two ways, both ultimately involving a use of your time. You can deliver mail for free, for some period of time, or you can participate in the defense of the tribe free for some period of time, you can be a construction worker for some period of time, for free; or, you can return to the government the claim check on your time (called “dollars”) as a substitute for your actual physical effort. Wat you can’t do is to completely withdraw from the tribe, as even living in a cave you will be depending on the tribe for certain services and protections.
With any luck, you’ll be freed of the mandates in Obamacare that protect you from being bankrupted by healthcare costs, resulting from policies which are wonderfully affordable, but provide no benefits for the premiums paid. And DON’T come begging for MY liberal Tax Dollars, to cover the tab when you can’t afford to pay for services you or your family desperately need. MY wallet is closed to money-grubbing neocons who’d sacrifice the greater good for a monthly Starbucks Vente.
I’m sure I’ll survive – only losers think and operate with that kind of thinking.
True. It’s about selfish, tight-a$$ed people who don’t understand basic economics.
Here’s the basic economics:
In Classical Economics terms,
Increasing the number of people who have insurance will increase the DEMAND for medical services.
This will have two effects: increase the salary and wages of the current medical providers, causing medical prices to go up, and increasing the DEMAND for medical workers. This increase in DEMAND for medical workers will increase the SUPPLY, causing medical prices to go down.
The increase in the SUPPLY of medical workers will create an externality effect on the DEMAND for consumer goods and services. This increase in the DEMAND for consumer goods and services will generate and increase in PRODUCTION, generating increased profits for business and business owners.
In Keynesian Economics terms: Increasing government subsidies is and increase in government spending, generating an increase in DEMAND, consumption, PRODUCTION and profits.
I would think that GOP/TPers would be all in favor of increases in business activity.
What the hell are you drinking??? – none of this legislation is even remotely related to actual market forces or anything you seem to think is real – the entire health care system has been and is currently being run by insurance companies and this legislation just enshrined it in law. No one pays for their own health care anymore – it’s all done through insurance – which is why prices – insurance prices – continue to go up at ridiculously high rates. There is absolutely no market force keeping that from happening. If people were actually responsible for their own health care costs – and I’m talking specifically about the non-catastrophic stuff that insurance exists to cover – then prices would come down or at least be controlled by market forces. Nothing here resembles that – so stop trying to make it as it does. Try arguing on the reality, not the emotional bullshit as you seem to do. This legislation did one thing – hand millions more people over to the insurance companies. It’s a giant corporate handout and this no good president did it.
Everything you just said contradicts the premise of your rebuttal. You actually reinforce what gene said…how fascinating that you keep coming back to do the same thing over and over again.
Steve:
How can there be market forces in a market dominated by near monopolies (oligopolies) facing an essentially fragmented DEMAND? The health care market is the classic industrial monopoly market model: prices are determined by the seller, with no concern as to costs, or to reducing costs. Indeed, the pre ACA health care market encouraged the increase in costs, as these could always be passed on to an insurance carrier. Under ACA, “an ” becomes “the”, and “carrier” becomes “carriers”; this introduces competition into the market place. A simple macro analysis indicates that market prices will initially rise following the introduction of the ACA, followed by steadily decreasing prices, as competition drives prices toward costs, and the push for profits drives costs down. The forcing function will be the increase in the SUPPLY size of the health care labor pool, following the increase in DEMAND for health care workers.
By the way – that reference to Keynesian economics just shows how blind you are to reality, but it at least shows why you believe what you believe. You’ll be a slave forever so long as you subscribe to that thinking.
What’s wrong about it? What part of it is incorrect? Can you say?
Steve:
Sorry to burst your bubble, but both Classical Macroeconomics and Keynesian Economics give the same answer: introduction of the ACA will eventually drive down health care prices. Classical economics examines the mechanisms, while Keynesian economics looks at the health care market as a black box, with certain mathematical equations. Mechanics or mathematics, the answer is the same.
“…the Republicans are giddy over millions of Americans being uninsured or bankrupt…”
Another lie from Mark. The Republicans are looking forward to the possibility of this hideous law being declared unconstitutional, which it should have been declared back in 2012. There are a host of reasons it should be declared that way. Another lawsuit is working its way through that, because this law is a tax provision, it should be thrown out because it originated in the Senate, and all tax bills are supposed to originate in the House.
Scott – Mark makes moronic statements like that frequently – he thinks if you don’t agree with liberal ideology, you must be against all the “good” they are trying to do.
Don’t waste your time – he is as idiotic as the politicians and activists that spew the same garbage – his blind followers don’t think enough question that kind of rhetoric. Of course all republicans are against clean air, water and people having insurance – yeah that’s what we think – he’s so much smarter than that, but he can’t help but show his stupid side too.