Two of last week’s Atlanta Forward blogs dealt with signing up for new health care options through insurance exchanges established by the Affordable Care Act. Here’s what some readers had to say about the topic.
Joe: When in the entire history of the USA has government been able to successfully run anything? Why, then, would anyone in their right minds think the government would be able to implement and manage health care? Not gonna happen. Also, people are just now awakening to the fact that, because of this unaffordable health care act, they are losing the number of hours worked from 40 per week to 29 in order to get under the hour threshold required for insuring workers. Also, many people are losing their jobs entirely because of this law, not to mention the number of small businesses closing down. There is a much better way than socialized medicine. People I know personally who live in Europe cringe at the low level of care they receive from their government-run health care plans. We must turn back this tide, or we will grow old facing the harsh reality that our "golden years" are of the "fools gold" variety. God help us all.
Casual Observer: Joe, seems you don't know as much as you think you do. Obamacare is definitely not government-run health care. The insurance companies are still selling you the coverage. The only difference is that Uncle Sam is picking up part of the tab for those under 400 percent of the federal poverty level. Now that may be distasteful to you, but consider that we taxpayers are getting stuck with the tab for the uninsured anyhow. Yes, I'm sure some employees are having hours cut to get under 50 full-time employees, but how many companies are really going to be able to do that and stay successful? There is only a very small percentage of employers with between 50 and 60 full-time employees, and not all of those are cutting hours. I also question your assertion of small businesses closing down. Small businesses that stop offering benefits — that I would believe. But there are viable alternatives available for those, the most likely of which is for the small employers to tell their employees they will give them so much money a month to spend on health care coverage in the marketplace. The employee is then free to choose whatever plan is best for his or her family, not just the one or two choices the owner decided to offer as group insurance, and may wind up getting coverage that better suits his needs at a lower overall cost. The employer benefits because he knows what health care benefits will cost him, and he doesn't have to spend time trying to get the best deal from the insurance company each year.
Mangler: I sit here in a red state, in a red company, surrounded by red friends and coworkers. Every single one of them has been vehemently opposed to this the entire time. Every single one of them found out that they will spend less through the exchanges, since they are able to actually compare what they have to what is being offered rather than the labyrinth of paperwork they used to get. Not one of them has said jack squat about it since.
