Where parenting, politics, disability, poetry and politics intersect

So, yeah, go ahead and complain to me again about a (temporarily) glitchy website. Fact: many historic American achievements have been preceded by mistakes far more harrowing than a flummoxed website.

Bob Cesca (read the full article, here) 

In all this talk of miracles and healings, with postings of poetry and naked dancing, I haven't spoken too much of politics lately, except for the occasional jab at the difficulties we are facing in the epilepsy community with getting medical marijuana for our children and the draconian federal policies governing it.

So, where's the politics at a moon, worn as if it had been a shell? Now's the time for those of you who abhor them to click off, drop away, go back to your peaceful day. I'll give you a sec.




Peaceniks and Tea Partiers gone?

OK.

I want to talk about healthcare and the Affordable Care Act or Obamacare, particularly all this brouhaha over cancelled policies and the POTUS lying about it and the government comin' between me and my doctor (thick southern accent here, please) talk, etc. etc. First of all, there aren't many people who supported healthcare reform who weren't disappointed in how the Affordable Care Act shook out. Those of us in the individual insurance market who had any sense at all were perfectly aware that the Obama administration compromised mightily with the insurance industry in order to satisfy not only that Evil Empire but those who rattled their sabers about socialized medicine, about the slippery slope to European style government and hell and damnation. The Affordable Care Act was a HUGE compromise and far less than the universal coverage most of us on the "left" had hoped would happen. I perhaps cynically don't believe that real universal coverage will ever happen in this country because we're not sophisticated enough, as a rule. I'm in the group that believes the ACA made some monumentally positive changes, though, that will improve the lot of tens of millions of people, including our family.

Yes, we were one of those families that got the letter from Anthem Blue Cross stating that our policy would be terminated as of January 1st, 2014 because it was out of compliance with the law as outlined in the Affordable Care Act.

Let me translate that for you:

We at Anthem Blue Cross will no longer be able to provide you with one of the shittiest, most expensive health insurance policies that we offer because if we do, we will have broken the law. We can no longer deny that you add your epileptic daughter to your policy. We can no longer cap out our expenditures in the event another member of your family develops a disease or has an accident warranting millions of dollars of healthcare. We can no longer deny coverage for preventive care. We can no longer force you to pay ever-increasing premiums that buy you catastrophic health care ONLY. In fact, this shitty policy for which you've paid tens of thousands of dollars over the last nearly twenty years of your life only proved to us that you were as stupid and lemming-like as we could have hoped at the time. That time, sadly for us, is over. BUT, we're happy to inform you of your other choices, which might cost you more but be of improved value. 

Now, I'm as nervous as the rest of you, but I've been on the California website and have figured out that our family might qualify for a federal subsidy so that our monthly premium won't be as high as it is now. I've also figured out that if it is higher than what we pay now, it will be far more comprehensive with far more choices, and most importantly of all, Sophie's shitty policy can be cancelled and she can be added onto our own. I still think the Evil Empire (insurance companies) make out like thieves, and I still believe universal healthcare should be the rule of the land, but anything, anything is better than what we have now, and the ACA appears in many respects to be an improvement.

Now, I'm tired of typing. Read this article.

Tell me what your experiences have been.