Obamacare myths
Introduction
The idea for this series came from a recent argument discussion on Facebook with an acquaintance who had posted a link to Mike Huckabee's call to repeal Obamacare.
If it had been anyone else, I would have moved on and not given it a second thought -- just another crazy right-winger who doesn't know how broken the system is because they've always had adequate healthcare and have never had to fight to get help.
This person, though, is someone who spent many years dealing with the very broken mental health care system here in North Carolina, for almost exactly the same reasons we have had to do so -- so I was utterly flabbergasted. "You've got to be kidding," said I. "You think we're going to get something better if this goes away?"
No, she wasn't kidding.
Although our dialogue was brief, it became quickly clear that she had bought into a lot of misinformation about Obamacare (and held beliefs about it which hinted at other misinformation).
I thought it would make a good series to identify each of these mistaken beliefs and set the facts straight.
So far, I have eight myths; please feel free to suggest your own in the comments. I'm planning to post about once a day until I run out of myths or some new disaster comes along and I have to take a break. Here are the myths (so far):
- It's a luxury we can't afford.
- It forces individuals to buy insurance they can't afford.
- If you don't buy insurance, you pay a huge penalty.
- Repealing it will save money and help the deficit.
- It was forced on America; Americans didn't want it.
- It doesn't actually help people. "I know people who still can't get insurance."
- It rations healthcare; government agents will be deciding who lives or dies.
- It is paid for by tax increases.
crossposted to Open Salon
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