It's struggling poll numbers notwithstanding, the Affordable Care Act is already doing several things very well. There's one key quality, however, that may especially relevant in a political context.
We know, for example, that the law offers protections for those with pre-existing conditions and extends coverage to millions of young adults who are now able to stay on their parents' plans. "Obamacare" has also closed Medicare's prescription drug "donut hole," expanded access to contraception, brought new coverage for low-income children, slowed the growth of Medicare spending, and given a boost to small business through tax credits.
And then there's the 80/20 rule, which we covered on Friday night's show.
The provision of the law has never really generated much attention -- most Americans are convinced they don't like Obamacare, though they still don't know what's in it -- but as Rachel explained in the segment, the rebates are likely to get noticed.
A rule created by the 2010 healthcare law and finalized Friday will yield about $1.3 billion in insurance rebates for nearly 16 million Americans, according to estimates by the Kaiser Family Foundation.
The rule, known as the medical loss ratio (MLR), mandates that insurers spend roughly 80 percent of all premiums on healthcare rather than on marketing, executive bonuses or other administrative costs.
The rebates -- which the Obama campaign reportedly sees as a "stealth weapon" for improving opinion of the health law -- will arrive no later than August 1.
I imagine some folks see the phrase "medical loss ratio" and their eyes glaze over, but you don't need to be a wonk to appreciate the policy. Obamacare forces insurers to spend 80% of the premiums they receive from consumers on actual health care -- not advertising, lobbying, or giving executives huge salaries. When insurers fall short, they're required to -- you guessed it -- send you a check for the difference.
It's the kind of thing that may have an election-year impact.
Over the summer, 16 million Americans are going to get some nice checks in the mail from their insurance company, due entirely to the fact that the much-derided health care law is looking out for consumers, not insurers.
As the segment explained, folks like getting unexpected money in the mail. When they realize it's because of Obamacare, maybe the law will start to look a little better in those consumers' eyes.
That checks will hit mailboxes a few months before the election probably doesn't hurt Obama's potential benefit, either.
It's also worth keeping in mind these rebate checks will disappear if/when Republicans kill the entirety of the law, replacing it with nothing: "Some House and Senate Republicans are now admitting what's been obvious from the start: that the Republican vow to 'repeal and replace' Obama's health law has always been a bait-and-switch."
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Great, but will they realize it's the result of the PPACA?
I worry this is going to be like one of those ads from Exxon bragging about all the money they spent on cleaning up the environment, conveniently omitting the fact that such spending was the direct result of a government order and not just out of the goodness of their corporate-person heart.
I can see insurance companies spinning this to push back against the PPACA. "Look, we're so good we're sending you money back! No need to regulate us, right?"
I hope the administration has a plan to trumpet this, because voters aren't going to connect the dots on their own.
I think if we stay positive in our thinking and commenting about these issues, it'll be ok. Change is scarry, and we have been living in the dark for so long. 1 positive thought has the power to eliminate about 10 negative thoughts. Or if you want to use 80/20 that works too. Amen and amen is about all I have to say on this subject. I can say with great confidence that I trust completely the intellegience of our current President and his comrades. They are always one step ahead and they have examined carefully, this time any loop holes in which the Dasterdlys wish to explore. Let them run around in circles chasing their own tails. They're good at wagging their tails too..
And we sure canNOT count on the Corporately Owned Media to inform the amerikan sheeple.
I should've watched the video before commenting -- the fact that the insurers are required to hat-tip the PPACA with the rebates is reassuring.
Imagine if Medicare were to spend 20% on administrative costs, etc. Republicans would be howling from here to the moon. And so would I.
I really would like to believe that when people get these checks, they will appreciate the ACA much more; however, there are two things that I believe you're missing:
1) some of these people probably won't even acknowledge that these rebates are from the ACA.
and
2) some of these sheeple from the tea-potty are on "social security" and still squawk "get the government outta my Medicare & social security".....
It will be interesting to see how the Republicans frame this issue in order to defuse it before the checks arrive. For example, we might start seeing "experts" on Fox explaining that people are somehow paying more in taxes or higher premiums than they're getting back in rebates. Then the Hannity-Limbaugh types will shout, "How dare they think we're gonna fall for this!" Then the tea-party types will do stunts like publicly tearing up "their" checks (not the real ones of course). Etc etc etc.
Some more possibilities:
- "How dare the socialist liberals force private companies to pay money to their customers!"
- "Where's my rebate from the government for all the taxes I pay - that's what I'd like to know!"
- "Meanwhile, Medicare isn't sending out any rebate checks! Once again, Obama's policies are massively unfair to seniors."
- "All of this is just another example of Chicago-style, machine politics. It used to be coal at Christmastime - now it's healthcare checks before the election."
- "I bet Bill Ayers thought this one up."
I'm on a roll here - bet I'll be getting a job offer from the Heritage foundation any minute now ...
I fear this will not be the political boon we're hoping it will be. With the upcoming SCOTUS ruling, I have little faith the law will still be in place come Election Day. This may be the only such rebate any of us see.
Dems dropped the ball on this bigtime. I am political junkie and this is the first I am really hearing about this. This is valuable ammo in the healthcare fight and Dems should be singing to high heavens that Republicans and the Supreme court threaten to take money out of the Americans peoples hands!!!
WHEN, not if, the RW Supreme Court callously rejects ACA on partisan grounds and the checks do not go out no one will even know of the potential benefit they have lost.
Dems need to start pounding the drum NOW...yet again the Dem messaging and political framing apparatus fails the party....
I remember hearing about it but, my callous view of Corporations (disclaimer I work for a big one) is that they will figure out a way to "cook' the books to show they are spending the money on healthcare and not return the money. i.e. what money? we already gave it back to you since we didn't raise your rates in 2012 to the true rate...