he and his wife have 4 kids - all college age - all athletes and prone to all sorts of injuries and driving out of state - to and from college.

They have no health insurance. Struggling as he lost his business during the BushCo recession. He's had open heart surgery and is probably still paying off bills from that - which happened about 6 years ago.

He will not even look into ACA - because he's been brainwashed by the likes of Rush, Hannity & Fox News.

I feel real sorry for the family. They are essentially shooting themselves in the foot. They vote against their best interests.

Heaven forbid that they have some major health setback - they could lose their house.

I just don't understand some people.

must be very proud of themselves looking at the numbers of those who..



And simultaneously screw themselves in the process.

a winner with Obama as President. They can capitalize their a$$es off on burning the poor souls who are brainwashed into hating on PBO.

It's really middle class whites who vote en masse against their own economic interests, not so much poor ones.

http://themonkeycage.org/blog/2012/03/23/voting-patterns-of-americas-whites-from-the-masses-to-the-elites/

I bet if Bush signed into law the ACA he would have no problem with it.BUT because it's from a black man he fells that he can't touch it.

with him. I said he was a staunch Repug. Doesn't like anything remotely Dem. Even back when Clinton was President. He's just brainwashed by all the Conservative/Repug talking heads he listens to. He's an avid Rush fan.

Back when Sicko was out - by Michael Moore - I offered to pay his way to see it at the theater and he refused. I then went out and bought the DVD - and he refused to accept it and watch it.

pre-existing conditions not factored in. Maybe there's something that can be done?

his already substantial credit card debts are mounting, and time is of the essence - he's already been told he needs to have surgery.

since the deadline for coverage in January has passed.

Although - as early as it is in the month, it sounds as if he may have chosen not to sign up even after knowing the bill would be big out of principle. I have a libertarian friend I got into horrendous arguments with, since he knows my daughter (and her $25,000 to $60,000 bills in good years), knows there is absolutely nothing she could have done to minimize her major health care needs (there are some minor - unrelated - ones she brought on herself), and could not be budged into stopping his non-stop tirade against how just because you need health care you don't have the right to steal from me to pay for it. People with that mindset can be really stubborn . . .

Do they not know how insurance works?

It is the mandatory nature of the ACA (so he is required to pay into the pool (or pay a tax penalty) to pay for my daughter's illness). He feels the same way about single payer health care, and taxes in general.

And our mandatory taxes pay for VA services, yet nobody screams about that.

Pooling our money together makes everything cheaper. Besides your payment
will eventually pay for his operation as well. It's not like he won't get his money back.
He'll literally come out waaaaay ahead.

Your friend is extremely selfish!

A little at a time, or in one very fell swoop.
We are always just a grand bargain away from cutting, when we should be strengthening.
Plus - fewer people working, fewer people or businesses and corporations paying taxes and into social security and medicare. Not an unforeseen happenstance at all.
Republicans see the subsidized premiums the government pays to insurance companies, for poor people, as money out of their pockets. They don't mind the mandate so much as the subsidies.

I was referring to no screams about getting rid of the VA, which is truly the most socialistic program in the US.
Only the teapublicans in congress try to get rid of VA benefits (quietly), the other teapublicans in society don't want the VA benefits cut because many are veterans.

As for my money paying for his operation eventually and him coming out aheaed - not a chance in the world (for my daughter). Literally her bills are between $25,000 and $60,000 a year - and they will continue to be that high (or higher) every year of her life with the possible exception that they create a grow-your-own liver before she needs a new one, and can avoid the lifetime after transplant with anti-rejection drugs. Unfortunately, she will always be a net drain on the health care system.

Your friend will never have any empathy.
But when something happens to him or a loved one, they all seem to sing a different tune.

Unfortunately that may take too much time and our window of opportunity will have closed.

by new enrollees, coverage begins for them on Feb 1.

about his/her right not to have health care?

This is foolish in the extreme. Are there any others who depend on this person? Talk about a selfish attitude.

The best case now is that he/she enrolls TODAY and gets covered effective February 1. Let's hope that this month without coverage does not either bankrupt or kill your friend.

But let's look at the broader picture. If the ACA had kicked in a year ago, and "forced" this bozo to have coverage, then he/she might have gotten the check-ups that would have identified this at a much earlier stage.

Sometimes I guess we just have to let Darwin win.

Don't be an ideological moran... Or something like that

Tell that person. He/she has until March 31st.

Anybody who waits past Jan 15 won't get coverage until March 1, which literally could be a matter of life and death in this case.

We'll see, but there is no reason to delay signing up now.

who was just diagnosed with cancer, and has just learned that he can actually get coverage in 22 days if he acts this week, would be all over that.

If this person has not made the application TODAY, he gets no sympathy from me.

We have had to fight for 4 years to allow people in his circumstance to have a chance to live. At some point, I say, "Screw these people. If they really feel that way, then let them die -- just as the teabaggers screamed during the GOP primary debate. But don't take the rest of America down just because you have a death wish."

if that help is not accepted, I give up.

You seem like such a genuine nice person who really care about these folks. I know it is extremely irritating trying to deal with folks that have been so brainwashed. However, keep trying because I have seen people change. It is not easy but I have seen it. The other thing is, is it possible to discuss this with his wife or 4 college age children? Perhaps they could be convinced easier especially if you put the fact that he has cancer and could in reality die. That might wake up at least one of the kids and he or she could be an ally with you. I mean not easy by any means, but just reading your various posts, you seem way too nice and caring to give up.

social enlightenment.