Friday, February 21, 2014

Asthma sufferer now realizes Obamacare can't help him, despite Obama's 2008 remarks

Speaking at a campaign rally during his 2008 Presidential run, then-Sen. Obama made the following remarks with regards to health insurance:

"Everybody knows that it makes no sense that you send a kid to the emergency room for a treatable illness like asthma. They end up taking up a hospital bed. It costs, when, if you, they just gave, you gave, treatment early, and they got some treatment, and, uhhh, a breathalyzer, or, uhh, an inhalator, not a breathalyzer... [laughter] I haven't had much sleep in the last 48 hours... [laughter] If they had an inhalator, inhaler - I'm still stumbling over this word. You know what I mean. You know what I mean. Then we would save money."

Obama stumbled over his words; perhaps he was drunk, which would would explain the "breathalyzer" gaffe. But nevertheless, he was trying to make the case for national health insurance - or, as he likes to call it, "affordable health care" - by using an asthma sufferer as an illustration of someone who would benefit from national health insurance.

So, let's see how those asthma sufferers are faring, right now, under Obamacare:

From the Denver Post:
Matt Leising spends about $3,600 a year on medication to treat asthma and sinus problems, so he was supportive when Washington politicians were debating the Affordable Care Act.

After the law passed and then began rolling out last fall, Leising went to Colorado's health care exchange website to look for coverage, but the 29-year-old Littleton resident quickly realized he couldn't afford any of the plans.

The lowest monthly premium was $175, but the deductible was $10,000, meaning he would still have to pay for his medication and other expenses. He decided to just pay for his medication out of pocket and take the $95 tax penalty for a single person...
"You know what I mean. You know what I mean......."

Yes, Mr. Obama, I know what you mean.............

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