Obamacare and Nursing.. what do you think?

[OKNurse2be]

I know that I am possibly opening up a can of ugly worms. I hope that in spite of differing opinions, that this thread can remain friendly and a simple exchange of ideas and opinions.

As a beginning nursing student, I am being told that there is this looming nursing shortage and that there is great job security. A little research on my own shows me that in my particular state, there definitely is a decent population of still practicing nurses who are 60 years and older who will be retiring soon, which would open up the way for us who are just getting started. More and more emphasis is also being put on the new healthcare law and how it will open the doors for more people to access medical care which again will increase the need for staffing.

I grew up in a country with a socialistic government, which also includes healthcare for everyone. I have seen how the hospitals are understaffed, and you are lucky if you get to spend 5 minutes with your physician, and you are not in control over which healthcare facility you can go to. I know that the new bill isn't necessarily socialistic, but there are socialistic principles in it.

As a nursing student, I can't help but wonder how this is going to affect my future as a nurse. I know that nurses talk among themselves and things trickle down from above onto the floors. Nothing is going to keep me from becoming a nurse. I am not in it for the money, but rather I feel somehow "called." However, I believe that it's good to be prepared for times ahead so that I can adjust accordingly.

How do you think that Obamacare is going to affect how care is delivered?

By the way, this is NOT a homework assignment of any kind. I am merely looking for for a friendly exchange of ideas and opinions.

[Dewman]

No, you aren't "politely waiting", or anything remotely similar.

[toomuchbaloney]

No, you aren't "politely waiting", or anything remotely similar.

Is there something that we must do to be seen as "politely waiting"?

[SC_RNDude]

It doesn't matter to me if you assume that I am some sort of Obamabot...you clearly are in the habit of ignoring facts as evidenced by your refusal to consider the conservative origins of the ACA. Even when presented with evidence from a typically accepted source (Forbes) you ignore facts and make your comment personal. This is not about whether or not my opinions are more valuable than yours, it is about basing one's opinions upon falsehoods and then insisting that they actually have validity, as you have done with your opinions about the ACA.

Perhaps you could support your opinions and comments with some sources which verify their accuracy.

More than 1 million young people (18-34) have signed up for the ACA to date. Many others opted to stay on their parents health insurance plan while they are of an appropriate age to do so. It is interesting that some of the conservative propaganda surrounding the ACA contributes to the overall ignorance of consumers relative to the exchanges, the subsidies, and how the mandate works; which in turn contributes to reluctance of some to engage the system.

Low ACA Knowledge And Health Literacy Hinder Young Adult Marketplace Enrollment - Health Affairs Blog

Don't Blame Heritage for ObamaCare Mandate

[MunoRN, RN]

Don't Blame Heritage for ObamaCare Mandate

I agree with his argument, which is basically "My idea was hardly new. Heritage did not invent the individual mandate." Heritage most likely wasn't the first to advocate for a mandate to buy health insurance, neither was Newt Gingrich's healthcare think tank which also promoted the idea. As much as conservatives protest the idea, they still don't seem to prefer anything else, they just claim to prefer different means to the same end. It would be hard to imagine conservative advocating for the idea that people should be able to chose not to pay into a system, even though they are able, and be legally entitled to use that system, incurring costs that people more responsible than them have been paying for.

[MunoRN, RN]

Sounds like you are saying that healthcare insurance is nothing like home or car insurance, and that a true healthcare market doesn't really exist.

I agree.

The characteristics of any market are in part dictated by the product. Healthcare is a much different produce than car repair, for one thing it's something we've legally required to be provided to anyone who needs it.

However, if our insurance was ONLY for our most expensive care for which, like you said, we can't really shop around for (although the cancer care example you used I would disagree that we couldn't shop around for that), healthcare insurance and healthcare services would be much more affordable.

I don't understand how you think that is different from how it currently works. A major complaint of insurance plans is that the deductibles and out of pocket limits are too high. Plans that start paying for services after only a small or no deductible are being discouraged by Obamacare (that's what the cadillac tax is). The way it currently works is that the consumer pays out of their own pocket for the first few thousand worth of care, insurance only kicks in for costs that exceed that amount, which sounds the same as how you think it should work.

[toomuchbaloney]

So conservatives admit to being in favor of the individual mandate before they were against it...

[MunoRN, RN]

I didn't miss anything of the sort.

Most young people AREN'T signing up.

With a penalty of only $95 this year I don't think there was an expectation that very many young people would sign up this year, it likely won't be until 2016 when the penalty is $695 when there's any significant increase in young people signing up.

[toomuchbaloney]

Today, we announced strong second-quarter results for UnitedHealthcare that show the power of focus and teamwork. Key highlights:

- Exceptional growth in Medicaid with 635,000 new members through the first half of the year primarily in 12 states that chose to expand their Medicaid programs and with the launch of the Florida Acute program.

The private health insurance industry is seeing financial gain and growth because of the ACA.

[pmabraham, BSN, RN]

Good day:

Those who bring up the # of people on Obamacare forget to tell you that since it is MANDATORY, the number doesn't mean a lot. Take in the number signed up less the number of people who had their quality policies cancelled (oh, because liar in chief, fund raiser in chief, have time for golf chief, spent over $44 million on vacations chief president states the policies are junk, do you think his words have any value?), and you get around no more than 1 to 2 million who went on Obamacare that didn't have a quality policy cancelled due to Obamacare inflating the required benefits (like birth control coverage, abortion coverage, invitro coverage, maternity care coverage, etc. regardless of age or sex -- yes sir, all those benefits one will never use really make it a quality policy -- NO, just a government rip off policy so those without subsidies pay more to subsidize those with subsidies - wealth redistribution).

At the end of the day, you have President Obama, Vice President Biden (who recently admitted on video the hope and change they promised FAILED), Nancy Pelosi, and the other democrats who voted on a completely partisan bill who LIED to American public to get their bill (which Nancy Pelosi stated you had to pass to know what's in it vs. READING the darn thing) passed.

Lie -> If you like your doctor, you can keep your doctor PERIOD.

Lie -> If you like your health insurance plan, you can keep it, PERIOD.

Lie -> ER visits will be reduced.

Lie -> Families will save $2,500 per year PERIOD.

goes over the lies.

Thank you.

[toomuchbaloney]

sour grapes from disgruntled republicans who are not ever going to own up to the mess that republican policy created and will continue to bash the sitting POTUS in a time of war forgetting that they crucified anyone who dared to criticize GWB during war.

it gets old in that it is the same tired old talking points which have little value other than to incite the already inflamed republican voting base.

unfortunately, some believe that if they just post the same opinions over and over and over again that those opinions will somehow develop value in the world outside of the conservative echo chamber.

personally I find it amusing that republicans willfully ignore the lies told us by the Bush administrations which have cost us dearly in the form of human life and limb as well as bankrupting the country, are so intent upon fixating upon 4 "lies" mentioned above.

[pmabraham, BSN, RN]

Good day:

You know you have a real obamabot when the best they can do is blame President Bush rather than address the facts presented. When you and the other liberals can address the facts that Obamacare is a 100% partisan bill passed on numerous lies, then maybe we can get somewhere... after all this is a discussion on Obamacare not Bush.

Thank you.

[toomuchbaloney]

Good day:

You know you have a real obamabot when the best they can do is blame President Bush rather than address the facts presented. When you and the other liberals can address the facts that Obamacare is a 100% partisan bill passed on numerous lies, then maybe we can get somewhere... after all this is a discussion on Obamacare not Bush.

Thank you.

what an original post...NOT

I am glad that you approve of the term I coined. Too bad you feel a need to call me or any other participant here names.

The inability of conservative participants in AN to discern the lies and malfeasance of the GWB administration while focusing upon a few "lies" of the Obama adminstration erodes ANY and ALL credibility that they might otherwise enjoy.

In the absense of that ability to reflect upon the failures of republican policy while repeating the same tired rhetoric in every thread is tiresome and pointless. Sort of like the leadership we get from the republicans in Congress, tired, stale, and without an original thought or plan beyond trying to harm BHO and his political legacy. sad, very very sad.