President Obama reportedly claimed that he’s really good at killing people. For once, he has a point.
If you have any doubts, read this devastating op-ed by Stage IV gallbladder cancer survivor Edie Littlefield Sundby. Here’s an excerpt:
My grievance is not political; all my energies are directed to enjoying life and staying alive, and I have no time for politics. For almost seven years I have fought and survived stage-4 gallbladder cancer, with a five-year survival rate of less than 2% after diagnosis. I am a determined fighter and extremely lucky. But this luck may have just run out: My affordable, lifesaving medical insurance policy has been canceled effective Dec. 31.
My choice is to get coverage through the government health exchange and lose access to my cancer doctors, or pay much more for insurance outside the exchange (the quotes average 40% to 50% more) for the privilege of starting over with an unfamiliar insurance company and impaired benefits.
This is what the ACA’s architects and defenders mean when they say that people can “pretty much” keep the plans they like: cancellation letters, higher premiums, less choice, and — in Sundby’s case — a possible death sentence.
“Nothing in Obamacare forces people out of their health plans”? Tell it to Edie.
It will be interesting to see how Obamacare’s defenders respond. Will they assert that Edie “doesn’t know shit” about her health insurance situation? Will they breezily dismiss her story as an “anecdote”? Will they claim that she’s making it all up? Or will they just ignore her altogether?
I'd like to hear @NickKristof's reaction to this. http://t.co/G4youQ5ek8
— James Taranto (@jamestaranto) November 4, 2013
So would we. Alas, don’t hold your breath.
https://twitter.com/Mattfobrien/status/397177098621964288
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‘Talking about Obamacare?’ Book quotes President Obama saying he’s ‘really good at killing people
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