General Politics Discussion [ARCHIVED] • Page 100

If Warren wanted Bernie she should have endorsed him long ago.

 

Bringing it back to healthcare for a moment - I'm currently homeless and couch drifting while looking for a job, though it's challenging due to several mental problems and needing to take medication that zonks me out. Yet I still am required to pay full price on healthcare by month because there seemed to be no way to apply for anything less expensive on the website, even when I mention I have mental illness and have no income. There was an option for financial assistance but that just knocked out like $100 out of the $2000+ I'm required to pay annually. What was I doing wrong or not noticing via registering online that would allow me to have affordable healthcare while being a person technically in poverty at the moment without racking up debt by having to pay hundreds per month for it?

 

I don't see how you wouldn't qualify for Medicaid

 

If you're below 133% of the poverty line, you won't qualify for subsidies because you qualify for Medicaid....unless you're in one of the states that did not do the Medicaid expansion, at which point you have to be below the poverty line. If you're in one of those states and have income that puts you between 100% and 133% of the poverty line, then you fall into what's being called the Medicaid gap. Basically, your governor is an asshole if you're in one of those states. The law was written that people above 133% of the poverty line get subisides for private insurance, and everyone below doesn't because they'd get Medicaid...but unfortunately the righty judges on the SCOTUS ruled it was not constitutional for the FedGov to force states to expand Medicaid. So that's why there's no provision in the law for people in that Medicaid gap area.

There's also issues with some states not letting single males (or single females with no children) qualify for Medicaid. I do not know if the ACA forced all states to change those rules or not. That may also depend on the Medicaid expansion thing.

Also, if you're under 26 and either of your parents have employer provided insurance, you can be put back on their insurance for free, regardless of whether you live with them or not, and regardless of whether they claim you on their insurance or not. I think lol. I can't remember the exact rule.

 

Basically the form's structure and questions require you to fill it out in a certain order and answer yes or no questions that determine stuff later on in the form. So instead of asking if I currently have income at the start it asks if I "plan on paying taxes for [insert the next year you'd need to pay taxes]". Well, fuck, I guess I do plan on it since I'm looking for work but it certainly isn't a guarantee. You have to answer yes or no. If you answer yes, you pay for healthcare. The end. If no, you get a warning message or something if I remember correctly that you won't be eligible for any financial aid. Later on when it asks about your health, (again, yes or no with no nuance at all) the mental illness questions are apparently structured in a way that unless you are so fargone that you can't drive or bathe yourself you don't get any assistance. Meh.

I'm 30 and currently live in a state where the governor is almost always an asshole, so things seem to be lining up.

 

Sanders supporters who go to Trump or Johnson are bullshit. If can find it within yourself to support libertarian policies, you were never were really with the Sanders message anyways.

 

When it comes to qualifying for Medicaid, which i sounds like you would, especially if you have no income, you can't really count on healthcare.gov, unfortunately. And I know those questions are confusing, but always answer them as if today's reality will be tomorrows. Since you don't know if you'll have a job and be able to work, answer as if that will the case in the future. Worst case scenario is you get everything under control and get a job and then you just have to report a change in income/situation.

But, I digress...when it comes to Medicaid, you basically have to find the nearest HHS office to you and call or go there, as you can't really sign up for Medicaid on healthcare.gov. It was a pain in the ass for me to figure out who I had to talk to/where I had to go to get Medicaid, but it was definitely worth it (especially since I just had heart surgery a few months ago...i'd be SOL if I didn't have Medicaid for that). I don't know about your state, but my Medicaid also covered my therapy sessions after I developed anxiety post-surgery. That might be a state to state thing, though.

Unfortunately as a single male or female, you may not qualify for Medicaid in your state. This is basically a state's decision to save money on Medicaid, more or less. I do know some states that have that do have other programs for single adults, but unfortunately don't know much about that and it'll all depend on your state. You can probably do a quick google search to find out more info if medicaid covers single adults in your state/what other programs there are. Mental illness is usually a good enough reason to get coverage.

 

Oh I totally agree. If you supported Bernie and want Trump you obviously didn't like Bernie for his policies. Johnson has a little more in common but economically they are at completely opposite sides. My friend said he either believes there should be big government or very little government so he is going to vote Johnson.

 

Evidently there are still a metric shitton of votes still left to count in CA, and so long as Sanders stays in the race they are required to count any votes that are for him. Thoughts?

 

It does not matter

 

I have friends that are going from Sanders to Johnson. Some Sanders supporters were just attracted to the idea of a deconstruction of the status quo and Johnson represents that in the absence of Sanders. If you are policy-agnostic, then Johnson seems like the obvious choice for former Sanders supporters.

 

I find no fault in a perspective that chiefly concerns itself with burning down the American political duopoly. I would prefer they flock to Stein, but better Johnson than Clinton or Trump, as far as I am concerned.

 

Bernie meeting with Obama today.

 

Are they people going from Sanders to Johnson, or are they people who wouldn't normally vote democrat, saw something different in Sanders, and are now reverting back to their usual cup of tea?

Cause even if your "policy-agnostic" (do such people exist!??!) Stein seems like a much better choice. But I totally could see a sect of the Sanders wing that didn't actually support his healthcare or college fund plans but still like him because he's honest who would vote Johnson in the general.

 

Yeah if you really liked Bernie for what he stands for but can't vote for him, the logical next step is Stein

 

Really curious to see what becomes of this.

 

I mean it's gotta be Obama trying to convince him to concede right?

 

It's pretty obvious. In exchange for dropping out, he will be given the the reward of being able operate on the terrain of influence-making in the DNC, which is actually meaningless.

 

It has to be that, but for some reason I'm skeptical. But at the same time, what, realistically, could it be? He's definitely doing this to prepare for him and Warren officially endorsing Hillary

 

Why is it meaningless exactly? He can't make any substantial changes from that position?

 

I think more people who previously didn't pay attention to politics. And yes, policy-agnostic people exist, I consider myself agnostic to specific policy positions a lot of the time.

 

Not sure if that means, 'issues campaign is focusing on' or 'issues with the campaign process'. I'd assume the former.

That's the approach he needs to be taking at this point and totally calm down his rhetoric about winning the race.

 

Short of being the VP pick I'm not sure what he can do to get his people for Hillary

 

Because his supporting infrastructure operates outside the DNC and the DNC has structurally opposed the things that he wants to do...?

Nothing for him to gain from the Democratic Party anymore other than roping in stray members that still have an inkling of morality and helping the recent Democratic insurgents.

Fuck the Democrats. Bring on a third party bid.