Paul Krugman: GOP’s Obamacare lies hurt American families
The New York Times columnist excoriates Republicans for concocting stories of Obamacare failure
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Award-winning economist and best-selling author Paul Krugman’s latest column
for the New York Times is an unapologetic attack on the Republican
Party for, in Krugman’s words, “trying to deceive voters” and, in the
process, “deceiving themselves.”
What’s got Krugman riled up this time is the GOP’s official response to President Obama’s 2014 State of the Union address, in which Washington congresswoman Cathy McMorris Rodgers argued Obamacare “is not working” and, as proof, cited the experience of one of her constituents, Bette Grenier, who claimed to have seen her monthly premiums increase by a whopping $700.
Before explaining the problems with Grenier’s story, Krugman makes quick work of McMorris Rodgers’ assertion that Obamacare is not working. He notes that sign-ups, while slightly behind projections due to the disastrous rollout of Healthcare.gov, are nevertheless happening at a rapid speed, and that most insurance companies are thus far not concerned that the applicant pool is too old and sick (which could lead to higher premiums for everyone else).
“[T]he law,” Krugman declares, “is doing its job.”
Moving on to Bette Grenier, Krugman, like Salon’s Brian Beutler, points out that Gernier’s story almost immediately fell apart once it was examined by members of Washington state’s media.
The biggest problem with her tale was the fact that Grenier, if she wanted to, could have found a much cheaper alternative than the $700-hike plan, but she refused, saying, “I wouldn’t go on that Obama website.”
Moreover, Krugman notes that Grenier’s prior insurance was pretty bad — it was barebones, had “a $10,000 deductible” and “[offered] very little financial protection.”
But instead of blaming Grenier, Krugman charges Republicans like McMorris Rodgers, who rely on “misleading stories at best, and often outright deceit” in order to portray Obamacare as an unmitigated disaster.
“Who pays the price for this deceit?” Krugman asks. “In many cases, American families. Although health care enrollment is actually going pretty well at this point, thousands and maybe millions of Americans have failed to sign up for coverage because they believe the false horror stories they keep hearing.”
Elias Isquith is an assistant editor at Salon, focusing on politics. Follow him on Twitter at @eliasisquith, and email him at eisquith@salon.com.
What’s got Krugman riled up this time is the GOP’s official response to President Obama’s 2014 State of the Union address, in which Washington congresswoman Cathy McMorris Rodgers argued Obamacare “is not working” and, as proof, cited the experience of one of her constituents, Bette Grenier, who claimed to have seen her monthly premiums increase by a whopping $700.
Before explaining the problems with Grenier’s story, Krugman makes quick work of McMorris Rodgers’ assertion that Obamacare is not working. He notes that sign-ups, while slightly behind projections due to the disastrous rollout of Healthcare.gov, are nevertheless happening at a rapid speed, and that most insurance companies are thus far not concerned that the applicant pool is too old and sick (which could lead to higher premiums for everyone else).
“[T]he law,” Krugman declares, “is doing its job.”
Moving on to Bette Grenier, Krugman, like Salon’s Brian Beutler, points out that Gernier’s story almost immediately fell apart once it was examined by members of Washington state’s media.
The biggest problem with her tale was the fact that Grenier, if she wanted to, could have found a much cheaper alternative than the $700-hike plan, but she refused, saying, “I wouldn’t go on that Obama website.”
Moreover, Krugman notes that Grenier’s prior insurance was pretty bad — it was barebones, had “a $10,000 deductible” and “[offered] very little financial protection.”
But instead of blaming Grenier, Krugman charges Republicans like McMorris Rodgers, who rely on “misleading stories at best, and often outright deceit” in order to portray Obamacare as an unmitigated disaster.
“Who pays the price for this deceit?” Krugman asks. “In many cases, American families. Although health care enrollment is actually going pretty well at this point, thousands and maybe millions of Americans have failed to sign up for coverage because they believe the false horror stories they keep hearing.”
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