Obamacare

Ping Your Reps, Following Up

Tim F., Balloon Juice - July 18, 2013

Balloon Juice is a liberal / progressive blog, and this post suggests asking Republican representatives' offices to test how they handle questions about the Affordable Care Act, (a.k.a. Obamacare), but I think people with disabilities should do this with our members of Congress regardless of party. Part of the purpose of this is to see how well members of Congress respond to questions about the Affordable Care Act ... especially if you already know a particular member opposed it. Most members, regardless of party, place a high value on "constituent services", meaning helping out individuals in their districts. However, Obamacare remains a highly politicized law, and there may be a few members of Congress who will cross the line, so to speak, and provide poor or inaccurate information to constituents just to mess with implementation.

Call if you don't know what Obamacare is about, but call even if you do. Be sure to mention your disability, if you have one. And if you have Medicaid, Medicare or private insurance already, don't assume that Obamacare has nothing helpful to you, especially if you work or are constantly teetering on the edge of eligibility for things. This is how calling to "test" your representatives can also be an occasion for some more focused disability advocacy, to help make even the more supportive members aware of our unique concerns.

I also recommend at least one visit to Healthcare.gov, the big website that will apparently be the hub for Obamacare information and applications.