The Most Important Article on [Travel] You Will Read in 2012
Do you want more money to travel? (feel free to replace travel with: buy groceries, knit, drape yourself in Armani, pay off student loans, have a kid, feed your skydiving habit, donate to charity, buy more toys for your cat, etc.)
Do you want to help ensure your good health so you can travel? (ooooooorrrrr, quit your second job, sleep more, spend more time with your family/friends, not worry so much, go hiking, etc.)
What a coincidink! Me too!
Here’s the deal: this blog post is going to be a bit more serious than others because dudes, this shit is serious. If you are American, read this post and share it with everyone you know through your own blog or however you want. I don’t need credit for this; copy and paste the damn thing and don’t even link back to my site – I don’t give a shit. Just read it and pass it along.
If you want more money to travel (or just in general) and if you want to maintain or improve your health, learn about the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare, if you like) and educate others. I see you tuning out – just keep reading for 3 minutes – do you have 3 minutes?
Facts:
- Because of the ACA, insurance companies must insure you even if you have pre-existing conditions. (Before, they could turn you down for minor reasons like teenage acne or one episode of high blood pressure, making you uninsurable for life.)
- If you are under 26, you can now be on your parents’ insurance instead of going without insurance if you can’t find a job, for example.
- Insurance companies now have to use at least 80% of your premium dollars to pay for actual medical care (instead of advertising or CEO bonuses, for example).
- All your preventive care is FREE!
- Insurance companies must show why they are increasing rates instead of just increasing them each year more and more for no reason.
- All states will have an online marketplace that gives consumers clear information about what insurance companies are offering and how much it is. You can comparison shop!
“But I’ve heard that I’ll have to pay a tax.” “Why do I have to buy something if I don’t want to?” “People don’t seem to like it – there must be a good reason.” “Won’t this cost a lot?”
If you have insurance now, you don’t have to pay a tax or penalty. Only 1% of people in the U.S. can afford insurance but choose not to buy it. Those people need to pay for it so that the rest of us don’t end up paying for their health care when they need it (and they will, right?).
When people hear about the provisions of the Affordable Care Act, they like them, they really like them! The problem is that there have been so many lies spread about it (Fox News, cough, cough) that people actually believe them. No, this law isn’t perfect but it’s damn sure better than anything else that’s been put forth in the last 15 years – nothing.
Nonpartisan groups have shown that the Affordable Care Act will actually end up saving us money. Part of the law cracks down on fraud, waste, and abuse and by paying for prevention, we’ll avoid higher emergency room costs. If you care about the deficit, the Affordable Care Act is your friend.
Now that the Supreme Court also recognizes its validity and legality, we can’t let it be overturned in Congress. If you know anyone who has had to fight with insurance companies to get the coverage they paid for or who has had to choose between insurance and day care, you know how important this law is. Make sure we don’t elect a Congress that will undo it.
A few sites with more info if you’re so inclined:
Health Care for America Now - This group rocks so throw them a coupla bucks, won’t you?
Videos of real people being helped by health reform
Okay, soapbox now stored safely in the overhead compartment. We will be landing momentarily.
