The New Spokesman For Obamacare — Rand Paul

The eye doctor proves he doesn’t understand health care or Obamacare on The Daily Show
Politics • Views: 20,535

Video

Over the past few weeks, Rand Paul has racked up an impressive list of things he doesn’t understand, including Abraham Lincoln, why people like Medicare, the deficit and reality.

You can now add Obamacare to that list, along with health care in general — even though he is an ophthalmologist.

When the senator visited The Daily Show this week, host John Oliver asked Paul to do something he apparently has never had to do before: defend his opposition to the Affordable Care Act.

After making one decent point —that the reason most people aren’t insured because of “the expense” — he offered terrible example after terrible example to justify his opposition to the law.

He blamed government for the high cost of care and then used an example of the two “products” he offered as an eye doctor that went down every year because they weren’t covered by insurance: LASIK and contact lenses. He credited market forces for the drop in costs without pointing out that neither of these things is often purchased in an emergency, the way heart surgery or an appendectomy is. You can shop for contacts but you can’t shop for a cast when you need a broken bone set.

That was pretty bad, but at least the power of market forces in health care is debatable.

Actual costs aren’t.

Paul engaged in exactly the kind of misinformation the right is trafficking in to dissuade people from actually signing up for coverage when open enrollment begins on October 1.

“You have a young audience and you tell them ‘Oh you must buy insurance,’” he said. “But they say ‘but I only make $30,000 a year and your insurance now costs $15,000. So how is that mandate going to work?’ I have employees for a small business and there is no insurance. How can they buy insurance if they make $30,000 and insurance costs $15,000?”

Well, good thing insurance won’t cost $15,000 or even near half that. How do we know this 100 percent for sure?

By law — yes, the Affordable Care Act — it can’t.

At $30,000 a year, buying insurance on your own through an exchange, you can’t pay more than 8.37 percent of your income, or $2,512, for health insurance. And in the worst-case scenario where you become sick and need to see a doctor often, you won’t spend more than $6,350 a year out of your own pocket.

This is why Occupy Democrats’ Courtney Lynn wrote that Rand Paul accidentally made the case for Obamacare while trying to bash it.

Rand Paul could have used the real numbers if he’d visited the Kaiser Foundation’s Subsidy Calculator.

But making up his own Randian reality is the senator’s specialty.

(Cross-posted at The National Memo.)

Jump to bottom

70 comments
1 wrenchwench  Fri, Aug 16, 2013 12:47:37pm

Welcome hatchling.

2 Targetpractice  Fri, Aug 16, 2013 12:49:04pm

Watching the GOP wig out over ACA, which is at best a good first step in the right direction, can you imagine how fucking wild they’d be going if Democrats had somehow found 60 votes to pass single-payer in ‘09?

3 Kragar  Fri, Aug 16, 2013 12:49:59pm

Rand Paul is a no talent rodeo ass clown.

4 b_sharp  Fri, Aug 16, 2013 12:50:22pm

Don’t talk to him, he won’t follow me on twitter.

LOLGOP is bad.

Mind you that’s a damn good page he put up. Kudos.

5 Skip Intro  Fri, Aug 16, 2013 12:56:36pm
he offered as an eye doctor that went down every year because they weren’t covered by insurance: LASIK and contact lenses.

The cost also isn’t affected by age and pre-existing conditions, something all health insurance policies are. Also, they are both optional; you can always just keep wearing glasses, something that definitely hasn’t dropped in price over the years.

Rand really is a dumb little spud, isn’t he?

6 Charles Johnson  Fri, Aug 16, 2013 12:57:15pm

Rand Paul is currently getting the big PR push. It’s obvious he’s being positioned to run for president, regardless of his outrageously racist ideas and associations. And he’s a lot more canny and practical than his father. Don’t underestimate him.

7 wrenchwench  Fri, Aug 16, 2013 1:01:11pm

Little joke in there from Rand about mental health care. Mental health care in this country, however, is a big joke.

8 dog philosopher  Fri, Aug 16, 2013 1:01:39pm

he is so full of crap

here in the very expensive bay area, the relatively expensive kaiser offers its cheapest 1 person plan at $300/mo. cheaper private plans are available. i don’t use the kaiser only because the subsidized ins from my company offers the same financial structure as the kaiser but at only $100/mo for me, & i guess about the same amt for the company’s contribution

9 b.d.  Fri, Aug 16, 2013 1:05:36pm

re: #6 Charles Johnson

Rand Paul is currently getting the big PR push. It’s obvious he’s being positioned to run for president, regardless of his outrageously racist ideas and associations. And he’s a lot more canny and practical than his father. Don’t underestimate him.

Well, he has the crucial Assange contingent all sewed up already.

10 erik_t  Fri, Aug 16, 2013 1:07:07pm

re: #6 Charles Johnson

Rand Paul is currently getting the big PR push. It’s obvious he’s being positioned to run for president, regardless of his outrageously racist ideas and associations. And he’s a lot more canny and practical than his father. Don’t underestimate him.

That hair could never get elected.

11 Feline Fearless Leader  Fri, Aug 16, 2013 1:08:46pm

re: #9 b.d.

Well, he has the crucial Assange contingent all sewed up already.

And Aqua Buddha as the running mate to get the crucial youth and drug-culture vote.
//

12 Targetpractice  Fri, Aug 16, 2013 1:10:31pm

re: #6 Charles Johnson

Rand Paul is currently getting the big PR push. It’s obvious he’s being positioned to run for president, regardless of his outrageously racist ideas and associations. And he’s a lot more canny and practical than his father. Don’t underestimate him.

Only difference between him and his daddy is he’s younger and more charismatic, which makes it easier for him to bullshit the younger crowd. The soft sell versus the hard sell.

13 lawhawk  Fri, Aug 16, 2013 1:12:21pm

The fact is that people who make up to 400% of the poverty line will be entitled to subsidies to cover costs of health care under the exchanges. This means that someone who gets quoted a policy of say $9,293 to cover themselves, their spouse, and child, all while making $50,000, would actually likely pay only $4,112 per year, with the balance picked up as a tax credit subsidy.

The subsidies are there to encourage people to get into the programs and to reduce costs on the back end due to uninsureds.

With the same scenario, but changing annual income, the maximum income eligible for the credit would be around $78,000, when the tax credit subsidy runs about $1,883 for that same $9,293 premium quote - meaning the amount this family would pay is $7,410.

Assumptions: premium and subsidy are based on silver plan.

Facts and statistics are an anathema to Paul and the GOP.

14 Charles Johnson  Fri, Aug 16, 2013 1:12:24pm
15 Charles Johnson  Fri, Aug 16, 2013 1:13:02pm
16 Kragar  Fri, Aug 16, 2013 1:13:41pm

re: #12 Targetpractice

Only difference between him and his daddy is he’s younger and more charismatic, which makes it easier for him to bullshit the younger crowd. The soft sell versus the hard sell.

Rand is going to surprise Ron with sharks with laser beams on their heads for his birthday.

17 dog philosopher  Fri, Aug 16, 2013 1:21:28pm

using the kaiser foundation calculator, as charles suggests above, for a family of 4 w/ 2 adults and two children, on a salary of 30 000, the results are as follows:


Household income in 2014:
127% of poverty level
Unsubsidized annual health insurance premium in 2014:
$9,869
Maximum % of income you have to pay for the non-tobacco premium, if eligible for a subsidy:
2%
Amount you pay for the premium:
$600 per year
(which equals 2% of your household income and covers 6% of the overall premium)
You could receive a government tax credit subsidy of up to:
$9,269
(which covers 94% of the overall premium)

18 b_sharp  Fri, Aug 16, 2013 1:27:22pm

re: #17 engineer cat

using the kaiser foundation calculator, as charles suggests above, for a family of 4 w/ 2 adults and two children, on a salary of 30 000, the results are as follows:


Household income in 2014:
127% of poverty level
Unsubsidized annual health insurance premium in 2014:
$9,869
Maximum % of income you have to pay for the non-tobacco premium, if eligible for a subsidy:
2%
Amount you pay for the premium:
$600 per year
(which equals 2% of your household income and covers 6% of the overall premium)
You could receive a government tax credit subsidy of up to:
$9,269
(which covers 94% of the overall premium)

Facts. They are evil things.

19 Gus  Fri, Aug 16, 2013 1:27:57pm
20 aagcobb  Fri, Aug 16, 2013 1:28:40pm

re: #17 engineer cat

using the kaiser foundation calculator, as charles suggests above, for a family of 4 w/ 2 adults and two children, on a salary of 30 000, the results are as follows:


Household income in 2014:
127% of poverty level
Unsubsidized annual health insurance premium in 2014:
$9,869
Maximum % of income you have to pay for the non-tobacco premium, if eligible for a subsidy:
2%
Amount you pay for the premium:
$600 per year
(which equals 2% of your household income and covers 6% of the overall premium)
You could receive a government tax credit subsidy of up to:
$9,269
(which covers 94% of the overall premium)

What really sucks is, thanks to the Supreme Court, people who would’ve been eligible for Medicaid if it had expanded but who live in red states which rejected Medicaid expansion won’t get subsidies to purchase insurance because they are too poor. But nothing makes a Republican happier than sticking it to poor people.

21 Targetpractice  Fri, Aug 16, 2013 1:29:14pm

Personally, I find it hilarious that the party of “personal responsibility” is so set on the goal of sabotaging the ACA that they’re telling young people to shirk personal responsibility and refuse to get insurance but instead just pay the penalty.

22 Kragar  Fri, Aug 16, 2013 1:29:17pm

re: #19 Gus

[Embedded content]

Well played SPD.

23 Gus  Fri, Aug 16, 2013 1:29:36pm
24 Targetpractice  Fri, Aug 16, 2013 1:32:37pm

The GOP, the party that thinks that “universal health care” means the ER can’t turn you away when you show up with no insurance.

25 Vicious Babushka  Fri, Aug 16, 2013 1:33:18pm

re: #24 Targetpractice

The GOP, the party that thinks that “universal health care” means the ER can’t turn you away when you show up with no insurance.

But the ER hospital will find out where you live and foreclose your house.

26 Kragar  Fri, Aug 16, 2013 1:33:27pm

re: #24 Targetpractice

The GOP, the party that thinks that “universal health care” means the ER can’t turn you away when you show up with no insurance.

Free market solutions!
///

27 krypto  Fri, Aug 16, 2013 1:34:10pm

It’s cute that Rand Paul offered the claim of Canadians choosing to go to Boston for their health care — where of course the closest thing in the country to the Affordable Care Act has long been in effect and had whatever effect it will ever have on the quality of health care.

29 Balfour Rage  Fri, Aug 16, 2013 1:41:30pm

This coming from the party that screamed from the mountain tops about personal responsibility and the need for individual mandates back in the 90s. There was a Democrat in the White House then so what the hell is the difference now? Oh, Obama’s black, that’s right…

30 simoom  Fri, Aug 16, 2013 1:42:40pm

I missed this story yesterday:

Snowden downloaded NSA secrets while working for Dell

WASHINGTON, Aug 15 (Reuters) - Former intelligence contractor Edward Snowden began downloading documents describing the U.S. government’s electronic spying programs while he was working for Dell Inc in April 2012, almost a year earlier than previously reported, according to U.S. officials and other sources familiar with the matter.

Snowden, who was granted a year’s asylum by Russia on Aug. 1, worked for Dell from 2009 until earlier this year, assigned as a contractor to U.S. National Security Agency facilities in the United States and Japan.

Snowden downloaded information while employed by Dell about eavesdropping programs run by the NSA and Britain’s Government Communications Headquarters, and left an electronic footprint indicating when he accessed the documents, said the sources, speaking on condition of anonymity.

That big NYT Poitras profile also supports this as it describes Poitras being sent teaser classified documents from Snowden before he even got his job at Booz.

31 Targetpractice  Fri, Aug 16, 2013 1:43:52pm

re: #29 Balfour Rage

This coming from the party that screamed from the mountain tops about personal responsibility and the need for individual mandates back in the 90s. There was a Democrat in the White House then so what the hell is the difference now? Oh, Obama’s black, that’s right…

That’s just it, everything they ran on in the 90s is in the ACA. Which means they have nothing to offer as an alternative, other to offer vague “free market solutions.”

32 Balfour Rage  Fri, Aug 16, 2013 1:44:26pm

NOPE.

33 Gus  Fri, Aug 16, 2013 1:45:39pm

Looks at bottom 10. Charles is in the bottom 10.

34 Balfour Rage  Fri, Aug 16, 2013 1:46:45pm

Reporting from Planet Wingnut:

35 Gus  Fri, Aug 16, 2013 1:47:42pm
36 Eclectic Cyborg  Fri, Aug 16, 2013 1:48:30pm

re: #34 Balfour Rage

Reporting from Planet Wingnut:

[Embedded content]

Umm, isn’t that an effect of said warming?

37 darthstar  Fri, Aug 16, 2013 1:49:04pm

re: #33 Gus

Looks at bottom 10. Charles is in the bottom 10.

It’s his blog…he can go where he wants.

38 Lidane  Fri, Aug 16, 2013 1:49:36pm

Oh, hey. Look at that. The RNC’s stupid and short-sighted ban on CNN and NBC for their debates also extends to CNN Espanol and Telemundo. Who needs Latino votes anyway?

39 Eclectic Cyborg  Fri, Aug 16, 2013 1:49:45pm

re: #37 darthstar

It’s his blog…he can go where he wants.

Which is not limited to, as we found out earlier today, the planet earth.

40 Justanotherhuman  Fri, Aug 16, 2013 1:50:21pm

re: #30 simoom

I missed this story yesterday:

Snowden downloaded NSA secrets while working for Dell

That big NYT Poitras profile also supports this as it describes Poitras was being sent “teaser” classified documents from Snowden before he even got his job at Booz.

So much for Snowjob being “victimized” by Poitras, Greenwald and Wikileaks. Apparently, he was more than willing to work with them and they’re simply skimming and making money from their “support” of his activities while touting their own agendas.

But stealing that info for over 2 years? That could be major damage to western countries’ security agencies, and you can’t tell me both China and Russia don’t have some, if not all, of it, and how much of that are they willing to trade, or sell, to any countries that want it?

It’s more understandable now that he is being charged with espionage.

41 Pavlovian Hive Mind  Fri, Aug 16, 2013 1:51:35pm

re: #35 Gus

[Embedded content]

Whut.

Also, there is an alien saucer-like spacecraft stored there.

42 Eclectic Cyborg  Fri, Aug 16, 2013 1:52:20pm

Olive Garden waiter scores big time with Dr. Who act

You do not expect to hear that from your waiter. What was the result of that spiel? Every table he used it on got that dessert. He also got much higher tips than usual, as well as one woman’s phone number.

43 Gus  Fri, Aug 16, 2013 1:55:04pm

re: #41 Varek Raith

Whut.

Also, there is an alien saucer-like spacecraft stored there.

Yep, because I had an idea they were conducting that type of research in Area 51 I’m a NeoCon Statist. U stand 4 NSA, CIA, DEA control & Prisons 4 $profit!!!!!!!!!!

44 Gus  Fri, Aug 16, 2013 1:55:42pm

And… biab

45 Pavlovian Hive Mind  Fri, Aug 16, 2013 1:56:06pm

re: #43 Gus

Yep, because I had an idea they were conducting that type of research in Area 51 I’m a NeoCon Statist. U stand 4 NSA, CIA, DEA control & Prisons 4 $profit!!!!!!!!!!

Also, you smell.

46 Kragar  Fri, Aug 16, 2013 1:56:10pm

A Sincere Apology From Cracked to the Daily Mail

… if you were reading The Daily Mail this past Sunday, you may have read the article “World’s Worst Tourists Revealed” by DM writer Ruth Styles. This piece was noteworthy in that it was a carbon copy of “5 Tourists Who Managed to Be the Worst People in the World,” an article Cracked contributor XJ Selman wrote for this very site this past Saturday.

Now, given The Daily Mail’s track record of subtracting its own readership’s IQ points and sympathizing with Adolf Hitler, some folks assumed that DM had ripped us off. Heck, even The Daily Mail seemed to have a crisis of faith and eventually cited Cracked as a contributor to Ruth Styles’ article (in a tiny font, three paragraphs in).

Such a gesture was unnecessary, as we at Cracked are in the wrong here. Yes, our Saturday article flat-out plagiarized The Daily Mail’s Sunday article. But how did this happen?

You see, when you sign up to write articles for Cracked — which absolutely anyone can do, more information on that here — you don’t simply get the opportunity to pen monkeyshines for one of the most popular comedy websites on the planet. No, a singing jewel will descend from the heavens and mystically bless you with fabulous space-time powers.

47 ProTARDISLiberal  Fri, Aug 16, 2013 1:57:59pm

re: #42 Eclectic Cyborg

I approve of this so much. Though, customer service is miserable.

48 NJDhockeyfan  Fri, Aug 16, 2013 2:00:18pm


One wife is plenty for me.

49 dog philosopher  Fri, Aug 16, 2013 2:02:11pm

re: #6 Charles Johnson

Rand Paul is currently getting the big PR push. It’s obvious he’s being positioned to run for president, regardless of his outrageously racist ideas and associations. And he’s a lot more canny and practical than his father. Don’t underestimate him.

i’m having fun right now imagining the christie/paul primary debates

i wonder who else is likely to be on the stage?

50 Kragar  Fri, Aug 16, 2013 2:03:19pm
51 Lidane  Fri, Aug 16, 2013 2:03:36pm

re: #49 engineer cat

i’m having fun right now imagining the christie/paul primary debates

i wonder who else is likely to be on the stage?

Santorum. He came in second to Mitt. No way in hell he sits out 2016.

52 Feline Overlord  Fri, Aug 16, 2013 2:04:43pm

re: #23 Gus

I’m in Seattle. I hate crowds, but it’s almost worth going to Hempfest just so I can see this.

53 Kragar  Fri, Aug 16, 2013 2:04:44pm

re: #49 engineer cat

i’m having fun right now imagining the christie/paul primary debates

i wonder who else is likely to be on the stage?

Ted Cruz

54 A Mom Anon  Fri, Aug 16, 2013 2:05:16pm

Sigh. I cannot for the life of me understand what’s going to happen to my family since my idiot Governor has decided Obamacare is Teh Debil.

My husband’s new job only pays for his insurance. Mine and our son’s are full price. To have one kid on the plan is the same amount as if we had 6 kids, which is crap. For all of us, that’s 810 a month. One full week of pay after taxes, actually a bit more.

So, we put me on the husband’s plan, which makes it a little more than 500 a month and bought the kid a BCBS of GA plan with dental for 90 dollars a month. BCBS sends me a letter saying this plan won’t be available after Jan 1, but they’ll get around to letting me know what the FUCK they’re going to jack the rates up to before then. I guess we’d get a subsidy for him but not for us right? Can we opt out of The Husband’s work insurance and join the exchange? Since GA is waiting on the Feds to take over the exchanges does that mean we don’t get a good deal? Two insurance companies are opting out of the exchanges, Aetna I think and some smaller company they bought out declined to be part of the exchanges.

The White House website doesn’t really help me understand what the hell is going to happen. Does anyone know where to find accurate information?

55 Eclectic Cyborg  Fri, Aug 16, 2013 2:06:01pm

re: #50 Kragar

Texans boo disabled Marine veteran for being gay

Oh just go and secede already. We don’t you anymore.

(Apologies to any sane people in Texas)

56 Decatur Deb  Fri, Aug 16, 2013 2:06:26pm

Came late to this thread. (But those little naps are wonderful.)

It was a treat to see the ACA calculation comments. Right now the follow-on to Obama for America is retooling itself for a strong streetlevel nationwide education campaign. The beast is complex and needs a lot of explanation, especially since implementation will be different in the various states. Our governor a doctor has rejected the Federal Yankee dollars that would have provided the bulk of costs for 300,000 of the poorest Alabamians. This is about the most important thing we could be doing right now.

57 Pavlovian Hive Mind  Fri, Aug 16, 2013 2:07:10pm

re: #48 NJDhockeyfan

[Embedded content]


One wife is plenty for me.

That’s way too much work.

58 Lidane  Fri, Aug 16, 2013 2:08:05pm
59 Eclectic Cyborg  Fri, Aug 16, 2013 2:08:51pm

re: #58 Lidane

[Embedded content]

As cool a statement as that is, all those people still had to pay for their tickets, so the preacher still makes his money.

60 A Mom Anon  Fri, Aug 16, 2013 2:08:53pm

re: #58 Lidane

THAT is Awesome!

61 b_sharp  Fri, Aug 16, 2013 2:09:50pm

re: #32 Balfour Rage

NOPE.

[Embedded content]

Include lollipops.

62 Lidane  Fri, Aug 16, 2013 2:10:58pm

re: #59 Eclectic Cyborg

As cool a statement as that is, all those people still had to pay for their tickets, so the preacher still makes his money.

True. But if you think about it, this was worse. The guy expected a sold out crowd to hear his message. He got an empty room.

63 Justanotherhuman  Fri, Aug 16, 2013 2:15:12pm

re: #59 Eclectic Cyborg

As cool a statement as that is, all those people still had to pay for their tickets, so the preacher still makes his money.

I hope the venue charged him a bundle on rent and expenses, too. : )

64 Gus  Fri, Aug 16, 2013 2:15:21pm

re: #52 Feline Overlord

I’m in Seattle. I hate crowds, but it’s almost worth going to Hempfest just so I can see this.

Take pics.

65 b_sharp  Fri, Aug 16, 2013 2:15:26pm

re: #62 Lidane

True. But if you think about it, this was worse. The guy expected a sold out crowd to hear his message. He got an empty room.

People wanted to fuck him over so bad they were willing to pay money to do it.

66 Decatur Deb  Fri, Aug 16, 2013 2:18:23pm

re: #54 A Mom Anon

The White House website doesn’t really help me understand what the hell is going to happen. Does anyone know where to find accurate information?

Your state will have an educational effort underway called something like ACA Navigators (each state is different). Here in Alabama it is being coordinated by United Way.

67 Decatur Deb  Fri, Aug 16, 2013 2:20:50pm

re: #66 Decatur Deb

The White House website doesn’t really help me understand what the hell is going to happen. Does anyone know where to find accurate information?

Your state will have an educational effort underway called something like ACA Navigators (each state is different). Here in Alabama it is being coordinated by United Way.

If you’re still in Georgia, try here:

healthyfuturega.org

68 A Mom Anon  Fri, Aug 16, 2013 2:26:24pm

re: #67 Decatur Deb

Thanks!! Yep. Still in GA, sadly. Nothing makes me feel like a bigger idiot than trying to figure out insurance. Of any kind.

69 Phydeaux Speaks  Fri, Aug 16, 2013 4:20:45pm

re: #62 Lidane

The tix were free. :)

Graham is set to appear Sept. 28-29 at the Festival of Hope, which he reportedly organized at the request of Icelandic churches. The event is free, but, according to the website, attendees may reserve as many as four tickets in advance. They may also make special requests for groups of 20 or more.

70 Skip Intro  Fri, Aug 16, 2013 5:19:41pm

re: #51 Lidane

Santorum. He came in second to Mitt. No way in hell he sits out 2016.

Did you know Ricky’s dad didn’t become a US citizen until Ricky was three years old? I’m sure the berfers will be all over that.

And how the hell do I make this damned video stop playing every single time I refresh the page?


This article has been archived.
Comments are closed.

Jump to top

Create a PageThis is the LGF Pages posting bookmarklet. To use it, drag this button to your browser's bookmark bar, and title it 'LGF Pages' (or whatever you like). Then browse to a site you want to post, select some text on the page to use for a quote, click the bookmarklet, and the Pages posting window will appear with the title, text, and any embedded video or audio files already filled in, ready to go.
Or... you can just click this button to open the Pages posting window right away.
Last updated: 2023-04-04 11:11 am PDT
LGF User's Guide RSS Feeds

Help support Little Green Footballs!

Subscribe now for ad-free access!Register and sign in to a free LGF account before subscribing, and your ad-free access will be automatically enabled.

Donate with
PayPal
Cash.app
Recent PagesClick to refresh