Colo. man signs up for his insurance, his dog gets covered instead

FORT COLLINS, Colo. — The Colorado healthcare exchange has processed applications for thousands of people … and one dog.

Shane Smith, of Fort Collins, says his dog Baxter received a letter informing him that a health insurance account had been opened in his name through Connect for Health Colorado.

“I thought, ‘Wow, this is so awesome,’” Smith said with a laugh. “They have gone out of their way to insure my 14-year-old Yorkie.”

Smith had called Connect for Health Colorado to sign himself up for insurance because his old plan was cancelled due to Obamacare.

He’s not sure exactly how the confirmation letter went to his dog, but he says he thinks it’s because of a series of security questions a representative asked him over the phone.

“There was some kind of code or something, so I gave them my dog’s name,” Smith said. “They must have just put it in the wrong slot or something.”

After hearing about all the headaches with Obamacare nationally, Shane says this mistake doesn’t seem so bad.

“It was pretty funny. Typical Obamacare, that they would insure your dog by mistake,” Smith said.

Smith says he was able to call and correct the mistake fairly quickly.

“They fixed it … I think they fixed it,” he said.

After having his original policy cancelled, followed by this, Smith says he won’t believe it until he sees it.

“There’s been a lot of headaches that’s come from all of this. All the phone calls. All the nonsense. They ended up giving me good coverage I think, but who knows if they’re going to take it away,” Smith said. “As long as Baxter’s covered that’s all the counts.”

Via: KDVR.com/Denver

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TAX HIKES REMAIN TOXIC

On Tuesday, November 5 the good citizens of Colorado voted 65% to 35% to defeat a ballot measure that would have replaced the present 4.63% flat rate income tax with a higher rate of 5% for those earning up to $75,0000 and a 5.9% rate for those earning more than $75,000.  This measure, if enacted, would have increased taxes by $1 billion a year with promises that it would be spent “on education.”

When issues are placed on the ballot by initiative petition or legislative referral we can learn a great deal from election results.  Candidates can win for a many different reasons.  Was the winner popular? Or was the loser unpopular?  Did voters agree with the candidate they cast a vote for on his entire agenda?  Or just one key issue?  Or was the vote based on personal issues of character or experience rather than any particular policy question?

But a vote on an income  tax increase to spend more money “on education” losing two to one in Colorado sends some stark, clear, undiluted messages. Initiatives do not flub debates or misspeak or drive under the influence or have bad hair days.  We can be fairly certain what message voters intended to send in Colorado when they said “no” to an income tax hike for more education spending.

And this loud and clear message of opposition to higher income taxes even with the promises that the revenue would flow to a “popular” cause of education spending undermines the Left’s narrative on taxes, Obama, and Colorado.

Via: Human Events

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Legalizing illegal immigrants is the solution to Obamacare: Democrat

Rep. Jared Polis said Friday the key problem with health care right now is that illegal immigrants aren’t included in Obamacare, and said part of the solution is to pass a bill granting them citizenship rights.

The House is debating a GOP-written bill that would allow Americans to keep their health plans that have been canceled under Obamacare, but Mr. Polis, a Colorado Democrat, said the chamber should instead be looking at ways to make sure everyone in the country is covered by the Affordable Care Act — including illegal immigrants.

“American citizens are essentially being forced to pay for the health care costs of people who are here illegally every day, until we pass comprehensive immigration reform,” he said. “We’re wondering why rates are going up. … It’s no surprise. When somebody doesn’t have insurance, their costs are shifted onto other people that do.”

Illegal immigrants are one of the few categories of people in the U.S. who aren’t subjected to Obamacare’s individual mandate requiring all people to have health insurance coverage. They also aren’t eligible for taxpayer subsidies to buy insurance on the health exchanges, nor are they supposed to be getting assistance under Medicaid.

But Mr. Polis said leaving them outside of the health mandate means that they end up using emergency care, but don’t end up paying their own bills — leaving the rest of the country to pick up those costs.

He said the solution is to pass House Democrats’ bill, which would grant a long-term pathway to citizenship for most illegal immigrants. The legislation is known by its bill number, House Res. 15

“If we can pass HR, 15 people who are here illegally will have to get insurance on their own instead of forcing Americans to pay for their insurance,” Mr. Polis said.

Via: Washington Times

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WTF, Nancy Pelosi gun collection discovered

A large collection of weapons were taken from a vacation home owned by Nancy Pelosi (D), a well known advocate of stricter gun laws.

The vacation home, located in the mountains sleepy town of Stoten CO, is in shock from the discovery, made by a local plumber after being called by the care taker of the house for minor flooding.

Local sheriff Rick Raoch said "We don't know how they got there or who put them there, but there's enough guns and ammo down there to start WWIII. No one needs that type of weaponry."

So far, calls to the Minority Leader of the United States House of Representatives have met with silence, but a response from her office is expected shortly.

Via: m4Carbine.com

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Colorado Woman Who Championed Obamacare Loses Insurance Plan

DENVER (CBS4) - President Barack Obama is apologizing to Americans who are losing their current health insurance plans. Millions of people are getting cancellation notices, including about 250,000 Coloradans.

For years the president said that those who like their current plan would be able to keep it, but it turns out that’s not the case.

In order to comply with the Affordable Care Act insurance companies have had to cancel millions of policies, forcing people to find new, and in many cases, more expensive coverage on the exchange.

The Colorado Division of Insurance says 250,000 people in Colorado alone have lost their policies in the last few months.

Cathy Wagner says she isn’t political and has never written a lawmaker, much less the president, but with Obamacare she felt compelled.

“I really just wanted him to know … I was so hopeful that this plan was going to move us forward, but in fact I think it’s moving us backward,” Wagner said.

RELATED: Colorado & The Affordable Care Act

Wagner and her husband retired early. She was a nurse for 35 years and championed Obamacare, until she received a letter from her insurance company saying it was canceling her policy.

“I was really shocked … all of my hopes were sort of dashed,” Wagner said. “’Oh my gosh President Obama, this is not what we hoped for, it’s not what we were told.’ “

She was shocked further to learn that for the same coverage she would pay 35 percent more and have a higher deductible.

“Our premium for next year is going up to over $1,000 a month for two of us and we’re two fairly healthy individuals,” Wagner said.

Via: CBS Denver

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Dentist’s Family and Employees’ Insurance Plan of 7 Years Canceled — Now What?

A family dentist in Colorado has provided the same insurance plan to his family and five employees for more than seven years. But now, thanks to Obamacare, that plan is canceled.

Dr. Mark Albers is a solo practitioner in general and cosmetic dentistry in Colorado Springs. His wife, Carla, contacted Heritage last week after their family and employees received notices saying their plan “will not be offered anymore because of the Affordable Care Act.”

Mark and his wife operate the practice as a family-owned small business, and have utilized an insurance broker to help guide them through the complicated world of health insurance for years. But Carla said their broker now shares the same irritation they do.

“We are very frustrated to not know what our options are as a small business offering coverage to our employees,” Carla said. “Our broker has been inundated with calls and is anxious as we are to see what we will have available.”

Because the family changed the deductible on the Humana insurance plan two years ago, their plan was not grandfathered in — something Carla said they had no idea would happen.

Carla and her husband counted on President Obama’s promise to honor insurance plans, but now join the millions of other Americans whose plans have been terminated in a state of uncertainty.

“Will we have other options as a small business or will we all be dumped onto the exchanges?” Carla said.

Via: The Foundry

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Colorado’s $82 Million Exchange: 3,164 Paid Enrollees So Far

The scorecard for Colorado’s exchange, “Connect for Health Colorado”: $61 million in setup costs, an additional $21 million in marketing.

Number of enrollees: 3,164 through October 26.

“Colorado hopes to enroll 136,000 people in health insurance programs through Connect for Health Colorado by the end of 2014.”

To reach 136,000, the state needs to average 9,066 enrollees per month.

Via: NRO

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