A “good morning” email from Kathleen Sebelius, the head of Health and Human Services this morning (April 2, 2014). It almost seems like an April fool’s joke:
Dear Colleagues:
Over these last four years, you have been working hard to implement the Affordable Care Act, so that millions of Americans and their families can have new rights, protections, and opportunities to obtain quality, affordable health coverage.
Today, as we mark the end of the first open enrollment period for the Health Insurance Marketplace, I want to thank you for the progress we’ve made, together.
More than 7 million Americans enrolled by last night’s deadline, and once state numbers and all of the still working through the federal website are counted, this figure will be higher. Of course, this is on top of the millions of Americans who gained coverage through Medicaid and CHIP, the more than 3 million young adults who have health insurance because the law allows them to stay on their parents’ plan until their 26th birthday, and the millions of Americans who no longer face discrimination because of their gender or health status.
Yesterday alone, more than 4.8 million people visited HealthCare.gov and more than 2 million people called the CMS call centers. Hundreds of thousands attended enrollment events throughout the country over the final weekend. And, an amazing team of workers answered phones, kept the site running with unprecedented traffic, organized events and helped people sign up for insurance.
I know that this law has been at the center of much debate and discourse in Washington, but what this enrollment demonstrates is that the Affordable Care Act is working and much needed. That’s because behind each of these numbers are hardworking Americans who finally have the peace of mind that comes with quality health insurance; families who are saved from financial ruin; young people who’ve been given the freedom to pursue their dreams without fear; and the millions of families who never thought they would ever have this opportunity in their lifetime. That’s what this law is all about.
None of these historic achievements would have been possible without your tireless efforts, your unshakable commitment to public service, and your compassion for the people our Department aims to serve.
Our work is far from over. But I hope you will take a moment to pause and celebrate – be proud of the difference you are making in the lives of your fellow Americans. Very few people get to do work that matters this much. I am extremely honored to work with such a devoted and talented group of individuals and to share this special day with all of you.
Congratulations and Cheers, Kathleen Sebelius
And now my response, which is THE REALITY of the ACA:
And we’d like to thank everyone for taking part in selling the majority of our nation’s workers to the corrupt, poorly managed, behemoth known as Blue Cross. I’m sure, in time, you will all bow at the altar of the people who are already entirely too rich, and now have your very lives in their hands. Thank you all for supporting the drive to not only pervert capitalism, but put in place possibly the most corruptible form of a caste system ever known in the history of the world.
