Dog Whistle Politics- coded racial appeals that carefully manipulate hostility toward nonwhites
- Shaped/shapes peoples understanding of whether or not ACA healthcare is for them
- Frame "obamacare" as a policy to help minorities and people of color
- Frame "obamacare" as a failed policy meant to hurt whites and assist in "replacement" of the white race (replacement theory)
- imperceivable to some audiences (hence dog whistle)
- mobilizes white racial fears
- other reasons to reject ACA
- seen as just for rich people (those who fall through the cracks and cant afford the high deductibles or premiums)
- seen as only for poor people for those "temporarily on hard times"
- racial politics
- decision by red states not to expand medicaid
- means tested actuarial coverage rather than universal coverage
- guarantee that experiences of coverage vary tremendously depending on one's personal circumstances
- 80% of the people were advised that the law was not for them
- if you like your coverage you dont need to change
- Price grid was very difficult to understand
- dependent on age, marital status, income and coverage sought
- Changes in eligibility status means moving in and out of programs when means are adjusted or income changes, even slightly
- disrupts continuity of service
- Stigma associated with receiving aid to premiums
Coverage Problems
- least expensive plans have the most restricted coverage.
- It becomes hard to find doctors who will take your insurance
- plan also marks you as different from other people -again, stigma
- Got insurance as a way to "care for one another" (Wendy and Mike)
- ended up getting most care at hospital emergency rooms and referrals from insurance provider
Insurance for a flexible economy (Erica)
- originally thought obamacare was for low income people, not people like her
- irregular jobs and working commission made it difficult to predict her income
The Coverage GAP and dog whistling
- Obamacare framed as a way to take power away from white people
- 1930s- excluding POC from social security was a way to appease sothern states as was the electoral college
- use the states rights argument to limit programs for the poor and minorities
Resentment in the Coverage Gap: Florida
- Kenny was not angry at the boss who fired him, or at the erosion of opportunities for men with a high school diploma, but at Obama
- angry he could not afford a plan on the exchange, and had no good alternatives
- fell through the civeage gap without the expansion of medicaid
Letting Die
- extreme poverty is viewed as a way of killing
- refusal to expand medicaid is a way of killing the poor
- 7,000-17,000 avoidable deaths
- In addition to perpetuating racism, shortens the lives of people of color
- policies are commensurate with backlashes against, equal opportunity, women and LGBTQ+ rights and anyone else who appears privileged by entitlements
- value individual responsibility over social responsibility
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