One week until the inauguration: What are you scared about?
Nine days to go. Out with the old. In with the new. What seemed to be surreal two months ago is about to become real.
Plans are being made for next weekend. Watch the inauguration? Boycott the inauguration? Demonstrations all over the country. Women's March in every major city on the 21st.
All these things are fine. But what is going to happen next? How will this change really affect my life? Is it going to be as bad as most people think? Nobody really knows. It's the uncertainty that has people worried.
Everyone has their own issues. Mine is insurance. I have Obamacare and I was wondering what exactly will happen if it gets defunded in the next couple of weeks. I went looking for answers.
Once a week there's a representative from the Affordable Care Act (you know the ACA and Obamacare are the same thing, right) at my local library. Her job is to sign up people for insurance and to answer the questions we have. I assumed she was going to be my go-to girl. You know what happens when you assume.
I came right out and asked if my fear about losing my insurance was real? Here's what she told me: "I think we're good through 2017. Probably 2018, too. We've been lobbying the senate and we already have three votes. Don't worry about it."
Well....that made me feel a little better except for that word "think".
Then we had a discussion about her job and her insurance: "My job is funded through the Affordable Care Act. If it's defunded, will I lose my job and my insurance? I don't know and I'm as worried about it as you are."
Sigh! Isn't that wonderful. I'm a 64 year old guy who is worried about Insurance, Medicare and Social Security and I'm reassuring the woman I went to for answers.
Since meeting with the ACA rep, the Senate took the first step towards repealing Obamacare. The vote was 51-48. Those three votes she said they had turned out to be only one. The House of Representatives takes their vote tonight. There's no doubt that their vote will turn out the same way. There's no doubt that Obamacare will be repealed. It's just a matter of when and it looks like it will be sooner or later. Will it be replaced? There's that uncertainty again.
I'm going to see one of my medical specialist today about a burning pain I've had in my stomach. It's been there since November.
This is a post I wrote last March about how Trump doesn't scare me. Looks like I've changed my mind.