What Those Youth-Oriented Obamacare Ads Leave Out: It's Generational Theft!

I've got a column up at Time.com (and in the next print edition of Mr. Luce's mag) talking about those awful "Got Insurance?" ads aimed at getting Millennials to sign up for Obamacare.

Here's the start of the piece:

Is massive stupidity covered under Obamacare? What about sexual promiscuity and heavy drinking? Those are some of the questions raised by a controversial ad campaign that aims to encourage younger Americans to sign up for health-insurance plans created by the Affordable Care Act.

But there's a deeper issue that the new "Got Insurance?" campaign ignores completely: Why should young and relatively poor people be forced to sign up for insurance that charges them above-market rates to subsidize rates for old and relatively wealthy people?

I trust that I'm not overly optimistic when I conclude:

Younger Americans may indeed be reckless enough to do keg stands and have unprotected sex on a regular basis, but they're not so dumb as the "Got Insurance?" ads--or the architects of Obamacare--seem to think.

Read the whole thing.

Comments

[Restoras]

I dunno Jacket. If they are dumb enough to take on lots of debt to pay for a degree that doesn't allow them to pay back the loans, why would they not be dumb enough to sign up for another transfer of wealth from poor to rich?

[Certified Public Asskicker]

If they are dumb enough to take on lots of debt to pay for a degree

No, no, those loans are paying for the keg stands and indirectly, the unprotected sex.

[Rasilio]

This is actually true for lots of them.

They really don't care or think about why they are in college, it is just a way to have a 4 year party without having to pay for it (right away)

[CE]

Obamacare! It's hip! It's young! It's groovy!

It costs more than it should, of course, and odds are if you're a healthy 20-something it's a complete waste of money, and did we mention if you don't buy it, you pay a not-so-groovy penal-tax?

But now you get to live in a country where everyone is covered! For everything! Whether they want to be or not!

[CE]

As soon as they figure out how to sign up.

[CE]

And did we mention, if you like your current plan, you can keep it? (For the next year at least.... turns out the Affordable Care Act isn't so much settled law as it is a blanket authorization for the government to roll out whatever whenever.)

[Anonymous Coward]

but they're not so dumb as the "Got Insurance?" ads--or the architects of Obamacare--seem to think

They were dumb enough to vote for him, weren't they?

As I recall, Barry just recently apologized if you ignorant rubes believed him when he said "if you like your plan, you can keep your plan."

[Aresen]

They were dumb enough to vote for him, weren't they?

This.

IIRC, the under 30 group is still heavily Team Blue. Maybe they think that the Dems will cut them deals on their student loans, so they "get their share."

Politics is mainly about the cornpone.

[John]

Didn't Romney actually win the under 30 vote? I think he did. Obama won because of minorities and single women.

[Dead or In Jail]

Not even close

[Caleb Turberville]

I think his apology went something along the lines of "What difference, at this point, does it make?"

[The Late P Brooks]

Couldn't they have found some fatter girls?

[The Rt. Hon. Serious Man, Visc]

From left to right:

No, no, no, maybe, yes.

[Hillary's Clitdong]

John's already insured. They aren't advertising to him.

[playa manhattan]

Progressive chicks. Not a single one above 5/10.

[Mad Scientist]

The second from the left is A-OK. But I draw the line at her fat friends.

[The Rt. Hon. Serious Man, Visc]

The tall stick one with no chest?

[Mad Scientist]

I'm giving her the benefit of the doubt since there's a stupid ski blocking my view.

[playa manhattan]

She's also the one in this ad:
http://cloudfront-media.reason.....ing-is.jpg

[Mad Scientist]

So, she puts out!

[Hillary's Clitdong]

I'd really hate for my resume to start with Part-Time Modeling: The Easy Obamacare Girl.

[Sevo]

Hillary's Clitdong|11.14.13 @ 4:18PM|#
"I'd really hate for my resume to start with Part-Time Modeling: The Easy Obamacare Girl."

And those ads are NOT going to end up in a portfolio.

[CE]

The second one is way too skinny.
The others are fair to fine.

[Hillary's Clitdong]

I have ranked them as No, Maybe, No, No, and No.

[playa manhattan]

Your maybe has gotten a whole pile of birth control:
http://cloudfront-media.reason.....ing-is.jpg

[Hillary's Clitdong]

If that's the same girl, then it looks like she's angling for Zachary Quinto. In which case, she's going to need a backup man.

[Sevo]

Hey, they're bragging about CO; maybe it's in the water or something.

[The Late P Brooks]

"Thanks, Obamacare!" indeed.

[Hillary's Clitdong]

Younger Americans may indeed be reckless enough to do keg stands and have unprotected sex on a regular basis, but they're not so dumb as the "Got Insurance?" ads--or the architects of Obamacare--seem to think.

Nick, you poor fool. You underestimate the power of the Dumb.

[a better weapon]

I wonder too if they are even aimed at the kids though.

They're probably meant to scare their parents into actually keeping them on their plan until they're 26.

If I was a parent, I'd say get the fuck off my plan. It's not like you have a job, you're in school, 18, and they can't make you OR me pay the fine. If you get in a car accident, alcohol poisoning, or knocked up, just know where to sign up and we'll worry about it then.

[Biden's Scroteplugs]

I'd let them stay on my plan until they were 26....for 80% of the cost of an individual plan. that's a good deal!

[Caleb Turberville]

What Obamacare advertisements needs is something along the lines of the Newtown Massacre Celebrity "Make a Plan" video.

Just hire a bunch of brain-dead celebrities to speak vapid pro-Obamacare statements into a camera, perhaps in black and white, and finish it out with a Argumentum ad Filios.

[Red Rocks Rockin]

The funny thing is that Hollywood's planning on doing just that by integrating it into teevee storylines.

I can't wait to see if they actually follow through with those scripts now. We might get some ECONOMIC STIMULUZ from all the broken tv sets that need to be replaced.

[Somalian Road Corporation]

I'm going to assume that they wired to cash to Aaron Sorkin's account immediately when they decided to go through with that bright idea.

[a better weapon]

Those ads are all over my radio stations in Dallas. They talk about ER visits and knee injuries during sports. So basically they are trying to sell comprehensive coverage by highlighting the unfortunate events that catastrophic coverage used to protect against.

Progs are very happy to throw the "what if you go to the ER? Then you're a burden on society" talking point but never have an answer as to "why has catastrophic coverage been eliminated then?"

Shit, even the deductible from those plans aren't much higher than the increased deductibles of ACA approved plans (which are higher on average than they used to be). Makes no goddamn sense.

[Eduard van Haalen]

Bait and switch.

A repeated theme of selling some new law: It will prevent (really bad thing)! You're not in favor of (really bad thing), are you?

Then, once the law is passed, it actually doesn't provide against (really bad thing) but instead promotes and encourages (really stupid thing).

[R C Dean]

"what if you go to the ER? Then you're a burden on society"

If progs want to talk about who is a burden on society, I'm game.

[John]

It is a curious argument for a Prog to make. Their justification for Obamacare boils down to "the uninsured are not pulling their weight".

I agree with you. I don't think they are going to like where a debate about who is pulling their weight will end up.

[Somalian Road Corporation]

I find that almost all such conversations hit an identity politics brick wall where morality is not objective but shifts depending on race, sex, age, etc., etc., etc.

[The Rt. Hon. Serious Man, Visc]

I don't think it should be surprising that a healthcare plan that encourages and incentivizes staying on your parent's insurance until you are 26 inspires ads that totally infantilize young people.

I've said it before, but if Barack Obama is to have one redeeming quality it's that he is just as contemptuous of the ignorance and gullibility of his supporters as we are.

[CE]

Hey, if they count your parents income against federal financial aid until your 25...

[CE]

you're....

[playa manhattan]

No, you had it right the first time.

[johnl]

What he meant was, "...you're parents income ... till your 25 ...".

[Episiarch]

I'm still kind of stunned at the idiocy of this string of ads. Either they think the people they're advertising to are mongoloids, or the people who made these and think they're compelling are mongoloids. I mean, on the slick ad scale of 1 to 10 (10 being the slickest), these are at about -2. If you said "ha, just fooling, these are parodies", my world would make more sense again.

[itsnotmeitsyou]

If you said "ha, just fooling, these are parodies", my world would make more sense again.

Too true. Of course, I really wish that Obama would come out and say that about the whole damn thing. I might actually like the guy for a second if he did. "Oh man! Great gag, dude. You really had us going there for a few years!"

[General Butt Naked]

If you said "ha, just fooling, these are parodies", my world would make more sense again.

Kinda like the brady campaign after the backlash they felt from their "rape ain't so bad, but guns are" ads. It's funny, snopes is totally calling them as parodies even though no one other than the brady campaign has been linked to their creation. And all because a rep from BC said that they didn't make the ad.

[Episiarch]

Given the complete tone-deafness of the Obama administration, I guess I shouldn't be surprised when an organization that is completely shilling for him is tone-deaf too.

[Mad Scientist]

They're not tone deaf, Epi. They just haven't done a very good job of explain to us how backwards we are.

[MikeP]

There'll be no going back.

When he reached the new exchange, Obama burned the policies. As a result, the young and healthy were well motivated.

[Eduard van Haalen]

The youngest voters went to Cooch over McAwful.

[itsnotmeitsyou]

Am I the only one that had to do some serious googling to find out if these things were a joke? I mean, I don't exactly have a high opinion of proggies, but good lord. These things are beyond idiotic. I thought they were some bad parody or something. They HAD to be...

[Hillary's Clitdong]

got insurance?

Warty Is Hiding In Your Basement

There's no sugarcoating it. You may be about to experience some physical discomfort, and will probably feel distressed. Insurance can help with the aftermath of Warty's affections.

[itsnotmeitsyou]

There is nothing health insurance can do for you after receiving Warty's affections. Life insurance can provide for your loved ones, but they'll have to wait for a few years of you being missing to declare you dead.

[Hillary's Clitdong]

Your life insurance policy will provide your family with free counseling sessions with DR. STEVE SMITH.

[itsnotmeitsyou]

At least you can rest in peace knowing you'll be reunited with your loved ones soon.

[Hugh Akston]

I've been to PNC's site and I'm still not convinced that it's a real thing. I feel like someone is trolling hard, and I wouldn't be the least bit surprised to learn that Jon Caldera was in on it.

[LynchPin1477]

Did you see the part where Planned Parenthood thought they were released by Obamacare opponents?

[R C Dean]

These look like ads that someone who has no contact with young people thinks young people would like.

[Mad Scientist]

Yeah, they're like the commercials for cereals or fruit roll ups. I've never met a kid who didn't think those ads were pathetically stupid.

[playa manhattan]

Sunny Delight comes to mind. Those were just awful. Dorky kids in backwards fluorescent hats etc...

[Sudden]

You have met hipsters right? Those ads are remarkably accurate for today's 20 somethings.

[Warty]

How is there no comment section on Nick's article??? This is an outrage. How am I supposed to live without reading the outraged squeals of Time-reading mongoloids?

[Hugh Akston]

You're the only one who can repel idiocy of that magnitude. We count on you to report it back to us.

[John]

You will always have the mongoloids over at the Washington Post.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/.....obamacare/

Jennifer Rubin attracts a particularly vile breed of mongoloid commentator. Enjoy.

[Kid Xenocles]

She's so awful herself, it's like watching Stalingrad.

[John]

It kind of is. Her and McArdle are just nitwits. Not sure which is worse.

[Certified Public Asskicker]

I was so desperate for something, I clicked on the twitter link because I saw 118 people had tweeted the link.

No bad comments! Not one bashing Nick! Help!

[John]

Come on Warty. have some idiocy

oblivionville
7:53 AM EST
So far, over 8 million people have had their health insurance access expanded because of Obamacare (including people with children who have not been denied coverage for their children's pre-existing conditions, and young adults who have been able to stay on their parent's policies), and new signups for Medicare.

The web site is not working properly yet, but the industry wants the $$$ it will lose if its customers can't buy insurance. The law will not be repealed, not before 2017, and probably not after.

[John]

Baghdad Bob would be ashamed to say this stuff.

cy10
11/13/2013 10:34 PM EST
Here are some figures for you.

A woman appeared on KING 5 News in Seattle tonight having recently purchased Obamacare.

Monthly Cost for her and her husband's insurance before Obamacare? $855
Monthly cost for a comparable plan under Obamacare? $310.

Stories like this will soon overwhelm the website issues and Obamacare will be a success. Democrats will reap the rewards for years to come.

[Sevo]

"Monthly Cost for her and her husband's insurance before Obamacare? $855
Monthly cost for a comparable plan under Obamacare? $310."

Assuming that isn't a blatant lie worthy of Obo, they are leaving out 90% of the story.

[playa manhattan]

Maybe the comparable plan is medicaid.

[Sevo]

If so, that's gonna be a *V* limited choice of providers, which means is STILL isn't comparable. No, you can't add coverage and reduce costs; if you're claiming that, you're being dishonest in some manner or other.
I'm not leaning on you; just pointing out how the proggies are making bogus claims.

[Diogenes]

Oops. It's that evil major media conspiracy. Controlled by Jews, you know.

[johnl]

Anyone else seeing AFP funded anti-ACA pieces on TV? They are targeting them at Scott Peters in San Diego. I wonder if they are hitting vulnerable people elsewhere.

[playa manhattan]

Don't know. I have Tivo.

[Killazontherun]

Lateral Topic:

Obamacare Architect: Genetic "Lottery Winners" Have Been Paying An "Artificially Low Price"

http://www.realclearpolitics.c.....price.html

The last time I needed to go the doctor to get stitched up was in '91 for a work related gash on my finger. Since then I have only seen them for mandatory check ups related to insurance. 45, take no forms of medicine, never been seriously ill, damn lucky, genetically optimal. Most of those years, I've paid in to the system, with nothing in return. According to this shit weasel defect whose gene pool should be wiped from the human base like a Lucky Strikes cigarette butt being eradicated in an urinal by beer fueled piss for designing ACA, I'm the problem.

Thought experiment for you, chief, if everyone lived until ninety five without illness before they suddenly dropped dead, would there even be a need for the medical system? You ignorant proglodytes most likely assume that to be a bad thing. An entire industry, one fifth of the economy wiped out! Ruin!

Except, the resources and human capital that go into that industry would be used elsewhere instead of being tied to something needless. If I don't need something, but you do, you are the one for whom that expenditure of opportunity cost is being used. You are the one pulling me down by demanding I sustain you. You should be thanking me and kissing my ass.

[John]

Just a guess but you have probably paid a whole lot of medicare and medicaide taxes in your life.

Maybe instead of destroying everyone's insurance we should take some of the two and half trillion dollars in taxes we pay every year and just help out the poor and sick and those who can't buy insurance and call it a day? I don't know, send them a voucher so they can afford insurance or something? Maybe spend a lot of money building med schools and nursing schools and make them free so we have a greatly increased supply of health care? Perhaps change the immigration laws so that doctors can immigrate here? Maybe change the laws so that pharmacists and other non doc professionals can do more?

[Diogenes]

Right. No reason that pharmacists shouldn't be able to dispense the "morning after" pill in Oklahoma. Even though it was the Koch brothers (David being on the Reason board) who funded the candidacies of those theocrats who wrote the law.

[Killazontherun]

Because I am this (thumb and index finger within a nanometer) fucking close to not cooperating with the system you and your buddies took a shit on.

[John]

It is amazing how they think everything is a zero sum game. The solution to some people not having enough health care is to find a way to produce more health care not steal from everyone who has it.

[Killazontherun]

So long as the political system (to call it a government at this state of its decay would be preposterous) stays out of the way, what is coming on line now and in the generation to come in terms of technology will do just that. I've seen some of it first hand, faster and cheaper diagnosis and treatments are going to be the norm. So long as we don't trip over ourselves with mismanagement and stupid forms of taxation.

[playa manhattan]

That doesn't make any sense at all. Not even with Keynesian logic.

[Killazontherun]

It's more Khmer Rouge than Keynesian. The Keynesians are at least civilized.

[playa manhattan]

Artificial. That word does not mean what he thinks it means. The exact opposite, in fact.

[Sevo]

Killazontherun|11.14.13 @ 4:28PM|#
Lateral Topic:

Obamacare Architect: Genetic "Lottery Winners" Have Been Paying An "Artificially Low Price""

Damn that Harrison Bergeron anyhow. Can we shoot him when we find him?

[playa manhattan]

So me not breaking my leg skydiving is genetic? Wow, I never knew!

[Diogenes]

And a fine ass it is, Killazgottheruns. In fact, you may be all ass!

[The Late P Brooks]

They're probably meant to scare their parents into actually keeping them on their plan until they're 26.

This hypothesis has merit.

[The Late P Brooks]

If progs want to talk about who is a burden on society, I'm game.

I asked this question the other day: If I was a free rider when I had no insurance and paid my medical bills out-of-pocket, what will I be when they shunt me into Medicaid because I can no longer afford my current catastrophic policy?

[John]

The same free rider. But these people somehow convinced themselves that medical costs paid for by insurance somehow are not real costs. It is just bizarre.

[playa manhattan]

You'd go from free rider to free flyer.

[Marianna]

What geriatric ad agency designed these?

As someone who has cringed through numerous GOP attempts at attracting "the youth vote" it's deeply satisfying to realize the left is equally clueless

[JeremyR]

I think it's a mistake to assume they don't work for the audience they are intended for.

This is the same group of people completely enthralled by the antics of Miley Cyrus, Kim Kardashian, and so on.

[Diogenes]

Right. Appeals to the same neural pathways as Rush Limbaugh and Ann Coulter.

Snake brains!!!

[Diogenes]

Some parties are more equal than others.

[Diogenes]

This is about the 14th Obamacare post I've gotten from Reason in a week.

Do the Koch brothers have you on speed dial?