Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez tried to sign up for congressional health insurance on Sunday, and ended up getting outraged and then ridiculed.
In a series of tweets, the New York Democrat complained that gold-level Obamacare, a government-subsidized perk of her office, required her to shop for a policy on an exchange. She deemed it “absurd” that she was forced to choose between “66 complex financial products.”
“No person should go without healthcare, &no one should go through this, either,” she said.
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Ocasio-Cortez went on to conflate her problems with those of all Americans, declaring: “We need #MedicareforAll.”
The progressive congresswoman — and advocate of “free stuff” — apparently had in mind Sen. Bernie Sanders’ “Medicare for All” plan, under which Americans would receive insurance from by a single government-run plan — no thinking required. Ocasio-Cortez has endorsed the proposal along with the Independent senator’s Democratic presidential bid.
However, after wrapping up her public mockery and disparagement of Obamacare on Twitter, Ocasio-Cortez urged her constituents to sign up for the program, saying, “”Yes, it’s a pain. But it is worth it.”
She also took a moment to address moderate Democrats’ criticism that she and other supporters of single-payer health insurance are putting Obamacare at risk with utopian fantasies of a fully socialized replacement.
“I know some folks are bristling at the fact that I am pointing that out, but we have to acknowledge the reality so we can move forward together,” she said.
Conservatives seize the opportunity to mock Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Obamacare at the same time
In keeping with moderate Democratic fears, though, conservative Twitter users swooped in to dunk on former President Barack Obama’s signature policy achievement, aka the Affordable Care Act of 2010.
“Wow Obamacare sure is a mess,” trolled Red State blogger Stephen Miller.
Other commenters slammed Ocasio-Cortez as “spoiled” for complaining about having too many health insurance options, with some comparing their own Obamacare experiences unfavorably to hers.
Libertarian commentator Aaron Peek deadpanned: “I’m sorry this is happening to you.”
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“I knew you were dumb, but this is a whole new level,” said Caleb Hull, a social media strategist.
One of the relatively few users to voice support for Ocasio-Cortez’s takedown of Obamacare was a self-described “transsexual communist,” who observed, “insurance products are not healthcare.”
*story by Pluralist