THREAD: Let's examine all the possible ways this @ebruenig tweet represents #FakeNews -- and one of the sillier arguments for #SinglePayer I've heard in a long time... 1/ https://twitter.com/ebruenig/status/1222739686633934848

First of all, @ebruenig said she's uninsured because she switched jobs from @washingtonpost to @nytimes -- but she didn't say exactly why. It's possible that both @washingtonpost and @nytimes don't offer health coverage to their employees, but I doubt it... 2/

If she had Exchange coverage while at @washingtonpost, she could potentially qualify for a special enrollment period, if her income dropped to such an extent that she now qualifies for #Obamacare subsidies... 3/

But the likelier scenario is that @ebruenig faces a waiting period between the time her @washingtonpost employer coverage ends and her @nytimes coverage begins... 4/

Under #Obamacare, however, employers can impose waiting periods of no more than 90 days. (Statutory language below.) So @ebruenig would face (at most) a three month wait until her @nytimes coverage kicks in... 5/

In the meantime, @ebruenig can elect COBRA from @washingtonpost, for the three-month or so gap until her @nytimes coverage takes effect... 6/

COBRA IS expensive, but for three months, it would cost a few grand at most.

Do I have sympathy for a @nytimes columnist who says she can't afford a bill amounting to a few thousand bucks? Absolutely not. 7/

. @nytimes writers make decent income, for one.

For two, how does @ebruenig think business owners like me manage OUR budgets with irregular cash flow?

Pro tip: If you can't manage YOUR budget, maybe stop calling for government to "manage" peoples' budgets for them...? 8/

But even beyond that, @ebruenig could minimize her COBRA/insurance expenses in other ways. You can ELECT COBRA when leaving a job, but NOT PAY FOR IT if you don't incur medical expenses... 9/

Because billing for COBRA policies is by definition retrospective, you can see whether paying for the policy is "worth it," particularly when talking about a short-term gap in coverage... 10/

For instance, if you incur $100 in medical expenses in a given month, but your COBRA premium is $1,000, you should go bare, decline to pay the COBRA premium (after you elected it), and become uninsured retroactively... 11/

This only works in short-term situations, of course -- i.e., before the COBRA billing catches up with a recently departed employee.

But it DOES work -- and it likely would have worked in
@ebruenig's case, because she's likely talking about a coverage gap of only 90 days. 12/

Moreover, @ebruenig could have explored short-term coverage (that is, if her state of residence hasn't abolished/prohibited it). It might not have been an option here, given a newborn child, but another option to explore... 13/

Then there are also options like @MinuteClinic for well-baby visits, or a local health department for vaccines. Such options could have been cheaper for her than paying COBRA premiums for a short period of time... 14/

In sum: @ebruenig likely faces "uninsurance" for no more than 90 days (she conveniently didn't mention the duration, just that she was uninsured). Her worst-case scenario amounted to a couple grand in expenses -- and there are MANY ways to avoid even that... 15/

I don't believe a @nytimes writer's few grand in medical expenses gives @ebruenig any legitimate argument to justify government's theft (via taxation) of $30 trillion or so for #SinglePayer... 16/

@ebruenig's tweet was #FakeNews, pure and simple. And her new @nytimes colleagues like @ReedAbelson @sangerkatz should give her the actual facts about health care... 17/

But, seeing as how @nytimes now thinks reporters' tweets are subjects for columns, I'm going to submit an op-ed to the Times about @ebruenig's ill-informed tweet... 18/

Given that @nytimes wanted to lionize @feliciasonmez after one of her tweets got her raked over the coals by woke mobs, we'll see whether they'll run an op-ed exposing the way @ebruenig used distortions and lack of facts in HER tweet. I won't hold my breath. 19/

In conclusion: @ebruenig's tweet lacked both facts and a compelling case. If that's the best case she and @BernieSanders can make to justify #SinglePayer, I can't see the American people signing off on this $30 trillion health experiment. END