Obamacare Supporter John Legend Isn’t In Obamacare

Singer/songwriter John Legend wants everyone to sign up for Obamacare, apparently except himself.

On Monday, the official-unofficial Obamacare enrollment deadline, Legend took to social media to encourage his followers to #getcovered on HealthCare.gov.

This prompted a spirited back and forth on Twitter, with Legend admitting that he obtains his health insurance policy from an entertainment union. Along the way, he also accused those opposed to the Obamacare law as Obama haters

Traditionally, edgy artists were rebellious against government; now many of them seem to be advocates for it.

Obamacare-promoting celebrities like Will Ferrell and John Legend would likely have more credibility if they themselves voluntarily went into the exchange to seek government-approved, one-size-fits-all Obamacare health insurance. Instead, most wealthy Hollywood types have gold-plated insurance plans and access to the best doctors which insulate them from the skyrocketing premiums and huge deductibles, along with limitations, cancellations, narrow provider networks, and many other problems associated with Obamacare that ordinary Americans face or will face. Plus, the whole “if you like your plan/doctor, you can keep your plan/doctor” thing.

Dealing with a health insurance company before Obamacare was enough to make you sick to be sure. But is more government intervention the answer? During the Twitter exchange, John Legend also revealed that he favors a complete government takeover of the medical delivery system, i.e., socialized medicine. The UK has such a system, and readers of the British news media know the outcome of the system that is now hovering near bankruptcy include healthcare rationing and long delays for treatment.

@NFLxyz i would if i didn’t already have health insurance through my union.

— John Legend (@johnlegend) March 31, 2014

@jjtwigg I want single payer socialized medicine. I look forward to the day when we get there. We will get there eventually.

— John Legend (@johnlegend) March 31, 2014

Although there was a lot of hoopla from the administration surrounding the seven million enrollees milestone this week, a RAND Corporation study suggest that only one-third of the Obamacare signups were previously uninsured. Another study similarly found that less than 30 percent were previously uninsured. If these findings are accurate, Obamacare is falling far short of addressing the needs of uninsured Americans that law was designed to help. Further premium increases are also on the horizon as a result: “But insurers have already said that the first group of new enrollees under ObamaCare, as the law is widely known, represent a higher rate of older and costlier members than hoped. To keep their health plans from losing money in the coming years, many expect monthly premium rates to rise by double-digit percentages in some parts of the country.”

[Image via Bobboz / Shutterstock.com]