Yup, we now have the Federal Government turning to Community Libraries to act as insurance salesmen and Obamacare kiosks. You know, everyone is just so flocking to be first in line like for the latest LeBron or Jordon sneakers, or tix to the latest fad signing act (sorry, I admit that this part of the culture is a failure for me so I can’t name them) or the newest iPhone. You know, Real Important Stuff that captures the imagination of the pop culture (sorry, fuddy duddy here) and are willing to go all in for what ever the private marketplace is offering.
Well, Obamacare is SUCH a hit that people are just jumping in anticipa…….oh wait, I’ve had too much sugar tonite – I’m hallucinating. Right now, the Obamacare Bureaucracy is shaking in fear – how does that Private Marketplace do it; heck, even with a LAW saying they have to, it doesn’t look like people are going to want to sign up (heck, the Youngest admitted this past week that he didn’t know he had to – and look what I do!). Sign up the Government Schools to do their indoctrination, sign up the Evil Corporations to try to make it cool to sign up – and now you may be hearing:
“May I suggest a good book today – and a GREAT Obamacare healthcare insurance plan??”
Remember when the Patriot Act first came out and the hysteria that ensued from the Nation’s Librarians when they found out that the Feds could come in and demand what books had been taken out by their patrons? My GOSH, you’d think that the antagonists from Red Dawn movie had come in with guns blazing: ” SHHHHHH, be quiet! And we’re gonna burn all the registration cards! NO – I will NOT turn over my card catalog! But for Obamacare??
Yes, indeed! From SFGate, your local Librarian may be getting dragooned by the Federal Government reaching down right into your local Government to make it do its bidding (reformatted, emphasis mine):
The nation’s librarians will be recruited to help people get signed up for insurance under President Barack Obama’s health care overhaul. Up to 17,000 U.S. libraries will be part of the effort to get information and crucial computer time to the millions of uninsured Americans who need to get coverage under the law. The undertaking will be announced Sunday in Chicago at the annual conference of the American Library Association, according to federal officials who released the information early to The Associated Press.
…Libraries equipped with public computers and Internet access already serve as a bridge across the digital divide, so it made sense to get them involved, said Julie Bataille, spokeswoman for the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.
Yeah, we’ll just reach in and demand time from local Government Employees. I know in my town, there IS no line item in the budget for the library against which to log time, effort, and materials for “Obamacare Outreach”.
“Libraries are a tremendous resource for people in their communities,” Bataille said. “They’re already a destination many individuals go to when they’re seeking out information and understanding on a variety of issues.” Libraries also have public spaces where meetings can be held. And they already provide health information to 28 million people a year via public access computers, according to the Institute of Museum and Library Services, a federal grant-making agency, which will coordinate the new effort with CMS. The two federal agencies also worked together during the rollout of the Medicare prescription drug benefit, experience that should help with this effort, Bataille said.
Oh, and get this – the feds see this as a way AROUND those States and local Governments that decided not to support it:
Libraries will be particularly important in conservative states that are not making much effort to promote the health law’s opportunities. Some libraries may decide to set aside some public computers for people seeking health insurance or extend time limits on computers, Hildreth said. Some may work with community health centers on educational events. Those will be local decisions with each library deciding how to participate.
The Institute of Museum and Library Services is contracting with the Online Computer Library Center to develop an online toolkit and training webinars for librarians, Hildreth said. Librarians are likely to get questions on the health law from the public.
All which will take time away from their actual duties (in my town, that also includes setting up video games on consoles on a special wide screen….sigh). Just like indoctrinating children in Government Schools, it will take time away from teaching the real subjects that we pay teachers to actually do. And both teachers and librarians will have to be trained – dunno much about the Librarian Unions, but I’m going to guess that the NEA and NFT will be going all in on this (but will make the attempt to get more money somehow from someone).
Lissa Staley, a librarian in Topeka, Kan., specializes in health information, and already is helping people figure out their insurance options. “I talked to a woman this morning who said, ‘I’m a single mom. I make too much money to qualify for Medicaid and my employer will only let me work part time.’ I gave her my card and we’re going to sort through some of her options,” Staley said. “It’s never just a straightforward question,” Staley said. “It’s always a life story and we help sort through the pieces of where we can help.”
In most States, to help sell insurance (because all of this is part of that process) generally means some formal certification to be an insurance sales person. Or are the Feds going to waive State regulations on this too?
Yeah, it all depends on which Party’s in charge, or so it seems. On one, they reject an intrusion into their readership’s lives by Government agents and on the other, they’re going to become the Government agents and embrace aiding in that intrusion themselves.
Such a deal. Once again: Consistency??
(H/T: Townhall)
