Since the passing of the Affordable Care Act (aka “Obamacare”) in 2010, the state of New York has seen a decrease in its uninsured population by more than half.


New York City, with a population of 8.6 million, has more than 6000,000 residents that remain uninsured, so city officials have created a landmark plan to reduce that number to zero.

Mayor Bill de Blasio made a surprise announcement on Tuesday, January 8, saying the city will soon guarantee comprehensive health care to every single resident regardless of their ability to pay or immigration status.

The plan isn’t an individual insurance plan or a single-payer health program such as the Medicare for All plan touted by progressives. Instead, the city plans to expand its current MetroPlus public insurance plan while adding a new program called NYC Care.

Through the combination of these programs, uninsured residents will gain free or affordable access to primary and secondary providers from pediatrics to OBGYN, geriatric, mental health, and other services.

“When this plan is fully implemented every New Yorker who needs a doctor will have an actual doctor with a name and a place, they’re going to have a card that will empower them to go to that doctor whenever they need,” de Blasio said. “A primary care doctor, an actual person that you can turn to that’s your doctor, and the specialty services that will make all the difference.”

The programs will cost the city an estimated $100 million a year to operate. However, de Blasio believes it will ultimately save the city money by drastically reducing residents’ trips to the emergency room.

The emergency room is the “default health care provider for so many people in this country,” de Blasio said. “It is the worst way to get health care. It is the most expensive way to get health care.”

NYC Care is set to begin in the Bronx this summer and will roll out to the rest of the boroughs by 2021.

New York City’s bold new healthcare program will be the biggest and most comprehensive health coverage program in the country. “This has never been done in the country in a comprehensive way,” de Blasio told MSNBC. “Health care isn’t just a right in theory, it must be a right in practice. And we’re doing that here in this city.”

Here’s what people are saying about the stunning announcement.

Not everyone is a huge fan.

  • Man’s dog suddenly becomes protective of his wife, Internet clocks the reason right away
    Dogs have impressive observational powers.Photo credit: Canva

    Reddit user Girlfriendhatesmefor’s three-year-old pitbull, Otis, had recently become overprotective of his wife. So he asked the online community if they knew what might be wrong with the dog.

    “A week or two ago, my wife got some sort of stomach bug,” the Reddit user wrote under the subreddit /r/dogs. “She was really nauseous and ill for about a week. Otis is very in tune with her emotions (we once got in a fight and she was upset, I swear he was staring daggers at me lol) and during this time didn’t even want to leave her to go on walks. We thought it was adorable!”

    His wife soon felt better, butthe dog’s behavior didn’t change.

    pregnancy signs, dogs and pregnancy, pitbull behavior, pet intuition, dog overprotection, Reddit stories, viral Reddit, dog instincts, canine emotions, dog owner tips
    Otis knew before they did. Canva

    Girlfriendhatesmefor began to fear that Otis’ behavior may be an early sign of an aggression issue or an indication that the dog was hurt or sick.

    So he threw a question out to fellow Reddit users: “Has anyone else’s dog suddenly developed attachment/aggression issues? Any and all advice appreciated, even if it’s that we’re being paranoid!”

    The most popular response to his thread was by ZZBC.

    Any chance your wife is pregnant?

    ZZBC | Reddit

    The potential news hit Girlfriendhatesmefor like a ton of bricks. A few days later, Girlfriendhatesmefor posted an update and ZZBC was right!

    “The wifey is pregnant!” the father-to-be wrote. “Otis is still being overprotective but it all makes sense now! Thanks for all the advice and kind words! Sorry for the delayed reply, I didn’t check back until just now!”

    Redditors responded with similar experiences.

    Anecdotal I know but I swear my dog knew I was pregnant before I was. He was super clingy (more than normal) and was always resting his head on my belly.

    realityisworse | Reddit

    So why do dogs get overprotective when someone is pregnant?

    Jeff Werber, PhD, president and chief veterinarian of the Century Veterinary Group in Los Angeles, told Health.com that “dogs can also smell the hormonal changes going on in a woman’s body at that time.” He added the dog may “not understand that this new scent of your skin and breath is caused by a developing baby, but they will know that something is different with you—which might cause them to be more curious or attentive.”

    The big lesson here is to listen to your pets and to ask questions when their behavior abruptly changes. They may be trying to tell you something, and the news may be life-changing.

    This article originally appeared last year.

  • Throughout history, women have stood up and fought to break down barriers imposed on them from stereotypes and societal expectations. The trailblazers in these photos made history and redefined what a woman could be. In doing so, they paved the way for future generations to stand up and continue to fight for equality.

  • ,

    Why mass shootings spawn conspiracy theories

    Mass shootings and conspiracy theories have a long history.

    While conspiracy theories are not limited to any topic, there is one type of event that seems particularly likely to spark them: mass shootings, typically defined as attacks in which a shooter kills at least four other people.

    When one person kills many others in a single incident, particularly when it seems random, people naturally seek out answers for why the tragedy happened. After all, if a mass shooting is random, anyone can be a target.

    Pointing to some nefarious plan by a powerful group – such as the government – can be more comforting than the idea that the attack was the result of a disturbed or mentally ill individual who obtained a firearm legally.


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