Just in time for Valentine’s Day, Illinois’ Obamacare peddlers are telling people the quickest way to find a date is with an insurance card.

The same people responsible for selling Obamacare with action figures via The Onion have released a new study aimed, apparently, at gold diggers and momma’s boys.

“When it comes to pursuing a relationship, a new survey shows that for many Illinoisans, health insurance is an important factor,” reads a statement from Get Covered Illinois, the state’s Obamacare managers. “More than two thirds (67 percent) of those surveyed listed having health coverage as something they value when starting a relationship, more so than the other person owning the latest technology, owning a dog, or having a tattoo.”

In other words, skip the small talk on the first date and just get to the details about your deductible and prescription drug coverage.

“(Saying) that people, when they’re meeting someone, want to know if they have health insurance — I really have difficulty believing that,” relationship expert and dating coach Roy Biancalana told Illinois Watchdog.

The Get Covered Illinois survey expands the theme, and states women are on the prowl for someone with insurance.

“Women are significantly more likely to view health insurance as a major consideration in starting a relationship, with 55 percent rating it a four or five on a five-point scale, compared to 33 percent for men,” the Get Covered statement reads.

Biancalana said that sounds an awful lot like calling some women health care gold diggers.

“It is demeaning to describe women as if they can’t take care of themselves,” Biancalana said. “I think women should be outraged at those kinds of things. “

State Rep. Ron Sandack, R-Downers Grove, agrees.

Sandack said he’s worried about the state’s Obamacare sales pitch.

“Selling at all costs is unbecoming. Using stereotypes and demeaning images cheapens us all,” Sandack said. “We all deserve better.

“I actually wouldn’t want to be in a relationship with someone who couldn’t take care of their own life,” Biancalana said. “That kind of dependent mentality would be the problem. It wouldn’t be if you have insurance or not. It would be that you are looking for me to give you something.”

Biancalana said the same dependent mentality that brings up images of women as gold diggers casts men as grown-up mamma’s boys who need someone to cater to their every need.

And that’s where, Biancalana said, you get beyond personal relationships and into the relationship people have with their government.

“If we want to be a growing, evolving society what government should be doing is supporting those who need, genuinely need, support like an infant would. But also moving them toward independent living, self-reliance and living on their own,” Biancalana said.

Illinois is trying to get young people to sign up for Obamacare, and quickly.

The state needs young people who are relatively healthy to pay for the older and sicker folks who have already enrolled.

The sales pitches will keep coming through the Obamacare deadline to sign up at the end of March.

By Benjamin Yount | Illinois Watchdog

• Author
• Recent Posts

Watchdog

Watchdog.org is a collection of independent journalists covering state-specific and local government activity.

Latest posts by Watchdog (see all)

• Billionaire Bloomberg attacks Fla. AG Pam Bondi, other AGs over opposing EPA regulations - November 10, 2015
• Over 10 percent of Florida adults are barred from voting - July 24, 2015
• Florida bill would implement online voter registration - May 15, 2015

Comment

We have no tolerance for comments containing violence, racism, profanity, vulgarity, doxing, or discourteous behavior. If a comment is spam, instead of replying to it please click the ∨ icon below and to the right of that comment. Thank you for partnering with us to maintain fruitful conversation.