Tag: GOP healthcare

Why poverty is not a personal choice, but a reflection of society

The following article by Shervin Assari was posted on the Conversation website June 30, 2017:

A homeless camp in Los Angeles, where homelessness has risen 23 percent in the past year, in May 2017. AP Photo/Richard Vogel

As the Senate prepares to modify its version of the health care bill, now is a good time to back up and examine why we as a nation are so divided about providing health care, especially to the poor.

I believe one reason the United States is cutting spending on health insurance and safety nets that protect poor and marginalized people is because of American culture, which overemphasizes individual responsibility. Our culture does this to the point that it ignores the effect of root causes shaped by society and beyond the control of the individual. How laypeople define and attribute poverty may not be that much different from the way U.S. policymakers in the Senate see poverty. Continue reading “Why poverty is not a personal choice, but a reflection of society”

With health bill looming, senators aren’t rushing into the July Fourth spotlight

The following article by Paul Kane was posted on the Washington Post website July 1, 2017:

Protestors outside of a town hall held by Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-La.) in Baton Rouge on Friday. (Ashley Cusick /For The Washington Post)

Sen. Susan Collins will celebrate the Fourth of July within view of the Canadian border, at a remote northeastern Maine town’s annual parade. Sen. Lisa Murkowski will appear on the other end of the continent in an old timber town on an isolated Alaskan island.

These two Republican senators, critical swing votes in the debate over health-care legislation, are not exactly rushing into the public spotlight to engage their constituents on the controversial plan and their own decision-making about the proposal.

Then again, at least they have released information about where they will be. That’s more than most Senate Republicans have done at the start of a 10-day break wrapped around the nation’s Independence Day celebration. This creates the belief among liberal activists that Republicans are trying to hide, which in turn primes every public moment to become that much more confrontational. Continue reading “With health bill looming, senators aren’t rushing into the July Fourth spotlight”

Here’s How the Wealthy Gain From GOP Health Care Bill

The following article by Benjy Sarlin was posted on the NBC News website July 1, 2017:

WASHINGTON — Republicans are once again bogged down in negotiations over health care, with moderates and conservatives pulling the Senate bill in different directions and polls showing the public overwhelmingly unhappy with their plans.

But the key to understanding their struggles might not lie in health policy so much as tax policy.

As frustrated GOP senators are discovering, their bill is much less generous than Obamacare because it spends hundreds of billions of dollars less on people’s health care. And the main reason it spends so much less is that its savings are used to cut taxes for wealthy Americans and for medical companies. Continue reading “Here’s How the Wealthy Gain From GOP Health Care Bill”

32 million people would lose coverage if Obamacare was repealed

The following article by Tami Luhby was posted on the CNN Money website June 30, 2017:

Republican senators are skittish enough that their health care bill would leave 22 million people more without health insurance by 2026, compared to Obamacare.

They likely won’t be too keen on President Trump’s suggestion to just repeal Obamacare immediately and replace it later if they can’t get enough support to pass their bill.

That move would probably leave 18 million more people without coverage in the first year after its enactment and 32 million more by 2026, according to a Congressional Budget Office report that looked at an earlier GOP bill to repeal Obamacare.

It would also cause premiums on individual market policies to increase by up to 25% the first year and to nearly double by 2026. Continue reading “32 million people would lose coverage if Obamacare was repealed”

Trump’s new idea to repeal Obamacare now and replace it later would be a massive gamble

The following article by Aaron Blake was posted on the Washington Post website June 30, 2017:

President Trump floated a new idea on Friday morning: What if the Senate votes to repeal Obamacare today and then works to replace it later?

Donald J. Trump

✔@realDonaldTrump

If Republican Senators are unable to pass what they are working on now, they should immediately REPEAL, and then REPLACE at a later date!

Twitter Ads info and privacy

The idea is apparently coming from Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.), who called it a “breakthrough” while detailing it Thursday. “What about dividing the bill in two? Do the repeal, which no Democrat will vote for — repeal the taxes, repeal the regulations — and do a fix to Medicaid that helps to pay for everything,” Paul said. “No Democrats will vote for anything good like that. But Democrats will always vote for spending.” Sen. Ben Sasse (R-Neb.) is also onboard. Continue reading “Trump’s new idea to repeal Obamacare now and replace it later would be a massive gamble”

Opponents of Health Law Repeal Vow to Keep Pressure On Over Recess

NOTE:  The evening of June 29, there is a rally to let Rep. Paulsen know we want to keep our healthcare.  More info here.

The following article by Avantika Chilkoti and Emily Cochrane was posted on the New York Times website June 27, 2017:

Supporters of Planned Parenthood rallied on Tuesday in Washington. Credit Saul Loeb/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images

Under a blistering sun, protesters let out a cheer on Tuesday across Capitol lawns as word spread that the Senate Republican leader had delayed a vote on repealing the Affordable Care Act. But amid the celebration, Democrats urged the crowds to keep the heat on lawmakers whose opposition to the health care overhaul could grow cold over the coming Fourth of July recess.

“If there is one thing that everybody knows in politics, it’s this: When you have the votes, you take the vote,” Senator Brian Schatz, Democrat of Hawaii, roared to the amassed activists, some clad in pink Planned Parenthood shirts, others in red AIDS awareness shirts.

By midafternoon, Senator Mitch McConnell, Republican of Kentucky and the majority leader, had announced that he did not have enough support to repeal President Barack Obama’s signature domestic achievement, and would take lawmakers’ temperatures when they returned to Washington the week of July 10.

Continue reading “Opponents of Health Law Repeal Vow to Keep Pressure On Over Recess”

Open letter to all compassionate conservatives on the ACHA

The following article by Rockford Lhotka was posted on the Medium.com website June 26, 2017:

This is an open letter to all compassionate conservatives. Republicans who care about their families, their communities, their states, and their country. But in particular, conservatives who care about other people.

Do you get your health insurance through your employer? Do you think this makes you immune to the ACHA, because “it only affects the poor and unemployed”?

You are wrong. It affects EVERYONE who might get sick or get old.

If you and your loved ones will never get sick or old, then you can stop reading now.

Continue reading “Open letter to all compassionate conservatives on the ACHA”

The Illusory Savings From Cutting Medicaid

The following article by Steve Chapman was posted on the Creators.com website June 25, 2017:

Image: JessicaGale via Morguefile.com

When economists talk in their sleep, they say, “There is no such thing as a free lunch.” This axiom is drilled into them from day one of their undergraduate education and never leaves their minds. Any economist who tried to deny it would find herself suddenly choking in pain and unable to speak.

What it means is that if the government does something that costs money, some human somewhere will bear the expense. “Free” public schools, “free” parks and “free” roads all have to be paid for by the citizenry. Collectively, we can’t get something for nothing.

This useful insight has long been offered as an objection to costly government programs. But it applies as well to measures that extract savings from costly government programs. Continue reading “The Illusory Savings From Cutting Medicaid”

What happens when the federal government eliminates health coverage? Lessons from the past

The following article by Simon Haeder was posted on the Conversation website June 23, 2017:

David Zalubowski/AP

After much secrecy and no public deliberation, Senate Republicans finalized release their “draft” repeal and replace bill for the Affordable Care Act on June 22. Unquestionably, the released “draft” will not be the final version.

Amendments and a potential, albeit not necessary, conference committee are likely to make some adjustments. However, both the House version – American Health Care Act (AHCA) – and the Senate’s Better Care Reconciliation Act (BCRA) will significantly reduce coverage for millions of Americans and reshape insurance for virtually everyone. The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) is expected to provide final numbers early the week of June 26.

If successful, the repeal and replacement of the Affordable Care Act would be in rare company. Even though the U.S. has been slower than any other Western country to develop a safety net, the U.S. has rarely taken back benefits once they have been bestowed on its citizenry. Indeed, only a small number of significant cases come to mind. Continue reading “What happens when the federal government eliminates health coverage? Lessons from the past”