dagblog - Comments for "Obamacare is in real danger"

How Did Health Care Get to Be

artappraiser — Mon, 19 Jun 2017 17:46:31 +0000

In reply to Obamacare is in real danger

How Did Health Care Get to Be Such a Mess?

The problem is not the care. It’s the insurance company structure.

By CHRISTY FORD CHAPIN, guest op-ed @ NYTimes.com, June 19

Christy Ford Chapin is an associate professor of history at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, a visiting scholar at Johns Hopkins University and the author of “Ensuring America’s Health: The Public Creation of the Corporate Health Care System.”

I’ve covered Obamacare since

artappraiser — Sun, 18 Jun 2017 01:53:34 +0000

In reply to Obamacare is in real danger

I’ve covered Obamacare since day one. I’ve never seen lying and obstruction like this.

By Sarah Kliff @ Vox.com, June 15

We asked 8 Senate Republicans to explain what their health bill is trying to do

By Tara Golshan, Dylan Scott & Jeff Stein @ Vox. com, June 16

Senators From Both Parties

artappraiser — Fri, 16 Jun 2017 04:29:53 +0000

In reply to Obamacare is in real danger

Senators From Both Parties Criticize Secrecy on Health Bill

By THOMAS KAPLAN and ROBERT PEAR @ NYTimes.com, June 15

Senate leaders are writing legislation to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act without a single hearing on the bill and without an open drafting session.
The approach has created an air of distrust and concern with Democrats as well as Republicans.

In this case, for all sides,

artappraiser — Wed, 14 Jun 2017 19:42:08 +0000

In reply to As far as I understand it,

In this case, for all sides, it should be noted that just delaying also has direct real consequences: heath insurance cos. drop out of the exchanges. So uncertainty is basically repeal.

On a much larger level--global, actually--this is the story of the Trump Presidency. One cannot know for sure what is going to happen with health care, one cannot know for sure what is going to happen with NATO, or anything else.

The problem I have with passionate political people at this point in time has to do with this: they want to paint Trump as being good for the GOP platform. And then move on to a "them vs. us" thing. But that is not our current reality! Should be the main takeaway, the main important point right now: Trump is an iconoclast incomptetent nut, and is not going to let the "us vs. them" thing work! One day the House health bill is fabulous, the next day it's "mean", one day we are fed up with NATO, the next day we are pro-NATO.

Uncertainty just makes all claims of those trying to practice polarized politics into liars.

But more so, "the economy" needs to know that what politicians say they are going to try to do,that they are going to try to do, not fip flop every day.

As far as I understand it,

Obey — Wed, 14 Jun 2017 13:46:50 +0000

In reply to Senate Democrats plan

As far as I understand it, the Democrats have decided against wielding the nuclear option of delaying tactics because it would upset the GOP and would only unify them further.

On the other hand, many activist organizations seem to think that the Democrats can, if they want to, delay it so that they don't get a vote before the recess, and then have to wait til after the summer for a vote, giving popular opposition enough time to break the unified GOP front.

Given the gleeful reaction of the Democrats in the House when that first version of the AHCA passed, I suspect that the senators also want the bill to pass, because it will help them in 2018, but don't want to look complicit. It's a hard balancing act. Hence the excuses about not wanting to withhold consent or delay the vote too much. It's pretty cynical to me.

OK, waiting for the Democrats

CVille Dem — Wed, 14 Jun 2017 12:44:45 +0000

In reply to Senate Democrats plan

OK, waiting for the Democrats' sustained attack on Republicans for...

still waiting...

still...

Senate Democrats plan

artappraiser — Wed, 14 Jun 2017 05:13:57 +0000

In reply to Obamacare is in real danger

Senate Democrats plan offensive to try to save Obamacare

By Jennifer Haberkorn and Burgess Everett @ Politico.com, 06/13/2017 01:49 PM EDT

Senate Democrats are preparing an all-out war to try to save the Affordable Care Act.

With limited tools at their disposal, their plan is to hammer Senate Republicans for their secrecy, spotlight elements that would throw millions of people off their health coverage and fuel enough public outcry to make Republicans eyeing reelection fights very nervous.

The reality is that Democrats can’t really stop the Republicans who are using Senate budget rules that let them pass repeal legislation with only 50 votes and no chance to filibuster.

But alarmed by the GOP urgency to press ahead with repeal, they are lining up a two-track effort to try to save the ACA: They plan a sustained attack on Republicans’ hypocrisy for ramming through a bill with no committee hearings after the GOP blamed Democrats for years for passing Obamacare with no Republican votes.

And when and if the bill comes to the Senate floor, Democrats will use every tool at their disposal to try to slow it down [....]

Trump calls House healthcare

artappraiser — Tue, 13 Jun 2017 22:33:34 +0000

In reply to Obamacare is in real danger

Trump calls House healthcare bill 'mean'

By Peter Sullivan @ TheHill.com, 06/13/17 05:07 PM EDT

President Trump called the House's ObamaCare repeal bill "mean" and said it should be more generous during a meeting with Republican senators Tuesday, according to a Senate GOP aide.

The comments, which were first reported by The Associated Press, were striking given that Trump has previously praised the House bill and celebrated its passage at the White House.

"This is a great plan," Trump said last month during a Rose Garden ceremony attended by House Republicans the day the bill passed the lower chamber.

It is unclear what effect Trump's comments about the House bill might have. Senate Republicans were already planning to make the bill more generous, for example by increasing tax credits for low-income people.

Asked about Trump's remark, AshLee Strong, a spokeswoman for Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.), said [....]

GOP senators may be willing

artappraiser — Tue, 13 Jun 2017 08:30:11 +0000

In reply to Obamacare is in real danger

GOP senators may be willing to back health bill that funds Planned Parenthood

@ FoxNews.com, Published June 12, 2017

Several Republican senators have indicated that they would be willing to support a health care bill that funds Planned Parenthood or some abortion services, Fox News has learned.

The GOP is worried that any bill to repeal and replace ObamaCare would have to be carefully structured to hold the support of moderate and conservative Republicans. However, the apparent concession by conservatives might give leadership more room to maneuver [.....]

Also see

Parliamentarian threatens deadly blow to GOP healthcare bil

By Alexander Bolton @ TheHill.com, June 8

The Senate parliamentarian has warned Republicans that a provision in their healthcare reform bill related to abortion is unlikely to be allowed, raising a serious threat to the legislation.

The parliamentarian, Elizabeth MacDonough, has flagged language that would bar people from using new refundable tax credits for private insurance plans that cover abortion, according to Senate sources.

If Republicans are forced to strip the so-called Hyde Amendment language from the legislation, which essentially bars federal funds from being used to pay for abortions except to save the life of a mother or in cases of rape and incest, it may doom the bill [....]

and

The Secret Trumpcare Bill Is a Giant Scandal

By Jonathan Chait @ NYMag.com Daily Intelligencer, June 12

[....] The Russia scandal may be unwelcome, but the distraction happens to be a useful opportunity. Senate Republicans hope to rush their health-care bill into law with the absolute minimum of public scrutiny. Caitlin Owens reports that the bill is likely to be finalized tonight, but will not be made public anytime soon.

“We aren’t stupid,” one GOP aide tells Owens [....]