GOP Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is having fun, and THAT'S what's important.
....aaaaand it’s pretty much as bad as we thought.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell finally subjected the Senate’s Healthcare plan to the bright light of day, and one wonders what they were wrestling over during its weeks hidden behind closed doors. It’s very, very similar in most ways to the House version of an ACA replacement plan,…and those that would likely benefit or suffer are basically the same as well.
Some ways it mimics the GOP's House Bill:
• Removes the ACA’s mandates on people to sign up for coverage.
• Allows states to opt out of offering essential benefits altogether.
Some ways in which it differs from the House bill slightly:
• Ends Medicaid expansion,…although, to be fair, at a slightly slower pace than the House bill - in 6 years rather than 2.
• Keeps ACAs subsidies in place more or less, but uses a different formula that takes into account age and income level.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell finally subjected the Senate’s Healthcare plan to the bright light of day, and one wonders what they were wrestling over during its weeks hidden behind closed doors. It’s very, very similar in most ways to the House version of an ACA replacement plan,…and those that would likely benefit or suffer are basically the same as well. It still likes the “block grant” idea to states, although it would more gradually reduce the size of the grants starting in 2025. So, budget gaps are in our future!
So far, 4 Republican Senators have come out in opposition to the Senate Bill: Ron Johnson of Wisconsin, Ted Cruz of Texas, Rand Paul of Kentucky and Mike Lee of Utah. Although it will remain to be seen if they’ll cave to the company line after using this for ‘outlier’ cred (yes I’m looking at you Ted), or seeing who will scratch their backs and for how long. Deals will be made undoubtedly. But with flat 50 votes needed, 4 is too many for R’s to lose, and so one begins to wonder if they’re really even TRYING to create healthcare that is beneficial for Americans.
Let’s face it, the ACA (Obamacare) took years to craft, and while it may not have been perfect (and states like NC that chose to deny Medicaid expansion further hurt it), this House and Senate exercise has definitely proved that crafting quality healthcare legislations is really, really difficult to do. In the meantime, they've destabilized the market, causing insurers to panic over the uncertainty. The ACA was trending positively, when the GOP undercut it to cause it to bleed out.
The GOP versions (both House and Senate) push a lot of the decisions back to states on how to divvy up their federal funds (block grants), or what waivers they’d honor for items being cut, and even allows states to opt out of offering coverage for some groups, pre-existing conditions or even maternity care; which is never a good thing to hear when the NC General Assembly has a veto-proof majority. They’ve proven empathy and compassion is not their strong suit.
So, who is likely to be hurt the most by the latest stab at Trumpcare?
1) DISABLED: As Medicaid gets defunded, it hurts this group the most. Keep in mind that the majority of Medicaid dollars go towards serving those with disabilities. The cuts to Medicaid are even larger in this bill than the House version.
2) WOMEN: 1 in 5 women in this country depend on Medicaid for their basic healthcare, and gutting it would be detrimental to their health. Reproductive healthcare, specifically access to birth control without copay, will be demolished through this plan. If aren’t a fan of abortions, you need to give women ways to prevent pregnancies from happening in the first place.
3) MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES: While the ACA covered mental healthcare as the real-world medical issue it is, the Senate bill would not cover it after 2019. Waivers could be provided by states,…but again, does that seem like something Berger and Moore would do?
4) THE ELDERLY: Gutting Medicaid will greatly effect 2/3 of the people residing in nursing homes today. Where will they go? Who will take care of them? How will THAT impact our economy?
5) MOST EVERYONE ELSE: Plans are stripped of only the barest of care to keep costs down for insurers. So while many will pay the same for a plan, they’ll likely get far less actual coverage.
6) ECONOMY: The healthcare sector is 1/6 of America’s overall economy. With fewer people being able to afford preventative care and early intervention, the emergency room and trauma centers will be busier than ever,…but they’re likely the only ones. This is nationwide folks, and it could be huge. But by all means, let’s get those 1,200 coal mining jobs back. And what will the increase in emergency room visits by people without coverage mean to hospitals like Wilkes Regional Medical Center? Trust us, you’ll be subsidizing care for those uncovered one way or another.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell finally subjected the Senate’s Healthcare plan to the bright light of day, and one wonders what they were wrestling over during its weeks hidden behind closed doors. It’s very, very similar in most ways to the House version of an ACA replacement plan,…and those that would likely benefit or suffer are basically the same as well.
Some ways it mimics the GOP's House Bill:
• Removes the ACA’s mandates on people to sign up for coverage.
• Allows states to opt out of offering essential benefits altogether.
Some ways in which it differs from the House bill slightly:
• Ends Medicaid expansion,…although, to be fair, at a slightly slower pace than the House bill - in 6 years rather than 2.
• Keeps ACAs subsidies in place more or less, but uses a different formula that takes into account age and income level.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell finally subjected the Senate’s Healthcare plan to the bright light of day, and one wonders what they were wrestling over during its weeks hidden behind closed doors. It’s very, very similar in most ways to the House version of an ACA replacement plan,…and those that would likely benefit or suffer are basically the same as well. It still likes the “block grant” idea to states, although it would more gradually reduce the size of the grants starting in 2025. So, budget gaps are in our future!
So far, 4 Republican Senators have come out in opposition to the Senate Bill: Ron Johnson of Wisconsin, Ted Cruz of Texas, Rand Paul of Kentucky and Mike Lee of Utah. Although it will remain to be seen if they’ll cave to the company line after using this for ‘outlier’ cred (yes I’m looking at you Ted), or seeing who will scratch their backs and for how long. Deals will be made undoubtedly. But with flat 50 votes needed, 4 is too many for R’s to lose, and so one begins to wonder if they’re really even TRYING to create healthcare that is beneficial for Americans.
Let’s face it, the ACA (Obamacare) took years to craft, and while it may not have been perfect (and states like NC that chose to deny Medicaid expansion further hurt it), this House and Senate exercise has definitely proved that crafting quality healthcare legislations is really, really difficult to do. In the meantime, they've destabilized the market, causing insurers to panic over the uncertainty. The ACA was trending positively, when the GOP undercut it to cause it to bleed out.
The GOP versions (both House and Senate) push a lot of the decisions back to states on how to divvy up their federal funds (block grants), or what waivers they’d honor for items being cut, and even allows states to opt out of offering coverage for some groups, pre-existing conditions or even maternity care; which is never a good thing to hear when the NC General Assembly has a veto-proof majority. They’ve proven empathy and compassion is not their strong suit.
So, who is likely to be hurt the most by the latest stab at Trumpcare?
1) DISABLED: As Medicaid gets defunded, it hurts this group the most. Keep in mind that the majority of Medicaid dollars go towards serving those with disabilities. The cuts to Medicaid are even larger in this bill than the House version.
2) WOMEN: 1 in 5 women in this country depend on Medicaid for their basic healthcare, and gutting it would be detrimental to their health. Reproductive healthcare, specifically access to birth control without copay, will be demolished through this plan. If aren’t a fan of abortions, you need to give women ways to prevent pregnancies from happening in the first place.
3) MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES: While the ACA covered mental healthcare as the real-world medical issue it is, the Senate bill would not cover it after 2019. Waivers could be provided by states,…but again, does that seem like something Berger and Moore would do?
4) THE ELDERLY: Gutting Medicaid will greatly effect 2/3 of the people residing in nursing homes today. Where will they go? Who will take care of them? How will THAT impact our economy?
5) MOST EVERYONE ELSE: Plans are stripped of only the barest of care to keep costs down for insurers. So while many will pay the same for a plan, they’ll likely get far less actual coverage.
6) ECONOMY: The healthcare sector is 1/6 of America’s overall economy. With fewer people being able to afford preventative care and early intervention, the emergency room and trauma centers will be busier than ever,…but they’re likely the only ones. This is nationwide folks, and it could be huge. But by all means, let’s get those 1,200 coal mining jobs back. And what will the increase in emergency room visits by people without coverage mean to hospitals like Wilkes Regional Medical Center? Trust us, you’ll be subsidizing care for those uncovered one way or another.
US Capitol Police arrest a protestor against the Senate Republican's draft healthcare bill outside the office
And who wins with Trumpcare 2.0?
1) CORPORATIONS: They would no longer pay any payroll taxes towards supporting healthcare for all, so they’d get a big tax break even before it was even scheduled to start to help the ACA.
2) THE WEALTHY: This is likely the only group that will still be able to afford healthcare with adequate coverage for any pre-existing conditions.
3) KIDS UNDER 26: Parents can still cover them on their insurance, just like the ACA (Obamacare) allowed. So way to go, kids! (BTW, 27 is going to really suck.)
1) CORPORATIONS: They would no longer pay any payroll taxes towards supporting healthcare for all, so they’d get a big tax break even before it was even scheduled to start to help the ACA.
2) THE WEALTHY: This is likely the only group that will still be able to afford healthcare with adequate coverage for any pre-existing conditions.
3) KIDS UNDER 26: Parents can still cover them on their insurance, just like the ACA (Obamacare) allowed. So way to go, kids! (BTW, 27 is going to really suck.)
And who wins with Trumpcare 2.0?
1) CORPORATIONS: They would no longer pay any payroll taxes towards supporting healthcare for all, so they’d get a big tax break even before it was even scheduled to start to help the ACA.
2) THE WEALTHY: This is likely the only group that will still be able to afford healthcare with adequate coverage for any pre-existing conditions.
3) KIDS UNDER 26: Parents can still cover them on their insurance, just like the ACA (Obamacare) allowed. So way to go, kids! (BTW, 27 is going to really suck.)
AARP, the American Hospital Association, the American Cancer Society and the Association of American Medical Colleges have all already expressed their dislike for this piece of legislation, which is planned to be voted on next week before the July 4th break. The GOP plans to use a special budget rule that would prohibit a Democratic filibuster opportunity and could pass this legislations with only 50 votes in support with VP Pence breaking a tie. So it’s important that all Democrats stand strong against it, but also to convince reasonable Republicans that this is not the solution we need. Senators Burr and Tillis need to hear your opinion. Call them now.
1) CORPORATIONS: They would no longer pay any payroll taxes towards supporting healthcare for all, so they’d get a big tax break even before it was even scheduled to start to help the ACA.
2) THE WEALTHY: This is likely the only group that will still be able to afford healthcare with adequate coverage for any pre-existing conditions.
3) KIDS UNDER 26: Parents can still cover them on their insurance, just like the ACA (Obamacare) allowed. So way to go, kids! (BTW, 27 is going to really suck.)
AARP, the American Hospital Association, the American Cancer Society and the Association of American Medical Colleges have all already expressed their dislike for this piece of legislation, which is planned to be voted on next week before the July 4th break. The GOP plans to use a special budget rule that would prohibit a Democratic filibuster opportunity and could pass this legislations with only 50 votes in support with VP Pence breaking a tie. So it’s important that all Democrats stand strong against it, but also to convince reasonable Republicans that this is not the solution we need. Senators Burr and Tillis need to hear your opinion. Call them now.
Senator Thom Tillis (R) - US Senate (term up 2020)
185 Dirksen Senate Office Building
Washington DC 20510
phone: (202) 224-6342
Contact form: www.tillis.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/email-me
twitter: @SenThomTillis
Senator Richard Burr (R) - US Senate (term up 2022)
Contact: 217 Russell Senate Office Building
Washington DC 20510
phone: (202) 224-3154
Contact form: https://www.burr.senate.gov/contact/email
twitter: @SenatorBurr
For more info to review and compare the plans for yourself, visit:
http://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2017/06/22/533942041/who-wins-who-loses-with-senate-health-care-bill
https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2017/06/22/us/senate-health-care-bill.html
185 Dirksen Senate Office Building
Washington DC 20510
phone: (202) 224-6342
Contact form: www.tillis.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/email-me
twitter: @SenThomTillis
Senator Richard Burr (R) - US Senate (term up 2022)
Contact: 217 Russell Senate Office Building
Washington DC 20510
phone: (202) 224-3154
Contact form: https://www.burr.senate.gov/contact/email
twitter: @SenatorBurr
For more info to review and compare the plans for yourself, visit:
http://www.npr.org/sections/health-shots/2017/06/22/533942041/who-wins-who-loses-with-senate-health-care-bill
https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2017/06/22/us/senate-health-care-bill.html