'Nobody knew that health care could be so complicated'... Nobody? Or only Trump?

[Michael Murphy]

I'm hoping it's a long 4 years, and in 2018 there will be mid term elections.  The senate  will probably stay republican side 23 democratic senators are UP for reelection and Orly 8 republikano, but iFM things continue the House may be UP for grabs.  The aca Now has a approval rating OF 60 percent.  Finally iFM Trump was picker UP ON a wire tap may guess IT was him talking to a Russian diplomat since the US must have FISA taps on the Russians.

[Rerun]

 

Both accusations are unsubstantiated. 

[Michael Murphy]

No they need to be investigated, when the leaked information about contact with the Russian oligarchs was released Trump screamed that the leakers should be prosecuted, the leaked information must be true cause you can't make a roumor top secret.  Finally his last set of inane tweets about being wire tapped, what that seems to be is Trump may have been on a call to a Russian who was legally tapped, and he is worried about the content of that call being released.
It's time for a independent prosecutor to take over this morass and get to the bottom off these allegations. 

[Bill Peckham]

The House Energy and Commerce bill (PDF) and the House Ways and Means bill (PDF) came out tonight. I skimmed them, did a few ctrl F: (the word "patient" is only used outside of section headings once, a reference to 'uninsured patients'; "research" not mentioned outside a section heading; nothing about "outcomes"), read the early analysis. In general the bills shift risk from the government to the taxpayer and shift costs from younger/healthier to the older/sicker. I don't think either bill will be the core of what goes forward, it will have to come out of the Senate and then they can hammer something out in conference. At some point there will have to be a reckoning - the bill that would pass the House will not pass the Senate/ the bill that would pass the Senate will not pass the House.

I will say there is one surprise in the Commerce bill, it's an issue that apparently until now politicians have been too scared to address. On pages 10 to 15 the proposed legislation goes into granular detail regarding the Medicaid eligibility of lottery winners. No really. 9% of the legislation that is meant to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the US healthcare system is concerned with how many months lottery winners are barred from receiving Medicaid benefits (it varies based on the amount of the winnings). whew - that was what needed fixing, lottery winners using Medicaid. Lives in the balance, trillions of dollars in play and they're concerning themselves with an issue that can only amount to a rounding error. To budget dust. How many people win the lottery and are on Medicaid? Dozens? At 7 or 8 thousand dollars cost/person, imagine if there were a hundred such bamboozlers, it would amount to almost 80% of million dollars every year.

[MooseMom]

Well, Bill, everything should be OK because Trump promised us that there would be so much winning that we would eventually beg him not to let us win so much.

So, with that campaign promise in mind, there will be so much winning regarding Medicare that we needn't worry.

I am grateful for that because we are all going to need a lot of health care soon because this President is exhausting.  OMG, the tweets, the heinous accusations based on the foamings of some right-wing radio extremist, the anxiety inducing statements and the just plain weirdness is starting to get to us all.

Not to mention that this man is a perv.

Trump is never going to read any sort of health care legislation.  He does not see such a thing as his job.  He will spend all of his time spewing nonsense punctuated by the occasional telepromptered speech that somehow makes him look "presidential", like that is something hard for him to do.  He gets roundly applauded when he manages to "look presidential". 

The people who are going to be hurt by Paul Ryan's health care ego trip are the very people who voted for Trump, many of whom need federal programs like Medicaid.  Those people's Senators are going to be busy...and worried.

[MooseMom]

Here are a couple of links to articles that outline a bit of the big picture.

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2017/03/06/highlights-house-gops-obamacare-replacement-bill.html

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2017/mar/07/obamacare-lite-republicans-bill-to-replace-affordable-care-act-explained

http://www.politico.com/story/2017/03/obamacare-repeal-concession-gop-leadership-235723

[Simon Dog]

Not to mention that this man is a perv.

"Perv" implied abnormal sexual desires (of course, in today's political climate there is no such thing except when it comes to pedophilia).   I think "boor" or "cad" would be more appropriately descriptive.

[Rerun]

What is exhausting is the links to Trump with Russia.  Ok, where is the evidence?  I think Trump just threw out the wiretapping because it was just as ridiculous.   LOL Love Him   

Here is your crazy Nancy Peloci.  She didn't even read the ACA and obviously didn't read the Trump Care Act.

What an Idiot:  http://www.cbsnews.com/news/nancy-pelosi-blasts-house-gop-health-plan-discusses-wiretapping-claim/

Why was it NO BIG DEAL when Obama told the Russians "When the election is over I can be more flexible" ??  No investigation No allegations  No News time.

[Bill Peckham]

Here is your crazy Nancy Peloci.  She didn't even read the ACA and obviously didn't read the Trump Care Act.

What an Idiot:  http://www.cbsnews.com/news/nancy-pelosi-blasts-house-gop-health-plan-discusses-wiretapping-claim/

Please tell me what she said that is incorrect.

[MooseMom]

What is exhausting is the links to Trump with Russia.  Ok, where is the evidence?  I think Trump just threw out the wiretapping because it was just as ridiculous.   LOL Love Him   

If the evidence is there, it will be found.  The difficulty will be in releasing "the evidence" because it may compromise National Security.  But we already know that the Trump family has extensive financial ties to Russia, and we know that because one of his sons has already said so.  The "evidence" of the extent of Trump's ties may well lie in his tax returns, so we should look there.  Oh, wait a minute...

Why was it NO BIG DEAL when Obama told the Russians "When the election is over I can be more flexible" ??  No investigation No allegations  No News time.

Well, if you remember, the GOP made quite a big deal over it. 

Why would there be an investigation?  What was illegal about what he said?  The difference between this statement and possible Trump administration links to Russia are:

1.  Obama was already President.  Donald Trump was not.

2.  Obama did not have any financial ties to Russia.  We know this because we've all seen his tax returns.

3.  We knew exactly what Obama said.  He didn't go around denying it or lying to Congress.  He also didn't try to divert anyone's attention by yelling that a meteor was headed toward Earth and that it would be a disaster because our military had been decimated and that our generals were crap.

[MooseMom]

http://www.cnbc.com/2017/03/07/health-insurers-billion-dollar-windfall-gop-obamacare-replacement.html

Speaking of insurers, I was listening to a talk radio station this morning, and of course the topic was the new replacement bill.  A woman called in who, when she was 64, had BCBS of Michigan.  She was diabetic, and she had just been diagnosed with liver disease and needed a transplant.  BCBS declared they wouldn't pay for it because she was diabetic (I am not sure exactly what this had to do with BCBS's denial).  The day she turned 65 and was eligible for Medicare, she contacted UW-Madison and was told that yes, she could get a transplant now that she had Medicare.

There's a death panel for ya, yet still the insurance industry will make out like bandits.

It will be interesting/terrifying to see what the final form of this bill will be.

[Bill Peckham]

I watched the Press availability that Price and Spicer gave this morning. Both Spicer and Price said that Obamacare may have given people insurance cards but that is not the same as getting healthcare. They both said that one of the problems with the Medicaid expansion is that people have a Medicaid card but if no one accepts Medicaid you don't really have insurance.

Here is my thinking as I listened to them: Really ?! That's the problem? we need to replace the ACA because people on Medicaid can't get into see a health provider. umm Ok I'll bite ... then what is the solution? Take away the Medicaid card. hahaha you almost had me, I thought you were being serious for a minute.

The Trump plan increases healthcare costs for those who are: poor, elderly, and/or rural. It increases financial risk to those who are: poor, elderly, and/or rural. It won't get through the House let alone the Senate

[MooseMom]

Not to mention that this man is a perv.

"Perv" implied abnormal sexual desires (of course, in today's political climate there is no such thing except when it comes to pedophilia).   I think "boor" or "cad" would be more appropriately descriptive.

OK.  How about just "gross old orange guy"?  I can't see anyone in 2017 America using "boor" or "cad'. 

[Michael Murphy]

As of right now trump is three votes shy of the votes needed to pass Trump care.  Four republican senators have said they will vote against.  The four are from states with enhanced Medicaid under the ACA.
Republican Sens. Rob Portman (Ohio), Shelley Moore Capito (West Virginia), Cory Gardner (Colorado), and Lisa Murkowski (Alaska) sent a letter to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell on Monday voicing their concerns. "While we support efforts to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act and make structural reforms to the Medicaid program," the letter says, "we are concerned that the February 10th draft proposal from the House of Representatives does not provide stability and certainty for individuals and families in Medicaid expansion programs or the necessary flexibility for states."

[MooseMom]

Hey, did any of you notice that should this bill pass, one of the "winners" would be the tanning industry (not as in the tanning of animal skins, rather, as in the self-tanning of Trump skin)?  See?  What did I tell you?   

[MooseMom]

Rand Paul ain't gonna go for it, either.

[Bill Peckham]

Outside of the White House and Congressional leadership - is there anyone who is in favor of the Republican bills? Serious question ... any group or healthcare policy advocate?

[Michael Murphy]

There is enough evidence to initiate a formal investigation with a independent prosecutor.  The trump campaign, Flynn, and Trump all denied that there was contact between his campaign and the Russians.  During the campaign the Russian hacked the DNC, another and turned over the emails to wiki leaks.  Then we hear that despite vehement denials almost every senior member had contacted the Russians.  We have a right to know if the Trump campaign influenced the Russians to  hack and release information about Clinton.  There is enough evidence to begin a formal investigation with subpoena power and a grand jury to compel testimony with the threat of perjury if someone lies.  Wake up and smell the possible traitors  what was the contact with the Russians about, what was promised and if the trump organization asked the Russians for help.  Failing to do this would be as bad as writing watergate off as a college initiation prank.

[Simon Dog]

Failing to do this would be as bad as writing watergate off as a college initiation prank.

Or ignoring the "pay to play" aspect of the Clinton Foundation as something not worth a criminal investigation, particularly with respect to access granted to big donors as well as the Uranium One deal.

[Michael Murphy]

For 8 years during the Obama years I had to listen to every right wing nut claim Obama was a Moslem, or he was born in Kenya.  Now a republican wins and we are all suppose to ignore the real contacts his entire campaign staff had with a foreign power that was messing with a American election and contacting the opposition party and we should ignore this. Like hell , it's watergate all over with the nixion appoligists all denying the entire sordid mess.  Now the trupets defend the undefendable.  Yes there is no prof but there is enough probable cause to start a investigation of trump and his trumpets during the election.

[Rerun]

CIA is watching through Televisions with the audio on and making it look like someone else is doing it.  I think all roads are futile. Not sure you can catch anyone doing it because it will actually be someone else.  If they are watching ME they will be bored out of their skull.

My Aunt said "What black likes Trump"  I said Ben Carson.... she said "well, He is a republican".....       Yet I'm a racist....  LOL 

[Bill Peckham]

https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/house-bill/1275/text

The bill was introduced today as :

H.R.1275 - World's Greatest Healthcare Plan of 2017

At what point does embarrassment overcome rank partisanship?


Sorry it was too good to check out - this is a different bill

[MooseMom]

H.R.1275 - World's Greatest Healthcare Plan of 2017[/size]

LOL!!!!  So I guess this means that it won't be the "World's Greatest Healthcare Plan" in 2018 and beyond?

One of the many problems with Trump is that no one has a sense of what he believes in (except for making money) or what he really cares about (except for making money). 

But he did make this promise to us:

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/donald-trump-promises-health-insurance-for-everybody/

This is different from what the GOP is saying.  They are saying that we will all get "access" to care.  "Access" is different from "insurance".  "Insurance" is the mechanism by which everyone can PAY for their health care.  I have "access" to a Ferrari; all I have to do is walk into a showroom, but that doesn't mean I can pay for it.

So we much be careful when we go to interpret what Congress votes on.  We need to make sure that they give the President what he promised us, which is legislation that ensures that EVERYONE will have HEALTH INSURANCE.

I really do hope that Mr. Trump will fulfill this promise.

[Simon Dog]

What they got right: Don't bury the subsidy for people who will be allowed to buy at below market rates on a few people, take it from general revenue.   The big problem with Obama care is the "youth surcharge" resulting in people not wanting to buy something that is, by design, a "bad deal" for them and putting this de-facto surcharge only on pool patients.

What is scary is block granting Medicaid to the states.   This is just lobbing the grenade out of the federal bunker and into the state one before it explodes.

[Rerun]

How is this affordable to a 30 year old with student loans and working in a new business who doesn't provide benefits.

$300 a month premium with a $10,000 deductible ??  My friend's son has this.  Good thing he is healthy.  He wouldn't go skiing the other day because he didn't want to get hurt.  Couldn't afford to get hurt. 

I will let you know how this will change for him when he gets Trump Care.