Posted on 03/11/2017 7:13:12 AM PST by Kaslin
"It’s a stinking pile of garbage. …It’s not a Republican, conservative bill. …One thing that I’ve maintained is that this bill was written with the help of the insurance companies, just like Obamacare. That’s why it looks so similar.“ -- Republican Rep Thomas Massie on the new GOP healthcare bill
Before discussing the health care abomination the Republican Party is about to foist on America, it’s worth revisiting the havoc that Obamacare wrought on the Democrat Party.
Although Barack Obama, Hillary Clinton and the rest of the Democratic Party are guilty of a multitude of sins against America, the worst one was Obamacare. The bill was never popular. In fact, it was so hated that it catapulted Scott Brown into Ted Kennedy’s seat in Massachusetts for a term. The bill was an albatross around the party’s neck and the results were devastating.
During the Obama years, the Democrat Party lost 12 governorships, 900 state legislature seats, 69 House seats and 13 Senate seats.
Why was Obamacare so costly to the Democrats? Because the bill wasn’t bipartisan. Because they sold it with lies. Because it was never popular to begin with. But most of all, they created a system that had a small number of winners and a large number of losers. If you had a pre-existing condition and no insurance or were so broke that Obamacare covered most of your costs, you probably like Obamacare. However, that adds up to a relatively small group of people. On the other hand, most people saw their deductible shoot way up and their premium costs went into the stratosphere.
(Excerpt) Read more at townhall.com ...
Because they’re politicians working for a very large concern that they must expand: The central socialist government.
TERM LIMITS NOW!
Despite Trump’s best efforts, the GOP is determined to destroy itself (and the U.S.)
If we get Dorkbamacarte II, the GOP will end, and we real people will NOT put up with liberals any more.
I think this abomination is DOA on the floor of the House not to mention the Senate. Ryno hasn’t even removed the individual mandate. In fact the penalty for non compliance will be worse.
We are seeing the very real problems in the GOP. Trump doesn’t have really strong feelings on what to do on this. He just wants Obamacare gone. This is on Congress, and it’s not looking good, so far.
I think the answer is easy. The heads of the insurance companies showed them how much they are willing to invest in reelecting Republicans, so answering to the people who voted for them takes a back seat.
tax credits are BS.
it a shell game of keeping astronomical deductibles.
This was written by people who never had a real job.
Don’t forget RomneyCare...and Romney hasn’t gone away. He may be silent, but he does his dirty work via Ryan.
Right now, the GOP is clean on Obamacare..they didn’t support it, no voted for it - not even the usual cross-the-aisle type RINO twits. Now, they will cave on a wholesale replacement, try to fix it, make it worse of course because that’s what government does. Then they own it. It will suck, they will get spanked in 2018
Those idiot GOP’ers in DC actually believe that THEY have more power than WE THE PEOPLE now.
I get that the whole D.C. Elite gang has been working decades to solidify this, but we NEED to show them who’s still boss.
Forcing us to buy insurance?? FORCING US?? Really, GOP???
Ryan-care is Obama-care and only the ignorant do not know this fact, the rinos are allied with the democrats not only on health care overspending but also on illegal immigration as they live above the devastation of the people they represent and secretly hate. The republicans are overrun by liberal leftist global socialist politicians who love both money and power more than people. Need term limits for all Congress critters and impeachment of all unjust liberal lying leftist judges who promote hostile global takeovers.
it is proof all the previous “repeals” were judge pretend fighting to fool the rubes.
beltway disease.
This election is the backstabbing, sold out elitists worst nightmare. We gave them VICTORY, beyond their wildest expectations. It's the backstabbers nightmare, because it's not their victory and it leaves them with no excuses.
What we gave them is rope, a lot of it. They can either use it as a lifeline to save the nation, or they can use it to hang themselves and bring the US down with them.
They chose. I'm not hopeful the DC crowd will wake up and realize "game's up". President Trump (and, yeah Sanders to some degree) woke up the sleeping giant. The uninformed US citizen is becoming more rare. And finally, we have something akin to that now-old movie Network: We're mad as *ell!
I haven’t heard anyone explain why it would be impossible to revert back to basically right before Obamacare and start from there. Bust up the monopoly of insurance and related industries. Don’t try to amend Obamacare. Repeal the thing completely with some caveats- quickly - phase it out in 6 months to a year. I can answer my own question. No one has ever downsized or gotten rid of an entitlement and no one is gonna let that camel get it’s nose under the tent flap.
Even President Reagan didn’t cut much at all and in fact grew our beneficent bureaucracy about 100 percent.
Trump needs to pull the hammer now or sooner rather than later or he courts disaster.
[I think the answer is easy.]
No government taxpayer supported healthcare at all, the dem-rino politicians are desperate power loving monsters.
Hate to be the one who has to introduce some actual facts into this debate, but here is the Congressional Research Service summary of the “Obamacare Repeal” Bill Passed by the House and Senate and vetoed by President Obama. Looks more like “Obamacare Defund” to me.
https://www.congress.gov/bill/114th-congress/house-bill/3762?r=1
Shown Here:
Passed Senate amended (12/03/2015)
TITLE I—HEALTH, EDUCATION, LABOR, AND PENSIONS
(Sec. 101) This bill amends the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) to terminate the Prevention and Public Health Fund, which provides for investment in prevention and public health programs to improve health and restrain the rate of growth in health care costs. Unobligated funds are rescinded.
(Sec. 102) Funding for community health centers is increased.
(Sec. 103) Certain funding for U.S. territories that establish health insurance exchanges is no longer available after 2017.
(Sec. 104) The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) may not collect fees or make payments under the transitional reinsurance program.
(Sec. 105) This bill makes appropriations for FY2016 and FY2017 for HHS to award grants to states to address substance abuse or to respond to urgent mental health needs.
TITLE II—FINANCE
(Sec. 201) This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code to require individuals to pay back the full amount of advance payments in excess of their premium assistance tax credit. (Currently, there is a limit on the amount of excess an individual must pay back.)
(Sec. 202) Provisions relating to the premium assistance tax credit, reduced cost-sharing, and eligibility determinations for these subsidies are repealed on December 31, 2017.
(Sec. 203) The small employer health insurance tax credit does not apply after 2017. (This credit is for certain employers who make contributions toward employee health coverage purchased through a health insurance exchange.)
(Sec. 204) The penalty for individuals who do not maintain minimum essential health care coverage is eliminated.
(Sec. 205) Large employers are no longer required to make shared responsibility payments.
(Sec. 206) For one year, this bill restricts the availability of federal funding to a state for payments to an entity (e.g., Planned Parenthood Federation of America) that:
is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt organization;
is an essential community provider primarily engaged in family planning services and reproductive health;
provides for abortions other than abortions in cases of rape or incest, or where a physical condition endangers a woman’s life unless an abortion is performed; and
received a total of more than $350 million under Medicaid in FY2014, including payments to affiliates, subsidiaries, successors, or clinics.
(Sec. 207) This bill amends part A (General Provisions) of title XI of the Social Security Act (SSAct) to require the additional payments to U.S. territories for Medicaid under the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act of 2010 to be made by the end of FY2017 instead of the end of FY2019.
This bill amends title XIX (Medicaid) of the SSAct to end the expansion of Medicaid under PPACA on December 31, 2017.
After 2017, hospitals may no longer elect to provide Medicaid services to individuals during a presumptive eligibility period.
States must maintain Medicaid eligibility standards for individuals under 19 years old through FY2017 instead of through FY2019.
The federal medical assistance percentage (FMAP, the federal matching rate for Medicaid expenditures) for U.S. territories is 50% after 2017 (currently, the FMAP is 55%).
The increased FMAP for childless adults and home and community-based attendant services under PPACA ends December 31, 2017.
After 2017, states may no longer elect to provide certain individuals with a presumptive eligibility period for Medicaid.
Medicaid benchmark plans are no longer required to provide minimum essential health benefits after 2017.
After 2017, states are no longer required to operate a website for Medicaid enrollment that is linked to the state’s health benefit exchange and Children’s Health Insurance program (CHIP).
(Sec. 208) Medicaid allotments for disproportionate share hospitals are increased.
(Sec. 209) The excise tax on high cost employer-sponsored health coverage (popularly known as the “Cadillac tax”) does not apply after 2017.
(Sec. 210) Health savings accounts (HSAs), Archer medical savings accounts (MSAs), health flexible spending arrangements (HFSAs), and health reimbursement arrangements may be used to pay for over-the-counter medications.
(Sec. 211) This bill lowers the tax on distributions from HSAs and Archer MSAs that are not used for medical expenses.
(Sec. 212) Salary reduction contributions to an HFSA under a cafeteria plan are no longer limited.
(Sec. 213) The annual fee on manufacturers and importers of brand name prescription drugs is eliminated.
(Sec. 214) The excise tax on medical devices is eliminated.
(Sec. 215) The annual fee on health insurers is eliminated.
(Sec. 216) Medical costs are allowed as a tax deduction regardless of whether the costs are taken into account when determining the amount of the subsidy for an employer-sponsored retiree prescription drug plan under Medicare part D (Voluntary Prescription Drug Benefit Program).
(Sec. 217) A tax deduction is allowed for medical expenses in excess of 7.5% (currently, 10%) of adjusted gross income.
(Sec. 218) The additional Medicare tax on income above a certain threshold is eliminated.
(Sec. 219) The indoor tanning services tax is eliminated.
(Sec. 220) The net investment income tax is eliminated.
(Sec. 221) A health insurer is allowed a tax deduction for the full amount of an employee’s compensation. (Currently, there is a limit on the amount of an employee’s compensation that a health insurer may deduct.)
(Sec. 222) Provisions relating to the economic substance doctrine are repealed. (The economic substance doctrine treats a transaction as having economic substance if it has a purpose other than reducing income taxes. Currently, there are penalties for claiming tax benefits for transactions without economic substance.)
(Sec. 223) Funds are transferred from the Department of the Treasury to the Federal Hospital Insurance Trust Fund.
Arrest Paul Ryan and the industry lobbyists with whom he is associated. Probable cause for major bribery indictments is already evident.
The GOP is fundamentallyflawedin action because it both seeks to protect the Arbitrary government given us by FDR and to somehow slow it’s growth at the same time.
It is like Mr Halfways, in thepilgrim’s Regress, compared to the Democrats Clevers in that respect.
Useless and yet still better than actively dangerous.
The answer to the question is simple, actually. The insurance companies have strong purse strings ...
Because the lobbyist money is just to tempting.
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