Posted on 08/05/2017 8:22:15 PM PDT by Olog-hai
A week after an attempt to repeal the Affordable Care Act failed, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell says he’d consider a bipartisan effort to continue payments to insurers to avert a costly rattling of health insurance markets.
McConnell told reporters Saturday there is “still a chance” the Senate could revive the measure to repeal and replace “Obamacare,” but he acknowledged the window for that is rapidly closing.
The Kentucky senator noted Republican Sen. Lamar Alexander of Tennessee is working on “some kind of bipartisan approach” that would involve subsidies for insurance companies.
Alexander recently said he will work with the committee’s top Democrat, Sen. Patty Murray of Washington state, on a bill next month that would pay insurers through 2018. In exchange, Alexander wants Democrats to agree to make it easier for states to choose their own health coverage standards that insurers must provide rather than abiding by former President Barack Obama’s law. …
(Excerpt) Read more at hosted.ap.org ...
Got to pay off those donors.......
Given the number of high ranking GOP members who have resigned after minor scandals, at which a ‘Rat wouldn’t flinch, your suggestion makes sense. Some of ‘our’ RINOS may be replaceable by the end of the next midterms via standard measures: retirement, primaries or (in the case of McCain) divine intervention. Collins has talked about running for governor of Maine; I don’t know if she can do that and keep her seat. But many are ensconced against standard measures until ‘20 or ‘22. Any we can chase out now we have a chance to replace with better sooner.
Need a CONGRESS LEAKS daily thread.
Dirt on select Rats n Rinos.
In other news, Murkowski seen yelling at young child.
- unidentified sources
such as, what?
What else would you expect from The Stupid Party.
“Need a CONGRESS LEAKS daily thread.”
Every Congressman and woman are “leaks!”
Definition of a “Leak:”
“A leak is a person who hangs out with people just to tell other people what they talk about.. kind of like a snitch.”
Paying off the carriers won’t do any good many if not all would still leave the exchanges. Congress would be nuts to fund that illegal give away.
And that's permanent and ongoing bailouts by the way.
Good luck mitch. See where that gets ya.
Did they not get the memo, or not read it, or just think they are just so much that they can ignore the people that elected Trump. I would highly recommend that they start paying attention to the real Americans and cut the Deep State BS before we get really pissed and end it for them.
Turkey-Neck must be suffering from the elision that Americans will not kick his traitorous, quisling ass to the curb
Dear McConnell, if you are smart enough to read English I hope that you take seriously my war if that if you eel doing the treasonous things that you have been doing Americans are likely to hang your sad, disgusting, turkey-like neck from a tree.
You are either with us or against us.
No bailout for insurers.
The Republiccan leadership are no different then the NWO SOCIALISTS in the Democrat Fascist Party aka DNC.
WE ARE ALL SOCIALISTS NOW LIKE IT OR NOT.
THERE’S ONE BOX LEFT TO TRY
Just heard on the radio that the Trump admin. has been making payments to insurers since day one, read bailouts.
MOST CORRUPT GOVERNMENT IN OUR HISTORY, NOT TRUMPS BUT THE GOVERNMENT.
He and ryan need to go they are the appeasers
Trump was going to sign the Repeal and replace Bill which didn’t.
He will sign this
Only hope by extending insurance payments through 2018,
Gets you choices in States that you could not get in Obama care,in effect ending it,then in 2018 ending payments to insurance companies because people choose other options.
Hoping against hope,right now we’re stuck with the crap, any movement against obamacare is progress
Grrrr #Never Bailout. You nailed it though.
Repeal the 17th amendment. If these Senators had to ans. to the State legislatures instead of the LIVs they might be more responsive to “real” needs. There are many States that want out in the worst way.
Schumer said the first step of working with Republicans was fixing the funding permanently for Obamacare. Then they would discuss modifications. Any modifications the Republicans obtain will be minor and temporary.
The fact is the Republicans have no intention of pushing for market based reforms which would reduct the cost of health care for the middle class. There are four critical reforms which could be implemented immediately to improve competition in healthcare, three of which require legislation and one a change in regulatory policy. They are:
1) Full price transparency. Markets are not efficient when price discovery is difficult. Healthcare is currently a marketplace where the price of the product is normally revealed after the service is rendered. Require medical care providers to post the prices of services and materials for which patients are billed on the provider’s website and in the office so consumers can reference and compare prices with other providers prior to receiving service. Pricing transparency would include detailing all prices for the service — the “list” price, the discounted price with insurance, the discounted price if the customer pays cash. Pharmacies should also be required to provide the same pricing detail including the prices of branded and generic substitutes.
2) National marketplace for health insurance with complete price transparency. This essential reform has been discussed for decades an the fact it was omitted from both the House and Senate GOP plans demonstrates the GOP is not serious about bringing free market reforms to healthcare.
3) Permitting insurance companies to offer catastrophic policies to anyone in the private and public marketplaces. Such policies would provide insurance for major events (heart attack, cancer) but would allow consumers to cover routine visits on their own dime. Consumers paying the full cost of routine visits would put pressure on doctors and specialists to keep prices down. Add pricing transparency and suddenly there is price competition in the marketplace for routine care.
4) Aggressive anti-trust action by the DOJ in the healthcare marketplace. Merger activity in pharmaceuticals and healthcare providers (i.e. big hospital groups) is reducing competition and creating huge healthcare oligopolies which buy votes from Congress. The mere fact the GOP is considering making payments from the treasury to insurance companies to guarantee profits shows the power of these mega corporations and their corruption of the electoral process. Current trends in the regulated marketplace are fewer, larger, and more politically powerful providers who collude with legislators to control prices and services. Break up the hospital, pharmaceutical, insurance, and medical equipment oligopolies to increase competition.
If I remember right the courts ruled that these payments are illegal. But they’re gonna continue them anyway?
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.