https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-news/republican-health-care-plan-750976/?fbclid=IwAR3H_vaeua43oU84lWQqhPoXdi-E09qnEBzob8dCFoq2GWIzW6o4ytZ2ns8
"Despite what they may claim in the final days before the midterms, Trump and the GOP are doing all they can to strip protections for pre-existing conditions"
11/6/18
GOP author of the amendment that pushed Trumpcare through the House faces the music
https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2018/10/31/1808848/-GOP-author-of-the-amendment-that-pushed-Trumpcare-through-the-House-faces-the-music?fbclid=IwAR1OFc_1YLBo31ebSwbNXMd-rKmITMTmBYaaMI51FBJdGYyS11ks6QUd3JU
"Rep. Tom MacArthur was the only New Jersey Republican in the House to vote for both Trumpcare and the tax bill. For those reasons, he is in a very tight race right now against Democrat Andy Kim. That made a recent telephone town hall he did with 1,200 AARP members challenging for him."
"Rep. Tom MacArthur was the only New Jersey Republican in the House to vote for both Trumpcare and the tax bill. For those reasons, he is in a very tight race right now against Democrat Andy Kim. That made a recent telephone town hall he did with 1,200 AARP members challenging for him."
Pre-existing positions come back to haunt key Republican candidates
http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/pre-existing-positions-come-back-haunt-key-republican-candidates?fbclid=IwAR3OgMjavyo9cNwAMhyhETL6XsnMHQeap5-Z723_vHfibWzOYjUvyuELnYI
"Obviously, it’s an election season, and it’s to be expected that assorted politicians are going to engage in spin, exaggerations, and hyperbole. But McSally’s claims are more offensive than the usual campaign palaver. For one thing, there is no “fight” to protect Americans with pre-existing conditions. That fight ended when Democrats passed the Affordable Care Act – which McSally voted to repeal and replace with legislation that would’ve gutted those safeguards."
"Obviously, it’s an election season, and it’s to be expected that assorted politicians are going to engage in spin, exaggerations, and hyperbole. But McSally’s claims are more offensive than the usual campaign palaver. For one thing, there is no “fight” to protect Americans with pre-existing conditions. That fight ended when Democrats passed the Affordable Care Act – which McSally voted to repeal and replace with legislation that would’ve gutted those safeguards."
11/5/18
Republicans Are Still Rewriting History On Pre-Existing Conditions
https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/mcsally-republican-pre-existing-conditions_us_5bc62785e4b055bc947ade8a?fbclid=IwAR1ZSVl6LRj4Xr0zpAAjb_anh7KDaOVwPmu6PkDYgCibDY3fqjxknJOV7yI
"Now it’s Senate candidate Martha McSally telling whoppers about her record on health care."
"Now it’s Senate candidate Martha McSally telling whoppers about her record on health care."
Editorial: No, Republicans are not the party of pre-existing condition protection. Never have been.
https://www.stltoday.com/opinion/editorial/editorial-no-republicans-are-not-the-party-of-pre-existing/article_b6622234-f1b3-5bdf-8f4f-7a3441270567.html?fbclid=IwAR0OPd49kXly8x3yJg61Y1H3NrHS8jPdVWuwk55xnQtbwZivaor7rFjlyGM
"With Election Day looming, Republicans around the country, at every ballot level, are engaged in a party-wide effort to pull the proverbial wool over voters’ eyes on health care. It’s best summed up in a recent tweet from President Donald Trump, which is, even by his mendacious standards, astonishing: “Republicans will totally protect people with Pre-Existing Conditions, Democrats will not!” This isn’t just an attempt by Republicans to jump on a popular train; it’s an attempt to jump on a train they have been trying to derail for years, and will finally dynamite if they maintain control of Congress."
"With Election Day looming, Republicans around the country, at every ballot level, are engaged in a party-wide effort to pull the proverbial wool over voters’ eyes on health care. It’s best summed up in a recent tweet from President Donald Trump, which is, even by his mendacious standards, astonishing: “Republicans will totally protect people with Pre-Existing Conditions, Democrats will not!” This isn’t just an attempt by Republicans to jump on a popular train; it’s an attempt to jump on a train they have been trying to derail for years, and will finally dynamite if they maintain control of Congress."
On health care, some Republicans ‘are stealing Obama’s rhetoric’
http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/health-care-some-republicans-are-stealing-obamas-rhetoric?fbclid=IwAR0TVXfqzZHR1GnTgM5qfiZxCVlTwzmTYulDgDPmAr-teODqObNOEX8NlTM
"On health care, however, the GOP is lying about the details and the broader sentiment behind them. The party is, for all intents and purposes, pretending to be Democrats, despite everything they said and did up until a few months ago. The fact that Republicans are parroting Obama’s rhetoric from a decade ago is extraordinary, but the fact that they expect voters to believe it is laughable."
"On health care, however, the GOP is lying about the details and the broader sentiment behind them. The party is, for all intents and purposes, pretending to be Democrats, despite everything they said and did up until a few months ago. The fact that Republicans are parroting Obama’s rhetoric from a decade ago is extraordinary, but the fact that they expect voters to believe it is laughable."
Believe Republicans When They Say They’re Coming After Your Health Care
https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/republicans-health-care-obamacare-medicare-medicaid_us_5bd72b78e4b055bc948eb3d9?fbclid=IwAR2uPTYrkTOZzlTRJmZHzSb3sTKGzg2ZdKN4coofLkCYO0oglALg5FjZQE8
"It’s not just the lies about pre-existing conditions. The GOP still wants to go after Obamacare, Medicaid and Medicare."
"It’s not just the lies about pre-existing conditions. The GOP still wants to go after Obamacare, Medicaid and Medicare."
Minnesota GOP Senate Candidate Says People With Pre-Existing Conditions Are ‘Wealthier’
https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/karin-housley-pre-existing-conditions_us_5bd8e577e4b01abe6a192135?fbclid=IwAR3u1M0Ck6LObsNtA3cNdom2WQT3_b6ZmN0Nw7n8cvCsAP0kA-3rpybDF-E
"Housley’s claim that she supports coverage for people with pre-existing conditions is dubious."
"Housley’s claim that she supports coverage for people with pre-existing conditions is dubious."
10/26/18
GOP Lies About Pre-Existing Conditions May Have Reached Peak Absurdity
https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/trump-tweet-pre-existing-conditions-gop_us_5bd0a4f9e4b0a8f17ef35bab?fbclid=IwAR3Yb_kuMdCGvI5xzLFf3HeYVRAJM9SXPt_KVPM1mE51dvexh3OeB3T6r5w
"Republicans are desperate to fool the public about what they did ― and would still do."
"Republicans are desperate to fool the public about what they did ― and would still do."
Republicans Are Now Running as the Defenders of Healthcare—While Simultaneously Trying to Gut It
https://www.esquire.com/news-politics/a23835562/republicans-health-care-preexisting-conditions-donald-trump/?fbclid=IwAR22vtfbmnO8moh7Na84lB5seue_6prH0OgzJH18cF4ZkgTJ2K74dEECOjQ
"it was never about the debt or the deficit, was it. There are no Tea Party Patriots holding rallies on the National Mall now that the Congressional Budget Office estimates that debt will rise to 96 percent of GDP by 2028. (Tea Party organizer Tim Chapman told The New York Times Tuesday that "the Tea Party wave of 2010 was animated by federal spending, but that has definitely subsided." Strange! Perhaps it has something to do with changes to The Presidential Complexion.) As others are increasingly saying outright, the plan was always to slash taxes on the wealthy, then cite the resulting budget shortfalls as a reason to cut "entitlement" programs like Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security on the basis they constituted out-of-control spending. There are a lot of things to change in this country. One is that we ought to call Medicare and Social Security what they actually are: earned benefits that recipients have been paying into their whole lives. We ought to call Medicaid part of the social safety net that any humane society with the means provides. And we ought to find a new way to categorize what Republicans are doing right now when they cast themselves as The Real Defenders of Healthcare. "False" is no longer sufficient. "Flip-flop" is useless. Hypocrisy is drowning in a tsunami of shamelessness, and threatening to take us all under if we don't keep fighting the swirling current."
"it was never about the debt or the deficit, was it. There are no Tea Party Patriots holding rallies on the National Mall now that the Congressional Budget Office estimates that debt will rise to 96 percent of GDP by 2028. (Tea Party organizer Tim Chapman told The New York Times Tuesday that "the Tea Party wave of 2010 was animated by federal spending, but that has definitely subsided." Strange! Perhaps it has something to do with changes to The Presidential Complexion.) As others are increasingly saying outright, the plan was always to slash taxes on the wealthy, then cite the resulting budget shortfalls as a reason to cut "entitlement" programs like Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security on the basis they constituted out-of-control spending. There are a lot of things to change in this country. One is that we ought to call Medicare and Social Security what they actually are: earned benefits that recipients have been paying into their whole lives. We ought to call Medicaid part of the social safety net that any humane society with the means provides. And we ought to find a new way to categorize what Republicans are doing right now when they cast themselves as The Real Defenders of Healthcare. "False" is no longer sufficient. "Flip-flop" is useless. Hypocrisy is drowning in a tsunami of shamelessness, and threatening to take us all under if we don't keep fighting the swirling current."
Republicans try to rewrite history and paint themselves as the real defenders of Medicare
https://thinkprogress.org/ahead-of-midterms-republicans-suddenly-pretend-they-havent-opposed-medicare-for-decades-d4026a87c684/?fbclid=IwAR3ENkgAy2B6H2b_vUKqgcOL3Glg_Mp534HJj2J1PBoxNuZi8dgqNAHl4AE
"Once a upon a time, conservatives cautioned against the creation of a government-run health insurance program for people over 65, calling Medicare “socialized medicine.” But now — in campaign ads and speeches — Republicans across the country are positioning themselves as the real defenders of Medicare. The new posturing helps conservatives claim they’re the ones preserving the status quo. Nevermind Republican lawmakers’ long quest to privatize Medicare."
"Once a upon a time, conservatives cautioned against the creation of a government-run health insurance program for people over 65, calling Medicare “socialized medicine.” But now — in campaign ads and speeches — Republicans across the country are positioning themselves as the real defenders of Medicare. The new posturing helps conservatives claim they’re the ones preserving the status quo. Nevermind Republican lawmakers’ long quest to privatize Medicare."
McConnell sets his sights on Medicare and Social Security, saying the debt is ‘very disturbing’
https://thinkprogress.org/mcconnell-tax-cuts-budget-deficit-debt-very-disturbing-f7d976976996/?fbclid=IwAR3zeizmi8HvHZU6idQePx__34xyq07o2aVcB7kCWSwvGYjTF2CG1i7bhxk
"The same lawmakers who exploded the federal deficit by gifting millionaires and billionaires a favorable corporate tax bill are now telling the public that the way to fix the deficit is to shred the social safety net."
"The same lawmakers who exploded the federal deficit by gifting millionaires and billionaires a favorable corporate tax bill are now telling the public that the way to fix the deficit is to shred the social safety net."
10/5/18
Lies don’t get more brazen than the one Rohrabacher is telling his constituents about health care
https://thinkprogress.org/dana-rohrabacher-lying-about-preexisting-conditions-6497fb40ceb3/
"With regard to health care policy, a number of Republicans are running on straight-up lies this election cycle."
"With regard to health care policy, a number of Republicans are running on straight-up lies this election cycle."
10/4/18
Trump pick to run Social Security allegedly impersonated police officer to avoid trespassing charge
https://thinkprogress.org/trump-pick-social-security-allegedly-impersonated-police-officer-666aa57d9212/
"Like other Trump nominees, Saul has no background in the field he was chosen to lead."
"Like other Trump nominees, Saul has no background in the field he was chosen to lead."
Republican Senate hopeful Martha McSally lies about her pre-existing condition record
https://thinkprogress.org/arizona-senate-martha-mcsally-lies-pre-existing-conditions-71d974ab3df9/
"Rep. Martha McSally (R), her party’s nominee for the open U.S. Senate seat in Arizona, was a staunch supporter of the Trumpcare legislation to repeal Obamacare, literally telling her Republican House colleagues that they needed to get the “f**king thing” done. Now that she is under fire for her vote for the wildly unpopular legislation, she is simply lying to her constituents and pretending that the bill would not have eliminated insurance protections for the more than 100 million Americans with pre-existing medical conditions."
"Rep. Martha McSally (R), her party’s nominee for the open U.S. Senate seat in Arizona, was a staunch supporter of the Trumpcare legislation to repeal Obamacare, literally telling her Republican House colleagues that they needed to get the “f**king thing” done. Now that she is under fire for her vote for the wildly unpopular legislation, she is simply lying to her constituents and pretending that the bill would not have eliminated insurance protections for the more than 100 million Americans with pre-existing medical conditions."
10/3/18
In Destroying Social Security, GOP Has No Plans for Elderly Americans
https://truthout.org/articles/in-destroying-social-security-gop-has-no-plans-for-elderly-americans/
"For decades, congressional Republicans have been rigorously supported by Republican presidents like George W. Bush and Donald Trump in vain attempts to steal the trillions from the “lock-box” of the self-sustaining Social Security Trust Fund. In 2017, it stood at $2.9 trillion, an astronomical sum that could easily cover those tax-cut bills today."
"For decades, congressional Republicans have been rigorously supported by Republican presidents like George W. Bush and Donald Trump in vain attempts to steal the trillions from the “lock-box” of the self-sustaining Social Security Trust Fund. In 2017, it stood at $2.9 trillion, an astronomical sum that could easily cover those tax-cut bills today."
GOP congressman lies to his constituents about his vote for Obamacare repeal
https://thinkprogress.org/gop-iowa-congressman-david-young-pretends-he-stood-up-to-party-pre-existing-conditions-95f66a6ac579/
"Rep. David Young (R-IA) voted for TrumpCare but hopes his constituents won't notice."
"Rep. David Young (R-IA) voted for TrumpCare but hopes his constituents won't notice."
9/28/18
Social Security: An Economic Engine That Benefits Everyone
https://www.commondreams.org/views/2018/09/16/social-security-economic-engine-benefits-everyone
"Efforts to boost Social Security have languished in the Republican-controlled Congress. But that could change after November’s elections."
"Efforts to boost Social Security have languished in the Republican-controlled Congress. But that could change after November’s elections."
Trump lies about protections for those with pre-existing conditions
http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/trump-lies-about-protections-those-pre-existing-conditions
"At a campaign rally in Las Vegas last night, Donald Trump peddled a variety of falsehoods, but one of the president’s claims seemed new. Referring to himself in third person, the Republican argued: “When it comes to health insurance, Donald Trump and Republicans will protect patients with pre-existing conditions. We’re going to do that. We want to do it.” The crowd roared with approval, which wasn’t too surprising. There’s overwhelming evidence that the vast majority of Americans – even the kind of folks who attend Trump rallies – strongly support the Affordable Care Act’s protections for Americans with pre-existing conditions. The oddity, however, was the president’s boast. He was either brazenly lying or Trump somehow forgot his own position on the issue. Whether he keeps up with current events or not, there’s currently a Republican lawsuit pending in federal court that’s trying to tear down the ACA’s existing protections for those pre-existing conditions. Trump not only refused to defend the current law in court, he also endorsed the litigation that would undermine Americans’ health security."
"At a campaign rally in Las Vegas last night, Donald Trump peddled a variety of falsehoods, but one of the president’s claims seemed new. Referring to himself in third person, the Republican argued: “When it comes to health insurance, Donald Trump and Republicans will protect patients with pre-existing conditions. We’re going to do that. We want to do it.” The crowd roared with approval, which wasn’t too surprising. There’s overwhelming evidence that the vast majority of Americans – even the kind of folks who attend Trump rallies – strongly support the Affordable Care Act’s protections for Americans with pre-existing conditions. The oddity, however, was the president’s boast. He was either brazenly lying or Trump somehow forgot his own position on the issue. Whether he keeps up with current events or not, there’s currently a Republican lawsuit pending in federal court that’s trying to tear down the ACA’s existing protections for those pre-existing conditions. Trump not only refused to defend the current law in court, he also endorsed the litigation that would undermine Americans’ health security."
9/16/18
Donald Trump and the Republicans Work Every Day to Destroy Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid
https://www.commondreams.org/views/2018/09/11/donald-trump-and-republicans-work-every-day-destroy-social-security-medicare-and
"During Donald Trump’s campaign for president, he promised over and over again to protect Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid. Now, in the lead-up to the midterm elections, Trump is claiming to have kept that promise. Completely in character for a president who doesn’t let a day go by without lying, he recently falsely claimed, “We’re saving Social Security, the Democrats will destroy Social Security. We’re saving Medicare. The Dems, you look at what they’re doing. They want to destroy Medicare.” It’s time to set the record straight. Far from keeping his word, Trump and his administration have spent every day since taking power working to destroy Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid. Here are 10 of the Trump administration’s worst attacks on the American people’s Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid"
"During Donald Trump’s campaign for president, he promised over and over again to protect Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid. Now, in the lead-up to the midterm elections, Trump is claiming to have kept that promise. Completely in character for a president who doesn’t let a day go by without lying, he recently falsely claimed, “We’re saving Social Security, the Democrats will destroy Social Security. We’re saving Medicare. The Dems, you look at what they’re doing. They want to destroy Medicare.” It’s time to set the record straight. Far from keeping his word, Trump and his administration have spent every day since taking power working to destroy Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid. Here are 10 of the Trump administration’s worst attacks on the American people’s Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid"
7/29/18
Why Trump’s attacks on preexisting conditions are an attack on women
https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2018/7/26/17587090/2018-elections-house-preexisting-conditions-trump
"As much as any other issue, women’s health will be on the ballot in the 2018 midterm elections. It’s almost hard to remember now, but in the days before the Affordable Care Act was in place, health insurance companies routinely charged women in America more than men. Some women were deemed uninsurable because they had preexisting conditions like pregnancy or a breast cancer diagnosis. Now Obamacare makes that illegal — but Donald Trump’s election endangered those protections."
"As much as any other issue, women’s health will be on the ballot in the 2018 midterm elections. It’s almost hard to remember now, but in the days before the Affordable Care Act was in place, health insurance companies routinely charged women in America more than men. Some women were deemed uninsurable because they had preexisting conditions like pregnancy or a breast cancer diagnosis. Now Obamacare makes that illegal — but Donald Trump’s election endangered those protections."
How the Hospitals Serving Trump Voters Are Closing—And He’s Letting It Happen
https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2018/07/rural-hospital-closures-trump-republicans/
"What’s more, rural communities tend to be both poorer and sicker than their urban counterparts. According to US census data from 2016, 46 percent of the country’s rural population uses a form of government insurance, compared with 36 percent of the urban population. CDC data shows that rural areas have higher death rates from cancer, heart disease, unintentional injuries, chronic lower respiratory disease, and stroke than urban areas do. Infant mortality rates are roughly 20 percent higher in rural counties than they are in large urban counties. But there’s another crisis linked to hospital closings: job losses. In many rural communities, the hospital is the largest employer. Brad Gibbens, a researcher at the University of North Dakota, estimates that when one shuts its doors, up to 25 percent of the surrounding region’s economy disappears. A cascading shortage of physicians and other health care professionals soon follows. So why are so many hospitals closing? Carole Myers, an associate professor at the University of Tennessee-Knoxville who studies health care policy, says medical facilities in rural areas have long struggled thanks to sparse populations and high poverty rates. But the situation is significantly worse in the 17 states that have not joined Obamacare’s Medicaid expansion, most of them heavily rural. Those states have a higher rate of uninsured people, which means hospitals—which can’t turn anyone away from the emergency room—have to provide more uncompensated care. According to a recent study from the Colorado School of Public Health, hospitals in states that did not expand Medicaid are six times more likely to close than hospitals in states that did, because they see more uninsured patients and provide more free care."
"What’s more, rural communities tend to be both poorer and sicker than their urban counterparts. According to US census data from 2016, 46 percent of the country’s rural population uses a form of government insurance, compared with 36 percent of the urban population. CDC data shows that rural areas have higher death rates from cancer, heart disease, unintentional injuries, chronic lower respiratory disease, and stroke than urban areas do. Infant mortality rates are roughly 20 percent higher in rural counties than they are in large urban counties. But there’s another crisis linked to hospital closings: job losses. In many rural communities, the hospital is the largest employer. Brad Gibbens, a researcher at the University of North Dakota, estimates that when one shuts its doors, up to 25 percent of the surrounding region’s economy disappears. A cascading shortage of physicians and other health care professionals soon follows. So why are so many hospitals closing? Carole Myers, an associate professor at the University of Tennessee-Knoxville who studies health care policy, says medical facilities in rural areas have long struggled thanks to sparse populations and high poverty rates. But the situation is significantly worse in the 17 states that have not joined Obamacare’s Medicaid expansion, most of them heavily rural. Those states have a higher rate of uninsured people, which means hospitals—which can’t turn anyone away from the emergency room—have to provide more uncompensated care. According to a recent study from the Colorado School of Public Health, hospitals in states that did not expand Medicaid are six times more likely to close than hospitals in states that did, because they see more uninsured patients and provide more free care."
7/22/18
HHS Plans to Delete 20 Years of Critical Medical Guidelines Next Week
https://www.thedailybeast.com/hhs-plans-to-delete-20-years-of-critical-medical-guidelines-next-week?ref=home?ref=home
"The Trump Administration is planning to eliminate a vast trove of medical guidelines that for nearly 20 years has been a critical resource for doctors, researchers and others in the medical community. Maintained by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality [AHRQ], part of the Department of Health and Human Services, the database is known as the National Guideline Clearinghouse [NGC], and it’s scheduled to “go dark,” in the words of an official there, on July 16. Medical guidelines like those compiled by AHRQ aren’t something laypeople spend much time thinking about, but experts like Valerie King, a professor in the Department of Family Medicine and Director of Research at the Center for Evidence-based Policy at Oregon Health & Science University, said the NGC is perhaps the most important repository of evidence-based research available. “Guideline.gov was our go-to source, and there is nothing else like it in the world,” King said, referring to the URL at which the database is hosted, which the agency says receives about 200,000 visitors per month. “It is a singular resource,” King added."
"The Trump Administration is planning to eliminate a vast trove of medical guidelines that for nearly 20 years has been a critical resource for doctors, researchers and others in the medical community. Maintained by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality [AHRQ], part of the Department of Health and Human Services, the database is known as the National Guideline Clearinghouse [NGC], and it’s scheduled to “go dark,” in the words of an official there, on July 16. Medical guidelines like those compiled by AHRQ aren’t something laypeople spend much time thinking about, but experts like Valerie King, a professor in the Department of Family Medicine and Director of Research at the Center for Evidence-based Policy at Oregon Health & Science University, said the NGC is perhaps the most important repository of evidence-based research available. “Guideline.gov was our go-to source, and there is nothing else like it in the world,” King said, referring to the URL at which the database is hosted, which the agency says receives about 200,000 visitors per month. “It is a singular resource,” King added."
6/17/18
Trump Wants to Ditch Preexisting Condition Protections. Here Are the Times He Promised Not To.
https://www.motherjones.com/politics/2018/06/donald-trump-preexisting-condition-obamacare-jeff-sessions/
"The Trump administration declared Obamacare’s protections for people with preexisting conditions unconstitutional on Thursday"
"The Trump administration declared Obamacare’s protections for people with preexisting conditions unconstitutional on Thursday"
Trump’s legal attack on the ACA isn’t about health care. It’s a war on the rule of law.
https://www.vox.com/the-big-idea/2018/6/8/17442238/trump-aca-obamacare-texas-department-of-justice-rule-of-law
"The laws that Congress passes and that presidents sign are the laws of the land. They aren’t negotiable; they’re not up for further debate. If the Justice Department can just throw in the towel whenever a law is challenged in court, it can effectively pick and choose which laws should remain on the books. That’s a flagrant violation of the president’s constitutional duty to take care that the laws are faithfully executed."
"The laws that Congress passes and that presidents sign are the laws of the land. They aren’t negotiable; they’re not up for further debate. If the Justice Department can just throw in the towel whenever a law is challenged in court, it can effectively pick and choose which laws should remain on the books. That’s a flagrant violation of the president’s constitutional duty to take care that the laws are faithfully executed."
Medicare, Social Security trustees: Trump and Republicans are jeopardizing the programs
https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2018/6/7/1770085/-Medicare-Social-Security-trustees-Trump-and-Republicans-are-jeopardizing-the-programs
"Undermining Medicare and Social Security was exactly what Republicans had in mind with these policies. And as for Trump's promises to protect the programs? top Trump economist Hassett refers to Trump pledge not to touch Social Security and Medicare as a "short-term" commitment to "prioritize" cutting taxes Go ahead, Republicans. Keep talking about how cutting Social Security and Medicare is one of your priorities. Make Trump break his promise. That’ll work out really well for you in November."
"Undermining Medicare and Social Security was exactly what Republicans had in mind with these policies. And as for Trump's promises to protect the programs? top Trump economist Hassett refers to Trump pledge not to touch Social Security and Medicare as a "short-term" commitment to "prioritize" cutting taxes Go ahead, Republicans. Keep talking about how cutting Social Security and Medicare is one of your priorities. Make Trump break his promise. That’ll work out really well for you in November."
No, having insurance at your job won't save you and your pre-existing condition from Trump
https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2018/6/14/1771956/-No-having-insurance-at-your-job-won-t-save-you-and-your-pre-existing-condition-from-Trump
"The latest Affordable Care Act sabotage attempt from the occupier of the Oval Office takes direct aim at the protections we currently have against being prevented from getting health insurance because of our health status. Specifically, anyone with a pre-existing condition—ranging from asthma to pregnancy to acne to dodgy knees to cancer—cannot be refused coverage or have coverage priced so high it's not obtainable. That's the law, and has been since Obamacare was enacted. That's the law for everyone, not just people getting their insurance in the individual market or specifically through the Obamacare exchanges. Everyone. “Anyone who just thinks this is just impacting the 12 to 15 million individuals with individual coverage is wrong,” said Timothy Jost, an emeritus law professor at Washington and Lee University. […] “The implications aren’t nearly as big as for the individual market, but they’re real,” said Larry Levitt, a senior vice president at the Kaiser Family Foundation. “Some of these additional protections offered under the ACA were meaningful.” In supporting the specious challenge from Texas and 19 other conservative states, the Trump administration is telling the 27 percent of Americans who have some sort of pre-existing condition that we should go back to the bad old days when they could be denied coverage."
"The latest Affordable Care Act sabotage attempt from the occupier of the Oval Office takes direct aim at the protections we currently have against being prevented from getting health insurance because of our health status. Specifically, anyone with a pre-existing condition—ranging from asthma to pregnancy to acne to dodgy knees to cancer—cannot be refused coverage or have coverage priced so high it's not obtainable. That's the law, and has been since Obamacare was enacted. That's the law for everyone, not just people getting their insurance in the individual market or specifically through the Obamacare exchanges. Everyone. “Anyone who just thinks this is just impacting the 12 to 15 million individuals with individual coverage is wrong,” said Timothy Jost, an emeritus law professor at Washington and Lee University. […] “The implications aren’t nearly as big as for the individual market, but they’re real,” said Larry Levitt, a senior vice president at the Kaiser Family Foundation. “Some of these additional protections offered under the ACA were meaningful.” In supporting the specious challenge from Texas and 19 other conservative states, the Trump administration is telling the 27 percent of Americans who have some sort of pre-existing condition that we should go back to the bad old days when they could be denied coverage."
5/4/18
Health Policy Expert Says Republicans Have 'Secret' Plan to Repeal Obamacare @alternet
Health Policy Expert Says Republicans Have 'Secret' Plan to Repeal Obamacare @alternet:
"former Senator and presidential candidate Rick Santorum is leading a group of lawmakers and donors to push for repeal."
"former Senator and presidential candidate Rick Santorum is leading a group of lawmakers and donors to push for repeal."
5/2/18
A Couple Republican Elites Just Admitted Their Agenda Is Built on Lies
http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2018/05/tom-price-admits-his-case-against-obamacare-was-full-of-lies.html
"In an interview with The Economist last week, Rubio confessed that the official rationale for his party’s corporate tax cut was bogus."
"In an interview with The Economist last week, Rubio confessed that the official rationale for his party’s corporate tax cut was bogus."
5/1/18
With Tax Scam Complete, GOP Caucus Unveils Insane Budget Blueprint to Attack Safety Net
https://www.commondreams.org/news/2018/04/26/tax-scam-complete-gop-caucus-unveils-insane-budget-blueprint-attack-safety-net
"An ultraconservative Republican House caucus on Wednesday put forth its spending plan that represents a draconian wishlist of attacks on the social safety net and consumer and environmental protections while including a plan to further enrich the wealthy by making making permanent parts of the GOP tax plan."
"An ultraconservative Republican House caucus on Wednesday put forth its spending plan that represents a draconian wishlist of attacks on the social safety net and consumer and environmental protections while including a plan to further enrich the wealthy by making making permanent parts of the GOP tax plan."
4/29/18
At a private luncheon, Senator Heller says low turnout is key to re-election, promised ACA repeal
https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2018/4/5/1754685/-At-a-private-luncheon-Senator-Heller-says-low-turnout-is-key-to-re-election-promised-ACA-repeal
"Senator Dean Heller has been avoiding constituents and his staff tossed out a woman battling Stage 4 cancer when she dared to ask about his stance on the Affordable Care Act, but he sure had a lot to say on the subject at a mysteriously closed-to-the-press luncheon where he was collecting checks and making promises. The Las Vegas Review-Journal was able to get audio of Heller’s speech to the Nevada Republican Men’s Club and his comments were surprising, especially his strategy for winning in November: “We now have less than 60,000 more registered Democrats than Republicans. Let me be more clear. If we can get that number below 50,000, I can’t lose,” Heller said Tuesday in Las Vegas, according to audio obtained by the Las Vegas Review-Journal. “I can’t lose. Because the ratio of voter turnout in a non-presidential year — we’re in a non-presidential year — the tendency of Republicans to vote is higher than the other party.” A sitting U.S. senator is hoping people don’t participate in democracy. How can you represent a state where you are trying to discourage the majority from turning out for an election? Based on current trends in special elections, Heller’s strategy is going to be a loser. Bigly. And what about the Affordable Care Act? Senator Heller hemmed and hawed over the last year, pretending he was giving it serious consideration, but when asked about it by his fellow Republicans, he said they absolutely will repeal it if Republicans hold the majority."
"Senator Dean Heller has been avoiding constituents and his staff tossed out a woman battling Stage 4 cancer when she dared to ask about his stance on the Affordable Care Act, but he sure had a lot to say on the subject at a mysteriously closed-to-the-press luncheon where he was collecting checks and making promises. The Las Vegas Review-Journal was able to get audio of Heller’s speech to the Nevada Republican Men’s Club and his comments were surprising, especially his strategy for winning in November: “We now have less than 60,000 more registered Democrats than Republicans. Let me be more clear. If we can get that number below 50,000, I can’t lose,” Heller said Tuesday in Las Vegas, according to audio obtained by the Las Vegas Review-Journal. “I can’t lose. Because the ratio of voter turnout in a non-presidential year — we’re in a non-presidential year — the tendency of Republicans to vote is higher than the other party.” A sitting U.S. senator is hoping people don’t participate in democracy. How can you represent a state where you are trying to discourage the majority from turning out for an election? Based on current trends in special elections, Heller’s strategy is going to be a loser. Bigly. And what about the Affordable Care Act? Senator Heller hemmed and hawed over the last year, pretending he was giving it serious consideration, but when asked about it by his fellow Republicans, he said they absolutely will repeal it if Republicans hold the majority."
FDR warned us about charlatans like Paul Ryan, and told us exactly how they'd attack Social Security
https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2018/4/3/1754064/-FDR-warned-us-about-charlatans-like-Paul-Ryan-and-told-us-exactly-how-they-d-attack-Social-Security
"Republicans passed a tax-scam bill last year which creates a $1.3 Trillion deficit in order to give their mega-donors and favored special interests special benefits. As a reward for their most loyal employee, the Koch brothers deposited $500,000 into Paul Ryan’s JFC right after the bill passed. Weeks after taking $1.3 Trillion from ordinary Americans and handing it to his billionaire paymasters, Ryan was “concerned” about the national debt and deficit again. Naturally, he believes this will require “reforms” to Social Security and Medicare, programs that benefit ordinary Americans. And by ordinary, I mean those of us who cannot deposit $500k in his campaign account."
"Republicans passed a tax-scam bill last year which creates a $1.3 Trillion deficit in order to give their mega-donors and favored special interests special benefits. As a reward for their most loyal employee, the Koch brothers deposited $500,000 into Paul Ryan’s JFC right after the bill passed. Weeks after taking $1.3 Trillion from ordinary Americans and handing it to his billionaire paymasters, Ryan was “concerned” about the national debt and deficit again. Naturally, he believes this will require “reforms” to Social Security and Medicare, programs that benefit ordinary Americans. And by ordinary, I mean those of us who cannot deposit $500k in his campaign account."
3/24/18
Pennsylvania voters say the GOP’s health care antics cost Saccone their vote
https://thinkprogress.org/pennsylvania-voters-say-health-care-is-top-priority-704c7fcf0783/
"Election night exit polling by Public Policy Polling found that among PA-18 voters who said health care was the most important issue, Democrat Conor Lamb beat Republican Rick Saccone by a margin of 64 to 36. Saccone’s support of the Republican health care agenda — namely, efforts to repeal the Affordable Care Act (ACA) — made 41 percent of voters less likely to vote for him. Fifty-three percent of voters disapproved of GOP efforts to repeal the health care law and 48 percent believed Republicans are trying to sabotage the law since they failed to repeal it. These numbers are all the more surprising given the fact that PA-18 is a Republican district that gave Donald Trump a 20-point victory over Hillary Clinton in 2016. But as Forbes’ Bruce Japsen previously reported, health care is especially important in Western Pennsylvania. Although health care premiums have risen (a rise which officials in Pennsylvania attribute to Trump’s “refusal to make cost-sharing reduction payments for 2018”), the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) — the region’s largest non-governmental employer — has grown substantially under the ACA. Pennsylvanians — namely, those living in rural areas — have also benefited from the state’s Medicaid expansion under the ACA, which went into effect in 2015 and has been touted by health experts as means of addressing the state’s opioid crisis. Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf (D) declared the epidemic a statewide disaster emergency earlier this year. While Lamb has acknowledged that Obamacare has its flaws, he ran his campaign on fixing and building upon the law, rather than repealing it. If Medicaid expansion were repealed, approximately 585,000 Pennsylvanians would lose health coverage."
"Election night exit polling by Public Policy Polling found that among PA-18 voters who said health care was the most important issue, Democrat Conor Lamb beat Republican Rick Saccone by a margin of 64 to 36. Saccone’s support of the Republican health care agenda — namely, efforts to repeal the Affordable Care Act (ACA) — made 41 percent of voters less likely to vote for him. Fifty-three percent of voters disapproved of GOP efforts to repeal the health care law and 48 percent believed Republicans are trying to sabotage the law since they failed to repeal it. These numbers are all the more surprising given the fact that PA-18 is a Republican district that gave Donald Trump a 20-point victory over Hillary Clinton in 2016. But as Forbes’ Bruce Japsen previously reported, health care is especially important in Western Pennsylvania. Although health care premiums have risen (a rise which officials in Pennsylvania attribute to Trump’s “refusal to make cost-sharing reduction payments for 2018”), the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) — the region’s largest non-governmental employer — has grown substantially under the ACA. Pennsylvanians — namely, those living in rural areas — have also benefited from the state’s Medicaid expansion under the ACA, which went into effect in 2015 and has been touted by health experts as means of addressing the state’s opioid crisis. Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf (D) declared the epidemic a statewide disaster emergency earlier this year. While Lamb has acknowledged that Obamacare has its flaws, he ran his campaign on fixing and building upon the law, rather than repealing it. If Medicaid expansion were repealed, approximately 585,000 Pennsylvanians would lose health coverage."
More than one-half of births in rural America are covered by Medicaid
https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2018/3/12/1748454/-More-than-half-of-births-in-rural-America-are-covered-by-Medicaid
"If Republicans succeed in slashing Medicaid, they'll succeed in doing away with maternity care in much of rural America. Even now, about 45 percent of rural hospitals don’t have maternity care, with almost 1 in 10 rural counties losing hospital-based obstetrics programs between 2004 and 2014. "When rural hospitals are squeezed, they have to look at what fixed costs they can shed," Katy Kozhimannil, an associate professor at the University of Minnesota School of Public Health told KHN. She continued, "The fixed costs of providing obstetrics services are very clear, and very distinct." Obstetrics is expensive. And supposedly “pro-life” Republicans want to make childbirth not just more common, but more dangerous and more expensive by cutting Medicaid even further."
"If Republicans succeed in slashing Medicaid, they'll succeed in doing away with maternity care in much of rural America. Even now, about 45 percent of rural hospitals don’t have maternity care, with almost 1 in 10 rural counties losing hospital-based obstetrics programs between 2004 and 2014. "When rural hospitals are squeezed, they have to look at what fixed costs they can shed," Katy Kozhimannil, an associate professor at the University of Minnesota School of Public Health told KHN. She continued, "The fixed costs of providing obstetrics services are very clear, and very distinct." Obstetrics is expensive. And supposedly “pro-life” Republicans want to make childbirth not just more common, but more dangerous and more expensive by cutting Medicaid even further."
2/10/18
Bypassing Major Networks, 1.6 Million Tune In for Sanders 'Medicare for All' Town Hall
https://www.commondreams.org/news/2018/01/24/bypassing-major-networks-16-million-tune-sanders-medicare-all-town-hall
"Sen. Bernie Sanders's (I-Vt.) town hall on Medicare for All drew more than one million online viewers in addition to the hundreds of attendees who packed an auditorium at the U.S. Capitol to capacity. Speaking with multiple panels featuring single-payer healthcare advocates and experts—including Dr. Don Berwick, who oversaw Medicare and Medicaid under President Barack Obama—Sanders moderated a nearly two-hour discussion about the failures of the current U.S. healthcare system and how its costs and outcomes compare to those in countries with universal healthcare."
"Sen. Bernie Sanders's (I-Vt.) town hall on Medicare for All drew more than one million online viewers in addition to the hundreds of attendees who packed an auditorium at the U.S. Capitol to capacity. Speaking with multiple panels featuring single-payer healthcare advocates and experts—including Dr. Don Berwick, who oversaw Medicare and Medicaid under President Barack Obama—Sanders moderated a nearly two-hour discussion about the failures of the current U.S. healthcare system and how its costs and outcomes compare to those in countries with universal healthcare."
1/7/18
Trumpian Philosophy: Any Regulation Is Bad, Even If It Protects Sick Old People
http://www.esquire.com/news-politics/politics/a14504814/trump-nursing-home-regulations/
"Wednesday’s example comes to us from The New York Times, and isn’t this decision going to be a lovely one when they come for Medicare because of the “unexpected” explosion of the deficit due to the abomination of a tax bill they just passed. The Trump administration is scaling back the use of fines against nursing homes that harm residents or place them in grave risk of injury, part of a broader relaxation of regulations under the president. The shift in the Medicare program’s penalty protocols was requested by the nursing home industry. The American Health Care Association, the industry’s main trade group, has complained that under President Barack Obama, federal inspectors focused excessively on catching wrongdoing rather than helping nursing homes improve. That last sentence is a real keeper, isn’t it? If you keep punishing us for our substandard practices, we won’t be able to improve our substandard practices. Punishment for breaking laws is a hindrance to our abiding by them. Thousands of criminal defense lawyers are wondering why they didn’t think of that one first."
"Wednesday’s example comes to us from The New York Times, and isn’t this decision going to be a lovely one when they come for Medicare because of the “unexpected” explosion of the deficit due to the abomination of a tax bill they just passed. The Trump administration is scaling back the use of fines against nursing homes that harm residents or place them in grave risk of injury, part of a broader relaxation of regulations under the president. The shift in the Medicare program’s penalty protocols was requested by the nursing home industry. The American Health Care Association, the industry’s main trade group, has complained that under President Barack Obama, federal inspectors focused excessively on catching wrongdoing rather than helping nursing homes improve. That last sentence is a real keeper, isn’t it? If you keep punishing us for our substandard practices, we won’t be able to improve our substandard practices. Punishment for breaking laws is a hindrance to our abiding by them. Thousands of criminal defense lawyers are wondering why they didn’t think of that one first."
Intolerable cruelty: Kansas Medicaid leaves elderly to die without care
https://www.dailykos.com/stories/2017/12/22/1726888/-Intolerable-cruelty-Kansas-Medicaid-leaves-elderly-to-die-without-care
"Governor Brownback, a man who considers himself someone of significant faith, working to transition to the position of Ambassador to Religious Freedom, may need to learn a few things from the book he professes. The Kansas City Star revealed that the policy in Kansas has left many families struggling to figure out care for their loved ones."
"Governor Brownback, a man who considers himself someone of significant faith, working to transition to the position of Ambassador to Religious Freedom, may need to learn a few things from the book he professes. The Kansas City Star revealed that the policy in Kansas has left many families struggling to figure out care for their loved ones."
8.8 million people signed up for Obamacare coverage despite Trump’s sabotage
https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2017/12/21/16807348/obamacare-enrollment-2018
"About 8.8 million Americans enrolled in health coverage through Healthcare.gov, the Trump administration announced Thursday, a slight dip from last year after the Trump administration cut spending and outreach but far from a dramatic drop. Last year, about 9.2 million people signed up through Healthcare.gov, which serves more than 30 states. A dozen states run their own marketplaces and several of those states have not yet closed their open enrollment."
"About 8.8 million Americans enrolled in health coverage through Healthcare.gov, the Trump administration announced Thursday, a slight dip from last year after the Trump administration cut spending and outreach but far from a dramatic drop. Last year, about 9.2 million people signed up through Healthcare.gov, which serves more than 30 states. A dozen states run their own marketplaces and several of those states have not yet closed their open enrollment."
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