Anyone ElseTerrified about Repeal of ACA Bill
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sandy...i know your dh is a physician...so is my son-in-law and two nieces. Furthermore, the DH’s lifelong best friend is a former general counsel to one of the largest insurance companies and he spent many hours advising the Obama administration. Unsustainable from day one and Obama was informed
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Big surprise. Until next time they will give it just one more try to shove down our throats. I bet the repubs for this bill are cruel enough to wish McCain would just die of brain cancer already so they'd have the vote. I'm not kidding. Many are so so very cold..
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Hi ChiSandy:
"As to Medicare, unlike Medicaid, the ACA repeal efforts thus far haven't touched it."
Perhaps not directly, but both the AHCA and BCRA would have repealed certain taxes with predicted negative impact on Medicare finances and trust fund solvency. This May, 2017 article from the Washington Post addresses potential impacts of then-pending legislation and a budget proposal on Medicaid, Medicare, and Social Security disability insurance:
It cites to this Kaiser Family Foundation article for more details about the potential impact of the AHCA and BCRA cuts and Medicare finances and solvency: http://www.kff.org/medicare/issue-brief/what-are-the-implications-for-medicare-of-the-american-health-care-act-and-the-better-care-reconciliation-act/
Also, for those who feel that cuts to Medicaid are of no concern for those on Medicare, unfortunately the impact of Cassidy-Graham could very well affect many of those who need or may need nursing home care not covered by Medicare. Per an editorial in this month's Washington Post, "In the long term, however, all states would suffer from inadequate federal funding of Medicaid, which is [currently] the primary payer for about two-thirds of nursing-home residents nationwide."
BarredOwl
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I am terrified. Estimates are that under the Graham-Cassidy bill, the premium increase for a woman with breast cancer would be $28,000 per year more than for a healthy person. http://time.com/money/4769050/ahca-pre-existing-co... If I lost my job before age 65 and had a recurrence, that would be a possible death sentence. Yes, states could choose to restrict premium increases for pre-existing conditions, but with a shrinking pot of money over time, they would be unlikely to do so.
If you live in a state where your Senators support this terrible bill, you don't need to feel helpless. Here are phone numbers for the senators who may be convinced to not vote for the bill (Paul has said he will not vote for it, Collins is leaning against).
1. Heller (R-NV) (202) 224-6244
2. Collins (R-ME) (202) 224-2523
3. Murkowski (R-AK) (202) 224-6665
4. Capito (R-WV) (202) 224-6472
5. Cassidy (R-LA) (202) 224-5824
6. Flake (R-AZ) (202) 224-4521
7. Gardner (R-CO) (202) 224-5941
8. Portman (R-OH) (202) 224-3353
9. Cruz (R-TX) (202) 224-5922
10. Paul (R-KY) (202) 224-4343
11. Lee (R-UT) (202) 224-5444
12. Sasse (R-NE) (202) 224-4224There are also online tools you can use to mobilize callers from other states, such as: https://www.trumpcareten.org/
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All right, Collins is a firm no. McCain is too.
Paul seems to be a no, as does Cruz. Murkowski's been silent.
We're not out of the woods yet, but it's looking less likely that the bill will come to a vote, let alone pass. Fingers crossed.
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Fingers crossed too! All we cancer patients have to get behind killing this bill!
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Susan Collins announced she's a no. So, as long as no one changes their mind, the bill is dead.
Edited to add: Collins is the 3rd Senator, enough to defeat the bill.
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yay!!!! 🙌🙌🙌🙌🙌
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When will they learn that they can't just shove shit down our throats. 3 repubs thankfully have a heart and all dems. Remember 2018 no matter what happens from here on out, even if it gets fixed better. Vote those shits out of congress!
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To make sure we are safe, Dems need to take back the House and Senate...just saying.
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Can't resist chiming in on one of my pet peeves (referenced above): People saying Obama "lied" when he said "if you like your plan you can keep it and if you like your doctor you can keep your doctor." This was and is completely true! He didn't say he guaranteed that your doctor would remain available to you. He said the ACA will not force you to change doctors. The foundation of the ACA (flawed as i may be) is the notion of a marketplace. If your doctor (or more likely, his or her large institutional employer) decided not to do business with your health plan ... well, that's the hazard of a marketplace. I think that the only solution to this one is something like a Medicare for all. But even then, some physicians may elect not to participate.
I do think that it would be a plus to have a broader array of health care or health insurance options available. There are so many problems with our healthcare delivery system now that ... I guess the good news is that there are lots of opportunities for improvement. I am very glad that the ACA was not repealed (this week) because leaving millions of people with no viable means to access meaningful health insurance is simply unconscionable.
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I think most of us can agree that had it not been for Obama actually putting something together that also extends a hand to those who wouldn't have insurance at all otherwise (medicaid) that we'd still be pre-2010. People talk the talked but no one actually took the bull by the horns. At least he did that. To me that says a pres that cares about the people, and not just the ones who line pocketbooks. Of course it's not the greatest thing. First drafts rarely are. He put it out there and has said it needs work and has asked both sides to work on the kinks to make it better and more affordable. But what do the repubtards do?? First they come up with a couple of shitty replace plans which is bad news for those who really need healthcare, then they just try to pull the plug all together. Thankfully it's (barely) failed. The old saying rings true when it comes to my vote in elections: If you don't have your health, you have nothing. I think we can all agree on that. Here's hoping to repubs working with the dems to get something better out for all who need insurance.
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I really hope this is the end of the health care reform for a little awhile
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My plan before Obamacare dissolved because it didn’t meet the ACA regulations. Signed up for a marketplace plan where MOST of my doctors were in the plan and it was less expensive than other more established insurers. The company that I would have wanted to joined decided to sideline itself from participating in New York until it could get a realistic handle on what it would cost doing business in the state. Fast forward a year and a half and the insurer that I was participating in dissolved. Only recently were many of my claims paid. My next insurer, in late August decided to dissolve. Tthis week, I received a letter from one of my doctors that he will no longer permit appointments with patients who are currently insured by my company beginning in late November. Luckily, most of my doctor appointments are scheduled in October.
Sooooo, thanks to Obamacare, I have had three insurers. Premiums have sky rocketed and I have been bounced from physician to physician. Come January, I have no idea which insurers will be offering plans in NY and I have no idea who my physicians might be. I am lucky though, bbecause some states have as few as a single insurer to chose from
Obama lied. Not that I believed him for a New York second....
I will say it again. Obamacare was inherently flawed from Day One and Obama knew it. He was warned that unless, well, young people signed up in significant numbers, the program would not work. Since the penalty for not joining was small, there was little incentive for younger Americans to join.
Obama knew it was flawed...big time. But he and the Democrats passed the legislation anyway.
I can’t wait to read Obama and Michelle’s $60 million memoirs so I can understand how he got away with hoodwinking us. Presently, I am reading Hillary’s book What Happened with an eye towards how identity politics colored her perspective and IMHO ruined her chance of getting elected.
I want to understand all of the moving pieces that affected how we got into this mess. Then, maybe once we understand how we got here, we can begin to find the light and compass that will put us on the road to recovery... I want affordable and assessable healthcare and I want my doctors as much as the next person. But as long as some will say they are happy with Obamacare, all I can say is you should rethink how you feel because what exists is unsustainable and the longer it goes unfixed, there is no doubt in my mind...those of us who need these plans will be suffering in the near future, if you aren’t suffering like me already....
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and lastly...this thread’s title irks me. I am not terrified of repealing the ACA law. I am terrified of it staying the way it is!
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There's no way any law is going to appease every body. And we all hope it will be revised to benefit more people. What docs do is not anyone's fault. Even if it was Trumpcare I'd say the same thing. Pre ACA I was bounced off from plans, had to change docs because they didn't like what BC/BS was paying them. Don't get angry only at the ACA but insurance companies who ultimately decide how much to pay docs and medical services. I've worked the other side of the desk so I know these things. If the doc isn't making enough to warrant all the medical schooling and debt they are in, of course they will drop that insurance whether it's in the ACA or stand alone. Get the insurance companies under control is the first thing that needs to be done and the current administration is all about feeding them more so good luck on that any time soon..
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Found this post:
"Enrollment for 2018 Affordable Care Act (ACA / Obamacare) starts November 1 and ends December 15. Trump reduced the advertising funds by 90% to announce when people can enroll." How sweet, ain't he..
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I believe he also reduced the time that people can sign up. He's admitted that if he can't get legislation passed, he'll do everything he can to sabotage ACA. Yep, a real sweetheart.
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like advertising is going to get all of those selfish, stupid and stubborn people who are gaming the system to sign up? And, by now, are there really that many people and small businesses who don’t already know when it is time to review their options? Yeah, spending taxpayer dollars on advertising is going to make a big difference....
If taxpayer dollars need to be spent on advertising, then I propose it be spent on reminding Americans that the 2016 election is over and tell citizens and politicians it is time to move on. Does it resonate with anyone that if the President fails, we all fail? Why must he be thwarted and disparaged at every turn? I guess both political parties have had decades of experience of trying to sabatage one another agendas....
Aren’t we all tired and hurting enough yet? Our recovery begins within our families and friends and then takes shape with our politicians at the local level. Those politicans are the ones that need to hear the message that it is time for them to work with and not against the President....
Just a thought...
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I've been on Medicare for 3 years and have never used it. We have great BC/BS health coverage through my husband's university. He'll probably be retiring in about 5 years, so we'll be using Medicare and another policy after that. As long as we have the university's insurance, I don't have to worry about my pre-existing condition. But after that, if the GOP and trump get their way, all bets are off.
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Regarding pre-existing conditions, here in NewYork, prior to Obamacare, if one had uninterrupted health insurance, including a 61 day grace period, if interruption did occur, permitting you to buy back into the coverage, pre- existing conditions would be covered when changing plans. Pre-existing conditions were ONLY an issue if you chose not to purchase insurance in the first place. Furthermore, if you couldn't afford coverage, public assistance in the form of Medicaid was available. What isn’t properly communicated to the public is that when Obamacare was approved, millions of people when signing up for it first realized they qualified for Medicaid.
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I hope everyone who bashes Obama with the belief that "he lied, he knew it would fail" actually does some research into the whole ACA process.
Is it flawed...absolutely. Name one "giant step" forward that hasn't needed revisions and retooling. Every single dem believes this and would have gladly participated in a bipartisan effort to improve it.
Was it doomed to fail...YUP...but not because Obama lied. You need to grasp the facts, and realize that from Day one of the ACA, the repubs have stated that their goal is to destroy it. Not my opinion...their words...look it up, people! They have, through people like Cruz, passed legislation specifically designed to hamper and manipulate the market and the program, to make it as difficult as possible for it to succeed. This has been going on for EVERY DAY OF ACA!!! This continues now, with the cutbacks on ads and signup times. Without understanding why it is struggling, it is just plain uninformed to claim it's because Obama lied. Get real, please.
Regardless of your political "lean", do you really think a healthcare bill that went through months of committee hearings, amendments and debate is worse than something that a fraternity of old, white, conservative all MEN, came up with in a few weeks of closed (even to their own party members) deliberations? After they had not just 7 years, but a lifetime of party politics to construct? The concept of healthcare didn't just drop out of the sky with Obama...it's been something that multiple administrations of both parties, have tried to do, and everyone of them previously failed. It is something that is found in almost every other country on earth. Don't you think it was about time SOMEONE started the US down that path???
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With just a 10% projected annual rate increase for 2018, many families in 47 of 50 surveyed cities would have no access to coverage that meets Obamacare's affordability criteria and would likely be exempt from the Obamacare tax penalty.
http://news.ehealthinsurance.com/news/affordable-c...
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thank you Melissa. I guess they should take the word “affordable” out of the term ACA and call it UCA instead...as in Unsustainable Care Act.
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ni...I have been to Canada and helped care for my Canadian relatives and to answer your question, do I want to go down Canada’s path, my answer is No!
And...everytime I meet a Canadian physician who is practicing in the United States and had their education mostly paid for by the Canadian government, it makes my blood boil and I want to shout at them and say...GO BACK TO CANADA AND HELP THOSE CITIZENS! But you do realize why they won’t? They love making money in the United States! And exactly who is left practicing medicine in Canada? From what I saw, there were many young doctors who were doing their time, until they could leave, doctors who were older than my old relatives and foreign doctors who were happy to leave their developing countries and loved the opportunity to practice in Canada. I don’t mean to disparage Canada. But the doctors I met were overwhelmed. The patients and their families were overwhelmed...and the wait to get care...was overwhelming... I live in the United States and for the most part, I think I have access to the best medical clinical care and research despite what the ACA has done to it. But I will not sit here and play politics. I will just lay out the facts. Obamacare was a failure from Day One. And I don’t want socialized medicine. Nothing in life is free or a little freer. We all pay in the end for what we have. The United States is a beacon to the world for a reason. Our medical profession attracts the best and the brightest and there is a reason why....And i don’t think socialized medicine is the correct answer...
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OMG you are correct pupmom! When I was on it it started in Oct and went further into Dec to enroll. Bastard! For those of you whining about it, no said it's affordable for all. Do you really wish it was repealed completely with no replace, assuming you are using costly medical services right now. If not then of course, repeal! You can always not get it and pay the penalty which from what I hear is not terribly pricey. There is an out. The ACA saw me through dx (I was on expanded MediCal at the time) and then when I got disability, through all my txs. My income is so low that I had affordable rates. This past Jan after all active txs I went on Medicare. God bless Medicare. I'm all for single payer for all. Get the damn insurance companies out of healthcare which should be a right just like everywhere else in the world!
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Last year I'm pretty sure we had until midnight on Dec 31 to enroll. I don't remember when enrollment opened.
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It was some time in Oct, the month known for making health insurance decisions..
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Artista, when my affordable insurance is already almost twenty five percent of my salary, what do you suggest I do? I am alone. I am only 56. By the time I am eligible for Medicare it is looking like insurance will cost more than 50% of my net salary. I am going to be eating cat food in retirement, if I live long enough to retire.
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I don't think any of us have said it's great as is. At least Obama actually tried something while other presidents just put it on their "to do lists." It's nothing new. HC has been in shambles for decades. Kick the can down the road. Hopefully both parties will actually come together to the table to make it good for all who need it. At least it's an option many have and are doing well on. Expanded Medicaid is huge. That's why these shitty repeals or repeal/replace isn't passing. Too many people who need HC probably the most (sick, disabled, low income...) would be kicked off. So back to the drawing board hopefully. And there is the option to just not purchase it, just pay the penalty which isn't a ton of money. Go with private insurance. What more do you want, other than what we all hope for is for both parties to come together and figure it out so it does help make it affordable for those who esp really need it.
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