Tag: Health care

A healthcare fraud and disaster and Senator Lindsey Graham

A healthcare fraud and disaster and Senator Lindsey Graham

Posted on by Jack

A healthcare fraud and disaster was prevented last week.

Now that is has been a few days since I last wrote about the disaster that was the Republican plan to break our health care system. Thankfully that plan was defeated. For now, millions of people who would have been thrown of Medicaid are safe. Hospital depending on Medicaid funds are safe. Planned Parenthood can continue providing low cost health care.
Continue reading “A healthcare fraud and disaster and Senator Lindsey Graham”

Broken Care by Republicans

Broken Care by Republicans

Posted on by Jack

Somewhat ironically, I think, the Senate bill is called the ‘Better Care Reconciliation Act of 2017’ or just BRCA. It is very unlikely to result in better care. Millions of people will lose their health insurance and access to health care. And millions more will see their out-of-pocket costs rise. States will receive lower Medicare funding. Hospitals will go broke.

I think BRCA means Broken Care by Republicans Act. The bill or whatever version finally passes the Senate has the correct acronym but somehow the politicians have the words wrong. Clearly the BC is Broken Care. It certainly is a product of Republicans, so there is the R. The A is Act but perhaps one of my readers can think of a better A word.

Bipartisan healthcare plan

Bipartisan healthcare plan

Posted on by Jack

Are we ready to try for a bipartisan healthcare plan ?

The Senate’s Better Care Reconciliation Act of 2017 has not yet been passed. Senate Leader Mitch McConnell developed his plan in secret and was then not able to get the 50 votes he needed to get it through the Senate by the July 4 recess.

The Majority leader is still working toward 50 and probably modifying the Bill to help get there. It is a very tricky task modifying it to make it more palatable to extremely conservative Senators without adding some provisions that will cause the loss of support of other Senators.
Continue reading “Bipartisan healthcare plan”

Healthcare follies

Healthcare follies

Posted on by Jack

What do I mean by healthcare follies? The definition of follies I had in mind is “the state or quality of being foolish; lack of understanding or sense” or perhaps absurdity . How does healthcare tie-in?

Healthcare is not absurd. But the actions we have seen recently and may see more of in the near future do bring the word “follies” to mind.
Continue reading “Healthcare follies”

Interesting reconciliation process. (Fun with Healthcare)

Interesting reconciliation process. (Fun with Healthcare)

Posted on by Jack

Assuming Mitch McConnell is able to twist enough arms in the weeks ahead, we may see an interesting reconciliation process. Of course it could be done in secret which would take most of the fun out of it. But we may be set for an interesting debate.

The House has already passed the American Health Care Act of 2017 which the Congressional Budget Office estimates would throw about 23 million off the healthcare insurance rolls by 2026.

The Senate’s Better Care Reconciliation Act of 2017 has not yet been passed. In present form the Congressional Budget Office estimates it will increase the number of people who are uninsured by 22 million in 2026.

If the Senate bill is passed, we will see the reconciliation process. Perhaps there will be an argument about whether it is better to increase the uninsured by 22 or 23 million.

New legislative process: Teachers update your civics lessons

New legislative process: Teachers update your civics lessons

Posted on by Jack

Mitch McConnell has devised a new legislative process. We’ll have to see how well it works but teachers of civics may want to think about updating their lesson plans. This could be the new normal or perhaps a political disaster which is never tried again. It’s a bit early to tell.

In the secret Republican plan to change our healthcare system which is currently being developed in the Senate, we may have a new model for legislation. We don’t know yet what the plan is or if this method will be successful. Continue reading “New legislative process: Teachers update your civics lessons”

Heathcare secret plan from Republican Senators

Heathcare secret plan from Republican Senators

Posted on by Jack

Do you want to know a secret? A big healthcare secret. Our Senate has one. Neither you, nor I, nor most Senators know the plan. As far as I know, no healthcare experts have seen it. I think the only people in the loop are Majority Leader Senator Mitch McConnell and 12 other Republican Senators.

The plan could have large economic effects. After all, health care is a big piece of our economy. As far as I know, no economists have seen it. Have the possible economic effects been considered?

If this works out well for the Republican party, will secrecy be the new model for legislating?

The secret plan for your healthcare

The secret plan for your healthcare

Posted on by Jack

It’s a secret plan. I don’t know anything about the Senate healthcare plan except that it is a closely held secret among Senator Mitch McConnell and and handful of other Republican Senators. I suspect a few other Republicans may know part of the plan, at least in broad outline. But I don’t think the majority of Republican Senators know much about it. It seem fairly certain that Democrats are not in on the big secret.

I suppose at some point the public may know about it but probably not until after (or maybe just before) the vote. Senators will probably be informed of the contents before voting. I think that is a rule but I could be wrong. The Senate under Mitch McConnell had surprised me before.

The secret healthcare plan in the Senate

The secret healthcare plan in the Senate

Posted on by Jack

There is a secret healthcare plan somewhere in the Senate. I don’t know what is in it. You don’t know. In fact, most senators don’t know. Only a small group of Republican senators are drafting the bill. But the plan is to have a vote before the July 4 recess.

So it is coming soon with no hearings and no amendments.

Since the bill is unlikely to be made public much before the vote, there will be little (if any) time for comment and debate, even among the senators.

Rushing the American Health Care Act

Rushing the American Health Care Act

Posted on by Jack

The House leadership is rushing the American Health Care Act through the committee process.

Apparently there is no time to wait for the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimates on cost or likely effects of this bill. No time to discuss and debate improvements. No time to consider that millions may lose insurance and access to health care. No time to consider that some of them will probably die.

Do Republican leaders think that giving legislators a bit of time to think and understand might make it less likely that the American Health Care Act will pass?

Should we repair Obamacare or repeal and replace ?

Should we repair Obamacare or repeal and replace ?

Posted on by jack

Yesterday, I read 2 opposing views on the Obamacare/health care controversy. I am more a repair Obamacare person but I think both are well worth reading. So continuing the trend started yesterday on this blog, I will write about things I read in the Sunday paper.

We get 2 Sunday papers, the New York Times and the Philadelphia Inquirer. I discussed an article about retirement plans in the Times yesterday. Today it will be a pair of articles in the Inquirer about Obamacare (Affordable Care Act) .
Continue reading “Should we repair Obamacare or repeal and replace ?”

Clinton misleads on Healthcare

Clinton misleads on Healthcare

Posted on by jack

Hillary Clinton has said the Bernie Sanders’ “Medicare for all” plan would leave health care in the hands on Republican governors. Perhaps she has confused Bernie Sanders’ plan with the medicaid expansion under Obamacare. But it does seem more likely that Hillary Clinton misleads, or tries to mislead, us on Bernie Sanders’ “Medicare for all” plan.

I have Medicare. I do not have Medicaid. They are 2 distinct programs. If someone believes they should be President, I think they should understand the difference between them, be able to intelligently discuss them, and not use the similarity in names to mislead the public.

There are some real differences between Clinton and Sanders. I would rather see an honest discussion of the policy differences than misleading claims.

Working poor, a documentary

Working poor, a documentary

Posted on by Jack

Last night I watched the HBO documentary “Paycheck to Paycheck: The Life and Times of Katrina Gilbert”.

As mentioned previously, we subscribed to HBO because there was a series we wanted to watch on this premium cable channel but we stayed long after the show ended because of the documentaries. And then new shows start up and we’re glad we still have the subscription.

“Paycheck to Paycheck: The Life and Times of Katrina Gilbert” did a good job Continue reading “Working poor, a documentary”

Ending an unjust prosecution for assisted suicide

Ending an unjust prosecution for assisted suicide

Posted on by Jack

It happens to be Pennsylvania news but the issue is one that could happen almost anywhere and that is certainly worth thinking about. A loving daughter helps her father to relieve his pain and is unjustly prosecuted for assisted suicide. Continue reading “Ending an unjust prosecution for assisted suicide”

Obama care and Keep your health plan

Obama care and Keep your health plan

Posted on by Jack

I previously discussed that President Obama and the House have proposed 2 different plans to allow you to keep your existing health plan.

In my opinion, neither is a very good idea. Both plans say they allow holders of existing plans that do not meet ACA requirements to keep there existing plans. One problem is that they allow this cannot actually do this since Continue reading “Obama care and Keep your health plan”