Republican bill to repeal Obamacare teeters on edge of collapse

[webfact]

Republican bill to repeal Obamacare teeters on edge of collapse

By Susan Cornwell and Richard Cowan

 

Activists participate in a rally to protect the Affordable Care Act outside the U.S. Capitol in Washington, U.S., September 19, 2017. REUTERS/Aaron P. Bernstein

 

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The latest Republican effort to repeal former U.S. President Barack Obama's signature healthcare law faced possible defeat this week as several senators in the party voiced concerns about the bill under consideration.

 

The U.S. Senate is up against a Saturday deadline for deciding the fate of the 2010 Affordable Care Act, popularly known as Obamacare, because of an expiring rule that lets the Republican healthcare legislation pass with just a simple 51-vote majority, instead of the 60-vote threshold needed for most measures.

 

Republicans, who control the Senate 52-48, were finding it difficult even to clear that lower hurdle.

 

The Senate Finance Committee is scheduled to hold a hearing on Monday in an attempt to build support for the bill and to tamp down Democratic criticisms the measure has not been thoroughly vetted.

 

Republican senators leading the effort plan to release a revised version of their bill that would send more money to Alaska and Maine, the states of two holdout senators, the Washington Post reported late on Sunday.

 

For seven years, Republicans have hammered Obamacare as an unwarranted and overly expensive government intrusion into American healthcare. Republican President Donald Trump made repealing Obamacare one of his top campaign promises in 2016. Democrats have fiercely defended it, saying it has extended health insurance to millions.

 

The most previous attempt to repeal Obamacare fell one vote short in July, in a humiliating setback for Trump and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell.

 

Opposition grew on Sunday to the plan by Senators Lindsey Graham and Bill Cassidy that could be up for a vote on the Senate floor this week.

 

It would take federal money spent on the Medicaid programme for the poor and disabled, as well as subsidies to help Americans buy private insurance, and divvy it up to the states in block grants. Advocates say that would give states more discretion to manage their own healthcare schemes.

 

Opponents fear that millions would lose healthcare, including some with pre-existing medical conditions.

 

Conservative Republican Senator Ted Cruz, speaking at an event in his home state of Texas, warned on Sunday that Trump and McConnell could not count on his vote. Cruz has pushed for greater government cost savings in healthcare.

 

Moderate Republican Senator Susan Collins of Maine, interviewed on CNN's "State of the Union" on Sunday, said it was difficult for her to "envision a scenario where I would end up voting for this bill."

 

She worried about cuts to Medicaid benefits to the poor and disabled.

 

U.S. Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer dismissed the late effort to revise the bill and add money for a few states, calling it "just as bad for those states and the rest of the states because it still contains a massive cut to Medicaid."

 

GRAHAM VOWS TO KEEP UP EFFORT

 

A total of three Republican defections would kill off the latest effort to repeal Obamacare. Republican Senators John McCain and Rand Paul have already registered their opposition.

 

As early as Monday, the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office is expected to produce a preliminary analysis of Graham-Cassidy that would assess the bill's impact on budget deficits.

 

More time is likely needed for the CBO to gauge how the bill could affect Americans' access to health insurance.

 

Despite the deepening scepticism, Graham pledged on Sunday to keep pushing for passage. During an interview on ABC, Graham said that if his bill was defeated, he would aim to use his seat on the Senate Budget Committee to keep the effort alive.

 

An aide to Graham said in an email that the senator was suggesting an extension of the Sept. 30 deadline. That could create complications for tax overhaul legislation that Trump also is pushing.

 

Independent analyses indicate Graham-Cassidy would fundamentally redistribute federal healthcare money, generally with Republican-leaning states benefiting and Democratic-leaning states losing.

 

State-by-state impacts from Graham-Cassidy would vary, but some of the states whose senators are undecided would stand to lose funding, the Axios news website reported on Friday, citing a study by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, a unit of the Department of Health and Human Services that oversees Medicaid and the Obamacare programme.

 

The CMS study found that by 2026, Alaska would lose 38 percent of its federal funding for insurance subsidies and Medicaid. Both of Alaska's Republican senators, Lisa Murkowski and Dan Sullivan, are still on the fence over Graham-Cassidy.

 

The insurance industry, hospitals, medical advocacy groups such as the American Medical Association, American Heart Association and American Cancer Society, the AARP advocacy group for the elderly and consumer activists oppose the bill.

 

(Reporting by Susan Cornwell and Richard Cowan; Editing by Peter Cooney and Mary Milliken)

 

-- © Copyright Reuters 2017-09-25

[dunroaming]

What a mess and more embarrassment for the so called POTUS.

[inThailand]

Way before DT was here, Republicans were bashing Obamacare. Why after all these years they can't put a reasonable plan forth?

They are making Thai politicians look competent.

[The Deerhunter]

Without reading the post in detail, seems like good news for America and bad for Trump. 

[soalbundy]

He'll get it right one day, like when leaves

[boomerangutang]

If Rep's have problems with O-care, why don't they articulate what fixes are needed, and proceed to try and make it better?

Leave Trump out of the equation.  He knows as much about health care as I know about orchestrating heart triple by-pass surgery.  

 

HRC is an expert on national health care.  She patched together a rather good program during her husband's presidency.  Reps, at the time, shot it down without even looking at one paragraph.  In most countries, experts are called in to fix particular issues.  In the US, it's assumed politicians know what's best about all issues.   It's like calling in a group of cake decorators to engineer a new space shuttle.

 

 

Edited September 25, 2017 by boomerangutang

[boomerangutang]

1 hour ago, soalbundy said:

He'll get it right one day, like when leaves

He'll still be despicable shyster - even after he's out of office.  He makes Madoff look like a laudable gentleman.

[The Deerhunter]

1 hour ago, boomerangutang said:

If Rep's have problems with O-care, why don't they articulate what fixes are needed, and proceed to try and make it better?

Leave Trump out of the equation.  He knows as much about health care as I know about orchestrating heart triple by-pass surgery.  

 

HRC is an expert on national health care.  She patched together a rather good program during her husband's presidency.  Reps, at the time, shot it down without even looking at one paragraph.  In most countries, experts are called in to fix particular issues.  In the US, it's assumed politicians know what's best about all issues.   It's like calling in a group of cake decorators to engineer a new space shuttle.

 

 

You lost me the instant you mentioned Hillary.  We think Trump is bad?  So glad I'm not American and had to choose between those two.  Read the book Clinton Cash by Peter Schweitzer.  Just the first 37 pages should be enough to turn your stomach.

[ilostmypassword]

54 minutes ago, The Deerhunter said:

You lost me the instant you mentioned Hillary.  We think Trump is bad?  So glad I'm not American and had to choose between those two.  Read the book Clinton Cash by Peter Schweitzer.  Just the first 37 pages should be enough to turn your stomach.

You should read some honest analyses of that dishonest book.

[The Deerhunter]

29 minutes ago, ilostmypassword said:

You should read some honest analyses of that dishonest book.

Possibly.  Something published by the Clinton Foundation perhaps?  The detail in the beginning of the book on who he released the book to for vetting prior to publishing is pretty damn compelling.  

[Jingthing]

Back to topic please. 45's so far failed attempts to murder the ACA.

[boomerangutang]

1 hour ago, The Deerhunter said:

You lost me the instant you mentioned Hillary.  We think Trump is bad?  So glad I'm not American and had to choose between those two.  Read the book Clinton Cash by Peter Schweitzer.  Just the first 37 pages should be enough to turn your stomach.

You should know by now,  the entire force of right-wing billionaires + a slew of dirty tricksters + agents and hackers from former USSR and E.Bloc countries conspired to dump lies on HRC.  Every ugly lie shoveled on her has been shown to be untrue.  Even my daughter, a Green Party member who campaigned for Sanders, was fooled by the avalanche of lies from right wingers (into believing HRC was deeply flawed).  Thankfully, she now realizes her folly.  HRC has spent decades as a public servant, doing good for minorities, the poor, women, workers.  The opposite of Trump.  Look at her deeds, not at the hate-filled lies of her opponents. 

 

 

 

Edited September 25, 2017 by boomerangutang

[Jingthing]

Latest horror show trump-not-care health bill going down.

 

 

Quote

 

Republicans admit defeat in their latest attempt at a health care bill

WASHINGTON — A last-ditch effort to repeal the Affordable Care Act died in the Senate on Monday without a vote as a third and decisive Republican senator came out against the legislation.

 

 

http://www.sfgate.com/politics/article/Only-hearing-on-GOP-health-care-bill-disrupted-12227002.php

[The Deerhunter]

8 hours ago, boomerangutang said:

You should know by now,  the entire force of right-wing billionaires + a slew of dirty tricksters + agents and hackers from former USSR and E.Bloc countries conspired to dump lies on HRC.  Every ugly lie shoveled on her has been shown to be untrue.  Even my daughter, a Green Party member who campaigned for Sanders, was fooled by the avalanche of lies from right wingers (into believing HRC was deeply flawed).  Thankfully, she now realizes her folly.  HRC has spent decades as a public servant, doing good for minorities, the poor, women, workers.  The opposite of Trump.  Look at her deeds, not at the hate-filled lies of her opponents. 

 

 

 

Everything you say is true.  Except the part about her deeds.  Read the book yourself.  Just up to p37 if you like.  That's damning enough.  In their own way they are as bad or worse than Trump. 

[inThailand]

Where the heck is Ryan the leader of the R party hiding out?

Show some leadership!

Edited September 26, 2017 by inThailand
fat fingers

[ilostmypassword]

11 hours ago, The Deerhunter said:

Possibly.  Something published by the Clinton Foundation perhaps?  The detail in the beginning of the book on who he released the book to for vetting prior to publishing is pretty damn compelling.  

Which is why the author had to retract several claims due to major errors?

[Srikcir]

16 hours ago, boomerangutang said:

If Rep's have problems with O-care, why don't they articulate what fixes are needed, and proceed to try and make it better?

Because there's an ideological divide between the Democrats and Republicans.

Democrats believe healthcare access can best be delivered through socialist government oversight while Republicans believe insurance access can be best delivered in an open capitalistic market funded partially by the government.

Another factor is that repeal creates a massive government savings of about $800 billion that can be redirected to the 1% wealthy people in the form of tax relief. Without that savings, Trump might actually have to raise taxes for the wealthy - something that Bannon wants to do to pay for the tax cuts for the middle class.  http://www.theblaze.com/news/2017/07/03/report-steve-bannon-wants-to-raise-taxes-on-wealthiest-americans-to-pay-for-middle-class-tax-cuts/

 

A minority of Democrats and Republicans have offered a combined mix of alterations to ACA to improve its efficiency and cost. But that goes against direct repeal of ACA promised by Trump and the Republican majority. It will never leave committee.

Trump has promised to withhold mandated government funding from ACA should Republicans fail to repeal ACA to make sure ACA fails. So expect states to sue the US for the funding.

[NanLaew]

21 hours ago, webfact said:

Republican senators leading the effort plan to release a revised version of their bill that would send more money to Alaska and Maine, the states of two holdout senators, the Washington Post reported late on Sunday.

Hmmm... more swamp tactics, eh?

[The Deerhunter]

4 hours ago, ilostmypassword said:

Which is why the author had to retract several claims due to major errors?

You have read the book of course!!!  Every book has errors that the opposition pay people to complain about.  Even HRC's books.  Please do read it and don't say. "I don't need to." You do!

Edited September 26, 2017 by The Deerhunter

[mike324]

Republicans with a majority and still can't pass anything...what a joke this circus is, one thing for sure is that some Reps that are not on board the sinking ship have their heads screwed on correctly

[Jingthing]

Look. 

This isn't rocket science.

The only realistic long term solution to the access and cost disaster that is the U.S. health care system, before and after ACA, is a transition to a universal system. The U.S. isn't capable of going cold turkey on that. 

ACA was a first step. It isn't dead but it's badly damaged largely because trump has been aggressively sabotaging it. The next two elections will largely be about that question ... fix ACA and move towards universal or throw poor and sick people to the wolves which is the ideology of most of the republicans. 

Frankly, this is a national disgrace. Imagine if the USA had done the right thing after WW2 and gone universal then, like the UK did. Yet, so many decades later, we're still struggling with this mess. It's really a crying shame. So much suffering for so many millions of Americans, so many health related bankruptcies, totally unnecessary. People that blindly chant USA number one in everything are part of the problem. 

Edited September 26, 2017 by Jingthing

[ToS2014]

The problem started way back when the government stepped their big toe into insurance.  Let me choose and I'll let you choose.  I do not want ANY government to push legislation that dictates a private matter.  No matter what we all loose in this case.  If you're really happy about the ACA or O'care, medicade, etc....just keep paying your taxes and stop complaining about taxes are too high. 

[Jingthing]

2 minutes ago, ToS2014 said:

The problem started way back when the government stepped their big toe into insurance.  Let me choose and I'll let you choose.  I do not want ANY government to push legislation that dictates a private matter.  No matter what we all loose in this case.  If you're really happy about the ACA or O'care, medicade, etc....just keep paying your taxes and stop complaining about taxes are too high. 

That's a load of codswallop. I don't know many people over 65 that want to end MEDICARE. Government needs to be involved MORE, and the insurance companies need to be kicked to the curb. ACA was a republican idea in the first place! The REAL democratic party idea is finally coming into it's own again ... a Canadian style, UK style, French style system eventually. 

Edited September 26, 2017 by Jingthing

[inThailand]

Governments have proven time and time again they can not effectively and cost efficiently run almost anything.

 

Let market forces work.  Allocate X amount of health dollars to each person based on age, need, etc. And let the people decide where and with who they will spend their dollars. 

[Jingthing]

2 minutes ago, inThailand said:

Governments have proven time and time again they can not effectively and cost efficiently run almost anything.

 

Let market forces work.  Allocate X amount of health dollars to each person based on age, need, etc. And let the people decide where and with who they will spend their dollars. 

Ridiculous.

Why does every other advanced nation in the world have some kind of nationalized health care system that offers access to health care to all citizens at MUCH LESS COST than the USA?
Your  old school hard core purist free market right wing Ayn Randian ideology does not cut it. The American people have already woken up. The vast majority of people now believe that health care is a RIGHT of citizenship. Now the trick is to make that happen! 

Edited September 26, 2017 by Jingthing

[ELVIS123456]

2 hours ago, ToS2014 said:

The problem started way back when the government stepped their big toe into insurance.  Let me choose and I'll let you choose.  I do not want ANY government to push legislation that dictates a private matter.  No matter what we all loose in this case.  If you're really happy about the ACA or O'care, medicade, etc....just keep paying your taxes and stop complaining about taxes are too high. 

If you want to see what will happen if the Govt runs all Health in USA, just take a look at the VA system - it is a total disaster of massive over-budget costs and constant under-performing outcomes. That is why the Swamp actually passed an exemption to Obamacare for themselves.  

[Jingthing]

If you want to see what will happen if the Govt runs all Health in USA, just take a look at the VA system - it is a total disaster of massive over-budget costs and constant under-performing outcomes. That is why the Swamp actually passed an exemption to Obamacare for themselves.  

Again proves nothing. Most seniors are happy with Medicare. Most Canadians would never trade their system for the US system. Enough with the right wing scare mongering.

[WaywardWind]

27 minutes ago, ELVIS123456 said:

If you want to see what will happen if the Govt runs all Health in USA, just take a look at the VA system - it is a total disaster of massive over-budget costs and constant under-performing outcomes. That is why the Swamp actually passed an exemption to Obamacare for themselves.  

That is absolute nonsense.

 

Please detail your experiences with the VA medical system which lad you to that assertion. Not something that Breitbart or Fox told you to say, but only that which you have personally experienced.

[Scott]

Off-topic post and reply removed.

[boomerangutang]

On 9/26/2017 at 7:01 AM, The Deerhunter said:

Everything you say is true.  Except the part about her deeds.  Read the book yourself.  Just up to p37 if you like.  That's damning enough.  In their own way they are as bad or worse than Trump. 

Even if I twist my mind into thinking HRC was half as bad as right-wingers want me to think, I can't fathom HRC being 1/50th as bad as Trump.

Trump is either accused of, or proven to be:

>>>  a pussy grabber

>>>  a raper of 13 yr olds (more than one)

>>>  a climate change and science denier

>>>  a fawning fan of Alex Jones, one of the most dangerous idiots on the planet.

>>>  a racist, and fan of white supremacists

>>>  a wife beater

 

.....it don't get much worse than that.  Even Hitler didn't stoop that low.