Well, you say that but that lady had a talent for making people laugh, at least. What's DTH's talent for? As someone said, she sang all the right notes... just not necessarily in the right order
Here's the elephant in the room that nobody is talking about in healthcare because everyone is obsessing over premiums. http://www.businessinsider.com/cbo-...enate-health-care-bill-to-rise-sharply-2017-7 I unfortunately have a high deductible plan through COBRA that I'm stuck with for the time being. It's $5,000. Last year I had one ER visit and a couple of doctor visits that added up to about $5,000 so I literally got nothing out of my insurance. The GOP wants to bait us with lower premiums, but kill us on the back end with deductibles as high as $15,000. The GOP wants people to take personal responsibility, but these numbers are just not workable for the average family. Most people don't spend on healthcare by choice. This isn't like shopping for a cell phone plan. Most of us are just stuck with whatever shitty plan our employee was able to negotiate. What we really need is to focus on strengthening the mandates to bring even more healthy people into the market. And we need to start focusing on costs. A good place to start is prescription drugs where we are getting killed on prices. We're paying 10X what the stuff is sold for in other countries. I'd even go one step further and ban medicine advertising which is like 15% of their budget. Doctors are the experts and they should make the decisions on drugs based on science, not advertising. Next we really need to update our medical records and administration processes which are still stuck in the 20th century. We need to tax unhealthy vices that destroy health like fast food, alcohol, plastics, chemicals and carcinogens. Take those taxes and redistribute them in grants to municipalities that invest in health projects like sidewalks, bike lanes, farmers markets etc ... The GOP obstructionism is literally killing us in this country. There's so much fixing of our system that needs to be done and their best idea so far is to cut investment.
When I got laid off after the '08 market crash I had the option of COBRA. It was well over $1,000 a month for a family plan. So wasn't gonna happen. Kids were covered under the state Medicaid and me & the Mrs just didnt get sick. You know, Republican HC. Yet another reason single payer HC is necessary. Your employment status should have no effect on your ability to get affordable care. Obamacare was a big step in the right direction. But we need to take the big leap and join the rest of the developed world and get universal HC.
My wife just recently changed jobs and we're awaiting for the COBRA quote. We will probably end up getting a bronze plan in the ACA exchanges while she reaches eligibility in her new job. They're not cheap, but probably about half of what we would pay for COBRA.
They are simply not working on solutions for the public. They've offered no explanation as to how this helps anyone. They are 100% stakeholder oriented.
I beg to differ. They're like 70% stakeholder, 30% rapture oriented. Maybe is the other way around but is difficult to tell some days..
We could put this in the "Laugh at Texas" thread http://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-40711882 Blake Farenthold, a congressman from Texas, told a local radio station if a man were responsible, he would challenge him to a duel. Susan Collins of Maine was one of three female Republicans who said they could not back the Senate's healthcare plan. Dude isn't primo dueling material, given that he presents a supersized target.
Yeah ... they're flying McCain in specifically to vote. I have no idea what's causing this chaos. There are two forces at play here. On the one hand you have pressure from the Kochs and Adelsons combined with a WH desperate for a media win, regardless of substance. And on the other hand you have rationality. Insurance companies, doctors, hospitals, governors and the majority of the electorate pleading no. I don't know what to think. One the one hand you always want to bet on the rational decision. On the other hand the GOP donor base is so fanatical that they can move irrational policy. How far will they go in bribing and threatening these senators to manipulate the vote?
They wouldn't fly McCain across country if they didn't have the votes. One of the repeal plans is going to pass.
FYI http://www.upworthy.com/20-years-of-data-reveals-that-congress-doesnt-care-what-you-think Put another way, and I'll just quote the Princeton study directly here: “The preferences of the average American appear to have only a minuscule, near-zero, statistically non-significant impact upon public policy." Really think about that for a second. If you've ever felt like your opinion doesn't matter and that the government doesn't really care what you think, well … you're right. But, of course, there's a catch. ...unless you're an "economic elite." If there's one thing that still reliably gets politicians' attention, it's money. While the opinions of the bottom 90% of income earners in America have a "statistically non-significant impact," Gilens and Page found that economic elites, business interests, and people who can afford lobbyists still carry major influence.
Was reading an article today about the Trump faithful. Along with the white nationalism (not discussed in the article, that is taboo when writing a "respectful' article about Trump voters, although it is a critical part of his appeal), the other thing that the Trump voters lauded was that he got into fights with Washington and corporations. They liked the idea of a bully hitting the people that they don't like, and maybe getting them factory jobs. But basically, they were fine with ObamaCare, and if not it was mostly because they wanted more, not less. This one is not a winner for Trump's core.
I feel so goddamned angry right now. I just want to break something. Democrats, remember this shit when the next round starts. The Democrats spent almost a year seeking consensus because they needed 60 votes. They had to wait for CBO scores. Every stalling play in the gamebook. Trying to appease the Right by effectively adopting the conservative plan. And what did they get for it? Shit. Meanwhile the other guys are willing to lie, bully and cheat to win. They are willing to change the rules in the middle of the game. Democracy only works when all parties abide by the rules. Dems will continue to be passed around until they start fighting back. Compromising with thieves is a sucker's game.
That was extraordinarily dismaying. But I was referring to the Dem adoption the Heritage Foundation's blueprint for the individual mandate.