Dear Republican Senators, In case you haven’t figured it out by now, if you pass the current US Senate version of Trumpcare, just sign your own pink slip. Experts are predicting that increases in premiums and/ or deductibles will dwarf anything that the ACA had ever incurred just in time, for the upcoming 2018 midterm elections.
I, only wish that “we the Americans” had been witnesses to such profiles in courage, for just one example, in standing up to the republican President Donald Trump in his continual discounting of Russia’s role in trampling on our US democracy during the US presidential 2016 elections cycle.
As per the June 22, 2017 Huffington Post report by Jonathan Cohn, “Under the Affordable Care Act, the benchmark plan is a “silver” plan. Silver plans have an “actuarial value” (AV) of 70, which means they should cover roughly 70 percent of the typical person’s medical expenses. Under the Senate proposal, the benchmark plan would be a policy with an AV of 58 ― in other words, a plan that would cover just 58 percent of the typical person’s medical expenses. That’s pretty close to what, under the Affordable Care Act, qualifies as a “bronze” plan.”
Smaller Credits Lead To Weaker Coverage
“In 2016, the median deductible in a silver plan on healthcare.gov was $3,500 a year, according to the Center on Medicare and Medicaid Services. This, roughly speaking, is the plan that Obamacare is designed to help consumers get. In 2016, the median deductible in a bronze plan on healthcare.gov was $6,300. This ― again, roughly speaking ― is the plan that Senate Republicans want to help consumers get. ”
“Somebody making $20,000 a year could easily see deductibles increase dramatically, from $1,000 (the average deductible for lowest-income consumers in 2016, according to Aviva Aron-Dine of the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities) up to that $6,300 average. And for somebody at that income level ― think a home care worker or retail clerk barely covering costs like food and rent ― even modestly higher out-of-pocket medical costs would be crippling. ”
“The Senate bill does make other changes to the tax credit formula, and it invites states to seek waivers that would eliminate some of the existing regulations that affect the kinds of plans insurers offer. Some people would likely end up saving money, either on premiums or out-of-pocket costs or both, and it’s an open question how this all works out for the millions of people who buy coverage directly from insurers rather than through the exchanges. Next week’s Congressional Budget Office analysis should help clarify that.”
“But on the exchanges, at least, the Senate bill “cuts tax credits for virtually all consumers by linking them to less generous coverage,” Aron-Dine says, adding, “For most of the roughly 9 million people who get subsidized coverage today, that would mean a choice. Pay significantly more in premiums to keep similar coverage, or keep premiums similar with much higher deductibles,”
Conservatives Never Really Hated High Deductibles
“None of this should be surprising. A core principle of conservative health policy is that people should face higher out-of-pocket expenses ― that they should have “more skin in the game” ― because, in theory, people would shop more aggressively for better prices or simply avoid getting medical care. ”
“For the last few years, Republican politicians acted as if they felt differently, and it’s entirely possible many of them had no idea that, by campaigning to reduce out-of-pocket costs, they were deviating from this bedrock piece of conservative orthodoxy.”
“It will be interesting to see how these Republicans react once they grasp what the leadership’s plan would actually do ― assuming there’s enough time for that reality to sink in. “
NOTICE: REPUBLICAN ORGANIZATIONS ARE PROMISING TO SPEND BIG MONIES TO PUSH REPUBLICAN SENATORS TOWARDS VOTING FOR ITS VERSION OF TRUMP-CARE.
As per the 6/25/17 Politico.com report by Kevin Robillard, “The head of the Koch brothers-backed Americans for Prosperity admitted to donors on Sunday (6/25) that the group was caught “flat-footed” by the fight in Congress to replace Obamacare, as the group seeks to influence Republican proposals it says do not go far enough to repeal the 2010 law.” We fully expected a repeal vote,” Americans for Prosperity President Tim Phillips told hundreds of donors at the Koch network’s annual seminar at the Broadmoor Resort.
AGAIN, We all need to start blitz calling / contacting our US senators via tweets, emails, postcards, personal visits to lawmaker offices of at least all the 13 senators working on this AHCA Act. This is the time for some ad-hoc ANTI-AHCA protests. Then we can call the remaining republican senators. Send thank you notes to republican senators who promise to vote against the Senate’s version of Trumpcare.
Here are some quick talking points to use when contacting the senators as suggested by a fellow blogger, Keith of Musingsofanoldfart.com:
-“This issue is too important and complex to have been done in secret over 2 months by 13 white men; it required deliberate thought with factual information.
– the ACA is working reasonably well but needs improvements.
– it is disappointing that the ACA has been sabotaged by holding back promised payments to insurers that caused even higher premiums.
– this bill will lead to the loss of coverage for millions of Americans.”
The main US Senate phone line 202-225-3121 (202-224-3121) or YOU CAN FIND PHONE NUMBERS FOR EVERY SENATOR HERE. or U.S. Senate: Senators of the 115th Congress
Gronda Morin 
Hugs to you cool one of good words.
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Dear Steele646,
Thanks for the words of support.
Hugs, Gronda
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Gronda, as we have discussed several times, it is frustrating how so few Americans know of the active sabatoge campaign by Republican leadership to defund payments to insurance companies for initial adverse risk. These actions directly caused premiums to be even higher. People like Rubio and McConnell and now Trump are screwing Americans to increase problems for the ACA. Rubio even bragged on his efforts.
With this backdrop, it is not shocking that the GOP have negotiated this in secret. Helping Americans is not an objective. If it was, they would work with Dems to solve the ACA problems and would not have made the problems worse. Keith
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Dear Keith,
It is patently obvious that the republican senate leaders could care less about what happens to the average Joe American. It is that let them eat cake attitude, that they exude,
Hugs, Gronda
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Gronda, every hospital group and most Doctor groups have come out against this bill and the AHCA. The bipartisan National Governor’s Association has come out against the bill. Let’s throw in the American Cancer Society and AARP. But, what do they know? 13 white Republican men obviously know more than they do about healthcare. Keith
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Gronda, I must confess I did not read the reference to my earlier comments until after I posted my comment below. Many thanks for the shout out. I repeated a few themes in my comment. Sorry for the redundancy. Keith
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Dear Keith,
Thanks for the talking points that could be used as folks contacted their senators.
Hugs, Gronda
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Thanks for advocating their use.
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Dear Mz. Gronda,
Do our GOPTP elected officials actuall believe this;
“” they should have “more skin in the game”
― because, in theory, people would shop more aggressively for better prices or simply avoid getting medical care. ””
The real truth is that most of these “people” have no means to shop around, it costs the individual to go to each Doctor to get their opinion, so they have no real choice either pay the overly high price or do without medical care. Guess which one they will be forced to chose! I don’t know about other areas in this country, but in my county it is hard to find a Doctor that will accept Medicare or Medicaid, and you pretty well have to accept what ever doctor you can find that will, and those that will accept them insist on the deductibles or co-pay be paid before any treatment is offered, once again the poor have no real choice and most simply don’t go to the Doctor unless it is to the emergency room, where most of the time they can receive treatment, once again depending on their financial position. Contrary to popular belief a hospital does not need to fully treat you, they only need to stabilize your condition to the point that you can be transferred to another facility…
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Dear Crurtyolemothman,
Those 13 US republican senators who worked for 2 months on the latest version of Trumpcare could care less about the plight of the poor folks in their districts, period. They want their tax cuts/ tax reform bill which this is just the precursor.
These White 13 elder grumpy old men are clueless about the lives of the peoples they are harming.
Hugs, Gronda.
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Any fool can pull a structure down without thought as to what will effectively replace it.
God… Bless America (please)
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