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Cory Gardner Wants Everyone To Drop The 'Hyperbole' About GOP Health Care Bill

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U.S.  Sen. Cory Gardner (R-CO) told a conservative talk-radio host Monday that he wants people to “drop this hyperbole that we continue to hear” about the problems with GOP health-care bill.

KNUS 710-AM host Steve Kelley didn’t respond with the simple question of, “What hyperbole?”

Gardner made the comment after Kelley played a series of audio clips of Democrats saying, among other things, that the GOP bill would cause Americans to suffer and die, that it would adversely impact the most vulnerable, and give the rich a tax break.

So where’s the hyperbole Gardner is talking about?

It’s a fact that an estimated 24 million people will lose their health insurance by 2026 (or thereabouts, because this bill was pushed through without an evaluation by the Congressional Budget Office). Studies show this would result in deaths.

It’s a fact that the latest Obamacare repeal doesn’t protect people with pre-existing medical conditions (like diabetes, cancer, even pregnancy).

It’s a fact that the rich would enjoy a tax cut of over $600 billion.

So where’s the hyperbole that’s bothering Gardner? (listen to him here on May 8, hour 1, at 13 min)

But you wouldn’t expect a conservative talk radio host to put the question to Gardner—and the senator knows it.

That’s probably why, when the New York Times called his office last week to discuss the health care bill, Gardner didn’t return the call.

That’s also probably why Gardner has appeared on over 15 conservative talk radio shows in Colorado this year.

And why he’s appeared at exactly zero town halls.

-- This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website. Reported by Huffington Post 9 hours ago.

FactCheck: Spin on how GOP health care bill would affect premiums

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Democrats say the GOP’s American Health Care Act would increase health insurance premiums, while Republicans contend it would lower them. Which is it? Reported by philly.com 14 hours ago.

Republican who helped pass health overhaul meeting voters

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WILLINGBORO, N.J. (AP) — A New Jersey Republican who played a key role in helping the GOP-led U.S. House pass an Affordable Care Act replacement bill will meet with voters Wednesday in his first town hall since the bill passed. MacArthur was one of only two Republicans among five from the state to back the House legislation that would dismantle Democratic former President Barack Obama's signature law. Among other changes in the bill that the Congressional Budget Office had estimated would result in 24 million fewer people having health insurance by 2026 are the elimination of tax penalties under Obama's law. Republican Gov. Chris Christie's administration estimates that about 500,000 residents have gained coverage under the ACA's Medicaid expansion, which the governor has touted as part of his efforts to fight the state's opioid addiction epidemic. A potential Democratic challenger, Andrew Kim, who served as an Obama White House national security adviser, has said he's now more likely to challenge MacArthur next year. Reported by SeattlePI.com 11 hours ago.

Tim Kaine Cries At Health Care Hearing, Says GOP 'Couldn't Care Less' About People

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WASHINGTON ― Senate Democrats held a “shadow hearing” on the American Health Care Act Wednesday to hear from Americans who would be affected by the GOP’s proposal to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act. One of the witnesses, whose daughter was born with Down syndrome, brought Sen. Tim Kaine (D-Va.) to tears with her testimony. 

“I remember standing at the mailbox with my tiny baby ― she was still under 10 pounds at 11 months old ― cradled in my arms, and opening an envelope from the children’s hospital with a bill inside for $64,000, more than my husband’s annual salary, for merely ‘renting’ the surgical room and equipment used during her heart surgery the month before,” said Cyndi Johnson, a math teacher from Bloomington, Indiana.  

Johnson said that before Obamacare was in place, her out-of-pocket costs for her daughter’s health care needs were “spiraling with no end in sight.” She had to quit her job to care for her daughter full-time, and her family’s middle-class lifestyle was “slipping away.”

Then, in 2010, her family was able to obtain health insurance through Obamacare that did not include a lifetime cap on medical expenses. If the cap were still in place, Johnson said, her daughter would have likely reached it by age 5, and the whole family would have lost health coverage. 

“As a parent, absolutely nothing else matters when your child is sick,” Johnson said. “Your world shrinks and everything else just falls away. I would have sold my house, my car, done literally anything to keep my daughter healthy ― and no family should have to make that horrible choice.”

Kaine and the other Senate Democrats at the hearing appeared deeply moved by Johnson’s testimony.

“Mrs. Johnson, tears just started rolling down my face,” said the former vice presidential candidate. “The people who passed this law couldn’t care less what any of you think or what any of your experiences are.”

“I can’t listen to you without hurting,” said Sen. Cory Booker (D-N.J.).

House Republicans passed a health care bill last week that would allow employers to impose lifetime and annual caps on medical expenses. It would also roll back Medicaid benefits, which could strip health insurance from an estimated 24 million people, and prevent Medicaid recipients from going to Planned Parenthood for preventative health care, like birth control and cancer screenings.

Gina Walkington, a constituent of House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.), testified at the hearing that she might have died if not for Planned Parenthood discovering and removing pre-cancerous cells from her cervix 11 years ago. The 31-year-old mother of three said she was in college at the time and didn’t know where else to go for preventative health care she could afford. 

“Had Planned Parenthood not been so easily accessible and affordable for me, my life may have turned out radically different,” she said. “Had I waited to get care, and had the cells continued to develop without my knowledge, I could have lost the ability to have children or even died.” 

After the six witnesses told their stories, Senate Democrats slammed House Republicans for rushing their latest health care bill to a vote without holding any hearings on it. The House GOP threw a massive beer bash last week to celebrate passing their bill, and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) has put together a group of 13 men to write the Senate’s version. 

“None of them know what the hell they’re doing to their country,” Booker said. “We just need more Americans to be willing to let folks know what this really means ― not in data, not in statistics, but real American voices.” 

“This is the most pernicious, evil type of privilege that says ‘If a problem is not affecting me or my family, it’s not much of a problem,’” he added. “You can be damn well sure that if it was a congressman, and this would affect them or their spouse, they would not have passed this law.” 

-- This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website. Reported by Huffington Post 10 hours ago.

The Latest: GOP lawmaker: I didn't come to 'defend' Trump

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A New Jersey Republican lawmaker instrumental in helping the GOP-led House pass a health care overhaul bill has told an angry constituent at a town hall he "didn't come here to defend the president." MacArthur, a former health insurance executive who has cited his daughter's death as one of his reasons for being involved in the debate, responded "shame on you." MacArthur played a leading role in helping the measure gain support from conservative colleagues. Dozens of protesters have gathered outside a site where a New Jersey Republican lawmaker instrumental in helping the GOP-led House pass a health care overhaul bill is holding a town hall. The representative was one of only two Republicans among five from the state to back the House legislation, which would dismantle Democratic former President Barack Obama's signature law. MacArthur authored an amendment in the House measure allowing states to get federal waivers to the requirement that insurers charge healthy and sick customers the same premiums. Reported by SeattlePI.com 9 hours ago.

Denver CPA David Peterson Decodes Tax Reform

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CPA David Peterson, of Haynie & Company, discusses the Trump administration’s potential tax code changes.

Denver, CO (PRWEB) May 11, 2017

One of President Trump’s many promises along the campaign trail and afterward in February’s address to Congress is change to the tax code. With the Affordable Care Act and staffing Washington coming first on the Washington’s list, these tax code changes will likely come later in the year or even next year.

“But now is a good time to consider how some proposed tax code modifications that the administration and Congress are considering may impact businesses and individuals,” said CPA David Peterson, managing partner of Haynie & Company, who is also a small business specialist. “As it stands now, many corporations keep holdings outside the U.S. to boost profits by not paying as much corporate tax here.”

The administration wants to bring that money and business back by promising a smaller rate for corporations, large and small, about 15%, down from the current 35%. Holdings held outside the U.S. will also be given a one-time pass to bring that money back to the U.S. without penalty. Reforms would also affect individuals by decreasing the number of tax brackets from the current seven to three or four. Americans who earn less than $25,000 would be exempt from income tax and then the other rates being in the range of 12%, 25% and 33%.

“Depending on the income levels set for these brackets, taxpayers may or may not be excited about this change,” added Peterson. “There is also talk of repealing the death tax altogether. Alas, all this tax reduction may sound great, but most of the money must be made up somewhere to help pay for our government.”

One idea is a border adjustment tax that taxes imports to the U.S., an idea that may have a large negative impact on some businesses. This concept faces hard lobbying from giants such as Walmart and Target that rely heavily on inexpensive imports.

More revenue may also be generated by eliminating allowable corporation deductions and loopholes, such as expensing of investments or deductions for interest paid on corporate debt.

Businesses and individuals could also see a tax on health insurance, further increasing the total cost of health care in the U.S. Other changes that may affect individuals more deeply include a reduction in allowable itemized deductions, an increase in the standard deduction and eliminating the Alternative Minimum Tax.

“Some pundits say that these efforts may not be enough to offset the overall reduction in federal income in the budget, especially given such large proposed increases in military spending, which could mean that Washington may reduce or eliminate other budget line items that may affect the quality of life we as Americans enjoy and value,” concluded Peterson. “Either way, Americans need to be aware of how this large change in taxation will affect them, for better or for worse. Consulting with a tax accounting professional would be a good idea in order to understand potential ramifications.”

About David Peterson, Haynie & Company
David Peterson fills the unique needs of smaller companies with services ranging from tax planning to the creation of accounting systems. The management advisory services he provides are especially useful for fast-growing, start-up or troubled businesses. Haynie & Company services include external auditing, accounting, income tax, consulting, internal auditing and management advisory. For more information, please call (303) 734-4800, or visit http://www.hayniecpas.com.

About the NALA™
The NALA offers small and medium-sized businesses effective ways to reach customers through new media. As a single-agency source, the NALA helps businesses flourish in their local community. The NALA’s mission is to promote a business’ relevant and newsworthy events and achievements, both online and through traditional media. For media inquiries, please call 805.650.6121, ext. 361. Reported by PRWeb 23 minutes ago.

Health-Care Bill's Tax Cuts Aren't a Done Deal

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Republican senators aren’t sold on a piece of the House-passed health-care bill that makes this past Jan. 1 the effective date for tax cuts on capital gains, health-insurance companies and pharmaceutical companies. Reported by Wall Street Journal 3 days ago.

George Washington To GOP: Beware Of The Risks Of Blind Party Loyalty

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Perhaps there is no polling on deep yearning, but a fair share of Americans had to have watched the French election that culminated on Sunday with a sense of sadness. Faced with declining popular support for the mainstream conservative and liberal political parties, and a rising threat from the far right, those mainstream political parties came together to support a moderate centrist alternative. It could not happen here.

Early last year, as he considered launching his independent bid for the presidency, Emmanuel Macron, the former investment banker and government finance minister who is now the president-elect of France, looked at a political landscape that was not so different from ours. The demographics of discontent―stemming from globalization and immigration―and resentments of urban elites in France, mirror those that culminated in the rise of Donald Trump. French politics―like ours―had historically been dominated by traditional center-left and center-right political parties that had lost their luster, while―as across Europe―an energized nationalist populism was growing on the right. 

Against that backdrop, Macron ran a stridently centrist campaign: pro-trade, pro-Euro and pro-European Union. In the first round of voting, he won 24 percent of the vote against a field that included candidates from the major parties and Marine Le Pen, of the right-wing National Front. He then defeated Le Pen 66 percent to 34 percent in the second round run-off. 

The closest parallel in our politics might be Michael Bloomberg. An economic conservative and social liberal, Bloomberg took a long look at the growing dysfunction of our politics―and the yawning chasm of dissatisfied voters stranded between a Democratic Party that has headed to the left and a Republican Party that has long veered to the right―and in 2016 he considered an independent bid for the presidency. 

But we are not France; ours is winner take all system―for the most part―on a state by state basis. We do not have a provision for run-off elections among the top two finishers that might allow an independent challenger to build an alignment of moderates from both parties, as took place in France. As Marco Rubio observed when he explained why he was endorsing Donald Trump―a man whom Rubio had railed against as a fraud and a con man―our system forces a binary choice on Election Day, when the animosities engendered by the political parties come into vivid relief and ultimately rule the day. Against that backdrop, Bloomberg decided not to run. In his Farewell Address, George Washington reflected on the destructive consequences of party politics. “The alternate domination of one faction over another, sharpened by the spirit of revenge... is itself a frightful despotism... It serves always to distract the public councils and enfeeble the public administration. It agitates the community with ill-founded jealousies and false alarms, kindles the animosity of one part against another.”

But for the idiom of the day, Washington’s words could have been written this week. The frantic drive to repeal Obamacare, on display over the past month, has been nothing if not sharpened by the spirit of revenge, distracted public councils, ill-founded jealousies and false alarms. House Republicans finally came together to pass legislation that had no grounding in either sound policy or politics―it was driven simply by a misguided sense of party loyalty.

Republicans have been promising to repeal and replace Obamacare for seven years. What has been unclear from the outset is how much of the repeal and replace urgency was driven by hatred of the law itself, and the changes to health insurance markets that it engendered, or simply hatred of Barack Obama himself. Public polling over the years has shown greater public support for the Affordable Care Act than for Obamacare―two different names for the legislation―suggesting that opposition to the Affordable Care Act among the Republican base might not be as strident as many in the GOP came to believe it was. 

The oddity of the Trump presidency has been the willingness of Republicans to follow him in lock-step, even if the loyalty only goes one way. House Republicans acceded to Trump’s demand that they take a second shot at passing repeal and replace legislation, even as many saw rising anger among their constituents as it became apparent that the proposed legislation might undermine their access to health insurance. For Trump, it was not about the details of the legislation, but rather about having a televised Rose Garden event where he could tout his victory. And if the price of a Rose Garden ceremony is greater suffering among his supporters in eastern Kentucky or the upper peninsula of Michigan―or even the loss of GOP control of the House―that is a price he is willing to pay.

The firing of Jim Comey is going to escalate the demands of party loyalty to new heights. As with the healthcare vote, the President will demand party loyalty on an issue that benefits him alone, and could easily damage the political futures of those who accede to his demands. Few in the GOP can truly have believed Trump’s initial explanation that he fired Comey because of Comey’s conduct of the Hillary Clinton email investigation, and evidence is increasingly pointing to the original sin of the Trump campaign: Russia. Republicans in Congress may not know what happened with respect to Trump campaign collaboration with Russia in its efforts to influence our presidential election, but they do know that Donald Trump wants those investigations to stop, and he needs their help to make that happen.The ball now rests firmly with Republicans in Congress. Marco Rubio never relented on his conclusion that Donald Trump is a con man and a fraud, he simply embraced Trump as his party's con man and fraud. With the firing of James Comey, however, Rubio and his brethren will have a tougher assessment to make. As George Washington warned, party politics can lead people down a precarious path, where loyalty to party overwhelms loyalty to country, "and sooner or later the chief of some prevailing faction, more able or more fortunate than his competitors, turns this disposition to the purposes of his own elevation, on the ruins of public liberty." Two hundred thirty years later, Washington's words ring true.

In France, with its different election structure, two largest political parties set aside their differences and turned their energy toward the election of a centrist, rather than risk the rise of a right-wing populist demagogue. Donald Trump has made no secret of his disdain for our nation's political institutions and the constitutional separation of powers, and he has shown little tolerance for those who take an independent stance against his own interests--legal, political, financial or otherwise. At some point, Republicans in Congress will come to realize that their blind loyalty is a fools errand; Donald Trump has no interest in them, in their goals, in their reelections, or in their party. He has taken their measure, and he has decided that they do not have the courage to defy him. They are but means to his ends. As long as that remains true, both they and the nation, as George Washington foresaw, may pay a terrible price.

Follow David Paul on Twitter @dpaul.

Artwork by Jay Duret. Check out his political cartooning at www.jayduret.com. Follow him on Twitter @jayduret or Instagram at @joefaces.

-- This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website. Reported by Huffington Post 3 days ago.

AIS Health Plan Data Show Shift to Individual, Public-Sector Coverage

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Researchers for the forthcoming AIS’s Directory of Health Plans: 2017 have found significant enrollment gains in commercial risk-based individual (non-group) and Medicaid HMO plans.

(PRWEB) May 11, 2017

The health insurance industry in 2017 saw gains in two sectors most threatened by potential changes to the Affordable Care Act: Commercial risk-based individual (non-group) enrollment grew 11% in 2017, while Medicaid HMO enrollment grew almost 7%, according to AIS’s Directory of Health Plans: 2017.

Preliminary data from the upcoming Directory indicate that the public sector continues to flourish overall. Medicare Advantage plans gained almost a million more members from this time last year, and enrollment in dual-eligible plans grew by a whopping 16% from 2016, gaining 376,000 new members.

By comparison, the number of people covered under group policies all decreased slightly, with small-group plans seeing the largest reduction (5.5%). Large group plans shrunk by a mere 1%, while ASO/self-funded group membership remained flat.

The individual-market increase of more than 1.8 million people occurred despite several large insurers’ drastically reducing their public exchange presence in 2017, which resulted in a slight drop (1%) in reported public exchange enrollment. That figure stood at 9,589,438 in 2017, compared with 9,691,529 in 2016. This figure includes some SHOP exchange enrollment.

AIS’s Directory of Health Plans is the most comprehensive resource available on the U.S. health plan market, with enrollment data and contact information for all health plans operating in the United States. By maintaining impeccable research standards and strict methodology through 14 annual editions, the Directory offers extremely accurate and sensitive insight into developing trends.

Available in various formats, AIS’s Directory of Health Plans: 2017 will ship in June for book and USB purchasers. Subscribers to the online version can get immediate access to the data via an interactive website. For more information, and to order AIS’s Directory of Health Plans: 2017, visit https://aishealth.com/marketplace/gdhp14-preorder. For more information on the online version, visit https://aishealthdata.com/dhp.

About AIS Health
AIS Health is a publishing and information company that has served the health care industry for more than 30 years. AIS Health’s mission is to provide objective and relevant business and strategic information for health care executives, by developing highly targeted news, data and analysis for managers at health insurance companies, pharmaceutical organizations, providers, purchasers and other health care industry stakeholders. AIS Health, which maintains journalistic independence from its parent company, MMIT, is committed to integrity in reporting and bringing transparency to health industry data. Learn more at http://AISHealth.com and http://AISHealthData.com. Reported by PRWeb 3 days ago.

Aetna Abandons Obamacare Totally: See You In September?

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Aetna Abandons Obamacare Totally: See You In September? Authored by Mike Shedlock via MishTalk.com,

Bye bye, so long farewell, Aetna fully exits Obamacare exchanges with pull-out in two states



Health insurer Aetna Inc said on Wednesday it will exit the 2018 Obamacare individual insurance market in Delaware and Nebraska – the two remaining states where it offered the plans.

 

Aetna had already said it would exit the individual commercial market in Virginia and Iowa, after pulling out of several other states last year.

 

Aetna has now “completely exited the exchanges,” the company said in an emailed statement.

 

Insurers Humana Inc and UnitedHealth Group Inc have also pulled out of most of the government-subsidized individual health insurance market.

 

Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives last week voted to undo the Affordable Care Act, often called Obamacare, the signature domestic achievement of former President Barack Obama.

 

But even if the Republicans’ bill – known as the American Health Care Act – is passed by the Senate it would not solve a critical outstanding issue for insurers looking at 2018: Will the government continue to fund the cost-sharing subsidies that help individuals pay for care?

 

Health insurers have said they cannot plan amid the uncertainty. In addition, the balance of sick and healthy customers has been worse than expected, and premium rates on the individual insurance market went up 25 percent this year.



*Republican Madness*

I fail to understand House speaker Paul Ryan and president Trump *attempting to fix Obamacare before it blows up. *

The proper strategy would have been to* wait for Obamacare to implode on its own merits.*

*A complete implosion cannot take more than another year or so, *and at that time* Democrats would have been begging the Trump administration to “do something”.*

*See You In September?*

I am quite certain we will not see Aetna in September but by September we may have Senate revisions to the House Obamacare replacement.

*Trumpcare*

On a more serious note, on May 4 I wrote Republican Sponsored “Trumpcare” Passes House: Hooray?



Let’s assume that months from now (and that’s about how long it will take) some sort of compromise bill passes the Senate. Let’s also assume the House votes to go along.

 

Then there will be winners and losers, but far more losers than winners. The losers will be upset. Even those unaffected may be upset if they blame the bill for increasing their costs.

 

For What?

 

This folly could cost the Republicans their majority in the 2018 midterm election.

 

For what? The bill nibbles around the edges and provides no incentives to lower costs.

 

This is a disaster on-deck with virtually no chance of an upside. Republicans now own healthcare (Trumpcare) whether a compromise bill passes or not.

 

Hooray?

Reported by Zero Hedge 3 days ago.

A Bipartisan Effort To Reduce Health Care Costs

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The American Health Care Act enacted narrowly by the House last week should not be seen as a serious effort to deal with health care but rather as a fig leaf for another effort to cut taxes for the wealthy. The legislation would eliminate about $1 trillion in taxes used to pay for Obamacare.

The House legislation amounts to a bad joke. There are conservatives among the Republicans determined to whittle Obamacare down to nothing and moderates equally determined to continue providing health insurance to almost everyone. There are no magic words to bridge this gap and the legislation reflects that reality. Thus we have what amounts to a legislative mess that the Senate must reject in order to write a new bill.

The core defect of the House legislation, as with Obamacare itself, is abject failure to deal with the issue of soaring medical costs. Until we get a handle on rising medical costs, all legislative efforts to impose order on the system will amount to tilting at windmills. At the end of the day, someone must pay the tab. Lower income people simply cannot keep pace with soaring insurance premiums. If the government does not cover the cost, poor individuals must do without health care until they have an emergency and can fall back on hospital emergency rooms – where medical costs are the most expensive of all.

One might gather from all this that the rising cost of health care and the needs of the uninsured are simply insoluble problems except that all of the other western industrial democracies have solved it. All around us we see working examples of how to resolve this problem in Great Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Australia, Norway, Sweden and others. Generally, they offer universal health insurance at much less cost per person than we pay and achieve much better results in terms of overall health.

The challenge of reducing health care costs is not impossible but as President Trump observed, it is complicated. The two most promising strategies are a comprehensive demand-side strategy that gives consumers incentives and information to make them better purchasers of health care; and an aggressive supply-side strategy that changes the way providers are paid so their profit margins are tightly linked to outcomes and efficiency rather than the volume of services provided. We can and should pursue both in order to provide quality health care at a reasonable cost while covering pre-existing conditions.

It has been estimated by experts that our health care system squanders up to $1 trillion each year: clinical waste that could be reduced by higher quality care that avoids medical errors, administrative complexity that we all encounter whenever we visit a doctor or hospital, excessive costs caused by inefficient suppliers, endless delays for drug approval at the FDA, and of course fraud and abuse that is all too common.

Bipartisan political leadership in the Senate is needed to encourage the application of technology to provide efficient high quality health care while controlling cost.

Jerry Jasinowski, an economist and author, served as President of the National Association of Manufacturers for 14 years and later The Manufacturing Institute. Jerry is available for speaking enagements. May 2017type=type=RelatedArticlesblockTitle=Related... + articlesList=59121e6be4b0e070cad7098a,5910d491e4b056aa2363d813,590cc2a3e4b056aa2363d48d

-- This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website. Reported by Huffington Post 3 days ago.

Democrat Running For Virginia Governor Once Called Health Care ‘A Privilege'

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Virginia Lt. Gov. Ralph Northam (D), who is seeking the Democratic gubernatorial nomination, called health care “a privilege” during a debate six years ago, his opponent’s campaign revealed on Tuesday.

Video of Northam in the 2011 debate, when he was running for re-election to the state Senate, shows him responding to a question asking whether he considers health care a “right,” or something best left to the “market or charity.”

“I believe it’s a privilege,” Northam said in the video, circulated by former Rep. Tom Perriello (D-Va.), his rival in the gubernatorial primary. “And let me clarify that: If people can get up in the morning and go to work like I can, then it needs to be a privilege. They need to work for their health insurance, for their benefits. If they’re disabled, I will take the shirt off my back to help them.”

Northam, a pediatric neurologist and Army veteran, now views “affordable health care” as a “right,” according to David Turner, a spokesman for his campaign.

“Ralph Northam spent his life seeing patients as an Army doctor and a pediatrician, and he knows firsthand how important for people to be able to get the health care they need, when they need it,” Turner said in a statement. “He firmly believes that every American and Virginian has a right to affordable health care, and he believes it is the responsibility of government to make sure they do.”

Turner also pointed to Northam’s advocacy for the expansion of Medicaid in Virginia, and co-sponsorship of legislation, as a state senator, that would have created a state-run Obamacare exchange in the state. In 2010, Northam was one of 17 state senators to vote against a bill getting rid of the individual mandate in Virginia.

The revelation about Northam’s 2011 comments nonetheless lands a blow for Perriello, who has cast himself as the more progressive of the two candidates and emphasizes his support for health care reform in the wake of the House of Representatives’ passage of a controversial Obamacare replacement bill.

In an advertisement released moments after the House passed the Trumpcare bill, Perriello stands in front of an ambulance being crushed in a compactor symbolizing GOP attempts to overturn health reform. Speaking over the loud noise of the compactor, he touts his vote for Obamacare as a congressman and promises to prevent a figurative ambulance-crushing scenario in Virginia.Perriello’s record on Obamacare, however, is not without its own significant blemish. In Congress, he voted for an amendment that would have prohibited insurance plans that covered abortion from receiving federal funding. The amendment temporarily obstructed the landmark bill’s passage, but was scrapped for an alternative compromise.

Perriello has expressed “regret” for the vote, claiming he was honoring a promise to his constituents in his conservative southwest Virginia district. After failing to win re-election, largely thanks to his vote for Obamacare, Perriello went on to head the staunchly pro-choice Center for American Progress action fund.

Perriello now supports repeal of the Hyde Amendment barring federal funds for abortion. As a gubernatorial candidate, he proposes insulating Virginia from a possible repeal of Roe v. Wade by amending Virginia’s constitution to make abortion an inviolable state-level right.

For his part, Northam has a more pristine pro-choice legislative record, earning him the endorsement of NARAL Pro-Choice America.

But he has admitted to twice voting for former President George W. Bush, who appointed two justices to the Supreme Court who oppose Roe v. Wade. Northam claimed he was not paying close attention to politics at the time.

In a tight primary, where progressive bona fides have become a major source of contention, the dueling campaigns have offered a dizzying array of examples and counter-examples. On Tuesday, Northam’s team blasted out its own evidence of Perriello’s liberal heresies. It included the then-congressman’s 2010 boast that he voted with congressional Republicans 60 percent of the time, and 2009 comments in which Perriello played down his roots as a Democrat.

Perriello spokesman Ian Sams hit back on Twitter with examples of Perriello’s pre-2009 involvement in Democratic politics.


Here is @tomperriello, at 22, working for John Kerry's Senate race in '96.

8 years later Northam opposed Kerry for POTUS to vote for Bush. pic.twitter.com/KO6UOAfr0T

— Ian Sams (@IanSams) May 10, 2017


Northam, 57, enjoys the support of virtually the entire Virginia Democratic establishment, including Gov. Terry McAuliffe and Sens. Mark Warner and Tim Kaine. He was a shoo-in for the Democratic nomination until Perriello, galvanized by President Donald Trump’s election, jumped into the race in January.

Perriello, 42, who earned renown for embracing then-President Barack Obama’s agenda despite the political consequences during his brief stint in Congress, has brought the race to a virtual tie with his attempts to capitalize on anti-Trump energy among grassroots liberals.

Northam has tacked to the left in response to the challenge, but Perriello is running on a more progressive platform. Perriello categorically opposes construction of two planned natural gas pipelines in Virginia, and refuses to take campaign contributions from Dominion Energy, the state’s largest power utility. Northam supports strict regulation, but has declined to come out against the pipeline projects.

Those stances and others have won Perriello the endorsements of Sens. Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) and Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.), as well as Our Revolution, the nonprofit successor to Sanders’ presidential campaign.

The gubernatorial primary will take place on June 13, and the general election is on Nov. 7. The Republican front-runner is Ed Gillespie, former chairman of the Republican National Committee.

-- This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website. Reported by Huffington Post 2 days ago.

Introducing the Women’s Insurance Network Newsletter and Website

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Finally, a newsletter and website dedicated exclusively to helping women succeed in the life and health insurance market.

Denver, CO (PRWEB) May 12, 2017

Insurance Forums is excited to announce the creation of the Women’s Insurance Network (WIN) newsletter and website, which officially launched this week with a premiere newsletter edition.

The insurance industry has long been overdue for an online resource dedicated to helping women succeed in the industry. Insurance Forums has recognized this need, and with the creation of WIN has taken a proactive approach to offering a solution.

“Our mission through Insurance Forums, and now, WIN, has always been to provide a platform for networking and sharing of tools for success within the insurance and financial advising space,” said Pam Sheehan, senior vice president at Insurance Forums and WIN. “We are excited to offer a connection between female producers and the resources, as well as the businesses devoted to supporting women in this market.”

The Women’s Insurance Network will emphasize the sharing of peer-to-peer content and best-practices case studies from women actively working in the market. Newsletter content is being directed by veteran industry journalist Emily Holbrook, the former Editor in Chief of National Underwriter Life & Health, Retirement Advisor and LifeHealthPro.

“I am lucky enough to have been given the opportunity to spearhead this initiative, along with the Insurance Forums staff,” Holbrook said. “During my decade spent writing about the insurance sector, there was no cause I was more passionate about than helping women succeed in the industry. And now I get to continue on that important path.”

Attracting women to the insurance distribution business remains a huge challenge. But a number of entities, including carriers, marketing organizations and independent agencies, are making concerted efforts to attract, train and retain producers who bear a strong resemblance to a growing segment of clients – women.

“The industry has long known that women are significantly underrepresented and continues to struggle to make selling insurance a more approachable career for women,” said Sam Melamed, president of Insurance Forums and WIN. “As women have grown to control more of the household income and wealth in the U.S., the growth of female insurance practitioners has not kept pace. There is tremendous opportunity for women to succeed in the insurance industry and we hope to do our part to make it a more approachable career and to create resources to foster more success.”

The WIN newsletter launched today with support from Cincinnati-based Ohio National Financial Services.

“Ohio National is proud of this exciting opportunity to be the charter sponsor of the Women’s Insurance Network newsletter," said James Cowan, director of Next Markets. "This inaugural newsletter will enable us to reach thousands of female financial professionals with the excellence that Ohio National represents."

The new Women’s Insurance Network website and dedicated newsletter is exclusively dedicated to providing women in the industry – whether a green newcomer or a seasoned veteran – with topic-specific features, tips and information, enlightening profiles of successful producers, conversation-starting poll questions and more. Check out the website at http://www.womensinsurancenet.com.

About Women’s Insurance Network: Women’s Insurance Network (WIN) is a collection of online resources dedicated to helping women succeed in the insurance industry with exclusive, focused content. WIN is managed by Insurance Forums, a long-established “central water cooler” for insurance agents that prides itself on keeping a finger on the pulse of everything relevant to insurance agents. For more information visit http://www.WomensInsuranceNet.com.

About Insurance Forums: Insurance Forums is the world’s largest insurance community. Grown organically by and for producers, Insurance Forums is recognized as the central water cooler of the insurance sales world. Our 80,000+ members congregate to learn what is working from their peers and share hard-won insider information on how to succeed in every niche, and do so principally because the spirit of openness and collaboration courses through the site’s 100,000+ pages of insurance content. For more information visit http://www.Insurance-Forums.com.

Contact:
Pam Sheehan
Senior Vice President
Phone: 720-227-9348
eMail: Pam(at)Insurance-Forums.com Reported by PRWeb 2 days ago.

Aetna to be totally out of Obamacare marketplace program in 2018

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Managed care giant Aetna Inc. has decided to pull out of the last two states where it is still offering coverage under the health insurance marketplaces set up under the Affordable Care Act. Connecticut-based Aetna (NYSE: AET) will exit the so-called Obamacare program in Delaware and Nebraska in 2018, citing projected losses of $200 million from the individual health plans offered through the exchanges this year. The future of the marketplace program, set up to allow uninsured individuals to comparison… Reported by bizjournals 2 days ago.

Obamacare Sees Another Huge Blowback as Aetna Withdrawals from Exchanges

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A major insurance company has decided to entirely withdraw from all of Obamacare‘s health insurance exchanges in 2018.

-- Reported by CNSNews.com 2 days ago.

Unfair labor practices charged at Volkswagen’s US plant

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NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — The National Labor Relations Board has filed another unfair labor practices complaint against Volkswagen for hiking health insurance premiums and changing working hours of employees who voted for union representation at the German automaker’s only U.S. plant. Volkswagen is mounting a legal challenge to NLRB rulings in favor of the small […] Reported by Seattle Times 2 days ago.

Anthem’s latest court loss means Cigna deal is all but dead  

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Anthem Inc. is pretty much out of chances to hang on to Cigna Corp. A Delaware judge's ruling late Thursday that Cigna can walk away from the $48 billion health insurance merger leaves few options for Anthem. While Anthem can still appeal the latest ruling, it's far more likely that the companies will be left fighting over who's to blame. Reported by Denver Post 2 days ago.

Saving Amazing Young Grace And Her Medicaid

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“At a 20-week ultrasound, we learned that our baby would be born with spina bifida and face a lifetime of enormous health challenges.” At the time, Chris Glaros was a public servant in the Ohio Treasurer’s office. In his recent Facebook post he continued:

“After hearing this news, the first thing I could think to do when we got home was read my Bible. I randomly opened up the scriptures to see what would speak to me. And it was John 14:27: ‘Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.’ God’s amazing comfort in that moment was made all the more real through [the] blessing of good health insurance for our family – indeed, the generous health care provided by the taxpayers of Ohio, given my job at that time. I knew that this baby would bankrupt our family if we weren’t so fortunate.”

Glaros wrote that he and his wife chose to have this precious child they named Grace and “trusted our society ― our government, Republicans and Democrats both ― to ensure a safety net for her life after our choice was made. Grace would not be alive today without this safety net; without protections against a lifetime limit on her insurance coverage; without protections from denying coverage because of her countless preexisting conditions; without Medicaid.” Millions of children and adults rely on the Medicaid safety net just as the Glaros family has. His post shortly after the House of Representatives passed the un-American Health Care Act (AHCA) spoke for so many when he added: “I am heartbroken that Donald Trump and House Republicans could so callously and cruelly deny millions of Americans the health care they require to live the lives God intended.”

The House’s un-American and unjust act to repeal the Affordable Care Act (ACA) would strip away affordable health insurance for tens of millions of the newly insured including those with pre-existing conditions. Today, thanks in large part to Medicaid, the Children’s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) and the ACA, 95 percent of all children in America have health coverage. The House bill directly threatens all that hard earned progress.

Do the Republican-led Congress and White House really want to be the first Congress and administration in history to take health coverage away from the most vulnerable amongst us, disabled, young and old? How can they defend destroying the Medicaid health safety net 37 million poor and disabled children need to live, learn, and thrive and permit insurance companies to discriminate against children and adults with pre-existing conditions? There are 11 million parents and other adults getting Medicaid and needed treatments for the first time under the ACA. Medicaid covers more than 60 percent of all nursing home residents and 40 percent of costs for long-term care services and supports. This cruel and unwise assault on our children, parents and grandparents is made more shameful by the fact that the House-passed bill cuts Medicaid largely to give more tax breaks to the wealthiest. This is sinful, shameful and unjust.

The health of our nation (and our soul) is now in the Senate’s hands. Some Senators may be tempted to try to fix some elements of the House bill, like the assault on people with pre-existing conditions and the enormous cost increases for older Americans. But make no mistake: this cruel, unjust and un-American Health Care Act is irreparably flawed. It deserves a swift and decisive death in the Senate if we are to keep a semblance of America’s sense of fairness alive. Any bill that ends Medicaid as we know it and the Medicaid expansion (regardless of when it would end), and increases the number of uninsured children and adults needs to die quickly.

Medicaid is lean and efficient, serving millions of low-income children, pregnant women, children and adults with disabilities, and seniors. Nearly half of Medicaid enrollees are children. Medicaid covers almost half of all births in the United States. More than half of Black and Hispanic children are enrolled in Medicaid or CHIP, which like Medicaid is also an essential part of the health insurance system for children.

Medicaid is a lifeline for children with disabilities and their families, serving 40 percent of all children with special health care needs like Grace. For families struggling to provide the time and financial resources needed to care for children with disabilities, Medicaid is often the only viable source of health care financing, which can be very expensive. Medicaid also can supplement private coverage to allow children access to specialized medical equipment including hearing aids and wheelchairs.

Medicaid’s Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnostic, and Treatment (EPSDT) benefit guarantees the full range of comprehensive primary and preventive coverage children need and ensures them access to all medically necessary health and mental health services. Medicaid guarantees health coverage to all eligible applicants without waiting lists or enrollment caps. States are reimbursed at least dollar for dollar for expenses to deliver needed services. Without Medicaid’s strong protections, coverage guarantee, and comprehensive, age-appropriate health and mental health coverage, millions of children would be uninsured or underinsured, jeopardizing their lives, academic performance and futures and increasing short and long term costs for states and local communities.

But the immoral, unjust and un-American Health Care Act cuts more than 800 billion Medicaid dollars, imposes a per capita cap on the whole Medicaid program, and gives states the option to shift low income children and adults — but not seniors and people with disabilities — to a new Medicaid block grant. Both would threaten coverage, pediatric benefits, and affordability for millions of children. Both the per capita cap and the block grant would dramatically alter Medicaid’s current structure and core protections for all enrollees. Under the guise of “reform,” per capita caps and block grants designed to save the federal government money do so at the expense of vulnerable populations by shifting costs to states, beneficiaries and health care providers.

Imposing a per capita cap on Medicaid or converting it to a block grant for some will end Medicaid as we know it. States would have to substantially increase their own spending, make deep cuts, or both. Any “savings” would likely come from reducing eligibility, limiting benefits, increasing cost sharing, creating administrative barriers to make enrollment harder for eligible children, or cutting already below-market provider payment rates. These cuts would increase the number of uninsured and underinsured children and adults.

Our nation’s leaders must keep Medicaid strong and reject any structural changes and cuts that undermine its critical protections, hard-earned coverage and resulting lifesaving health gains for children made over the past 50 years. Millions like Grace’s parents are making their disgust and fear about the House health bill loud and clear and so must we all. The Senate must protect Grace and millions of children and people of all ages who depend on Medicaid. Chris Glaros said he loved to sing “Amazing Grace” to his daughter Grace at bedtime; “Tonight, I prayed for our elected officials while singing:

     Amazing grace! How sweet the sound

     That saved a wretch like me!

     I once was lost, but now am found;

     Was blind, but now can see.”

Let’s all hope and pray that Grace and millions of children will not suffer a cruel and life threatening injustice at the hands of uncaring leaders blind to their needs.

-- This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website. Reported by Huffington Post 1 day ago.

Congressman Doesn't Think He Should Pay For Maternity Care Because He's Done Having Kids

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One of the most controversial parts of the House GOP bill repealing Obamacare is its provision allowing states to waive the requirement that insurers cover “essential health benefits.” Insurance plans on the Affordable Care Act marketplace must cover basic services like prescription drugs, mental health and maternity care. 

But under the American Health Care Act, which the House passed on May 4 with zero Democratic votes, states would be allowed to opt out of this requirement. Health insurance companies, in turn, would be freed up to sell policies that cover very little.

Before Obamacare, women often had to pay more than men for the same coverage. Only 12 percent of individual market plans covered maternity care. And it was completely legal for insurance companies to refuse coverage to women who were pregnant or might become pregnant in the future.

Going back to this time, when it was harder to obtain coverage for services like maternity care, has been one of the biggest criticisms of the AHCA. But some men don’t see why they should have to pay for a benefit they don’t think they’ll use. 

On May 5, a debate played out between Rep. Scott Perry (R-Pa.) and members of the local Indivisible group who met with the congressman. 

Watch the exchange in the video above. 

“I don’t want maternity care. I have two children, and we’re not having anymore. I don’t want to pay for maternity care,” said Perry, who voted for the AHCA. 

An Indivisible activist pointed out that people who don’t have children or whose children are older still have to pay property taxes, which fund schools, adding that there’s a “social contract” in American society for public goods. 

“Without a doubt,” Perry replied. “But there’s also personal responsibility. Some people never want to start a family. ... Some people don’t want to own a Cadillac. But should we want to make everybody pay for a Cadillac?”

Owning a Cadillac is very different than receiving basic maternity care. First of all, not everyone benefits when someone gets a Cadillac. But everyone comes from a woman, therefore everyone benefits from strong maternity care at some point ― even older men who don’t have children. 

Perry isn’t the only GOP lawmaker who has questioned whether maternity care should be mandatory. 

“A 54-year-old doesn’t need certain things. They don’t need maternity care,” White House spokesman Sean Spicer said in May. “They don’t need certain medical services that are being provided to them by this government product that is being forced on them right now.”

The way insurance works is that everyone pays into a system so that those who need the money get it in their time of need. You may never have cancer, but your insurance payments are helping to fund others who will. Women don’t have prostates, but their insurance premiums go to men’s prostate cancer screenings and treatments. 

This issue was also a point of debate when Congress first discussed passing Obamacare. Many Republican men then were also baffled as to why women shouldn’t have sole responsibility for paying for plans that cover maternity care. One of the most memorable moments from the congressional debate was during a hearing in 2009 when Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.) reminded a male GOP senator why services such as maternal care benefit everyone.
“I don’t need maternity care, and so requiring that to be in my insurance policy is something that I don’t need and will make the policy more expensive,” then-Sen. Jon Kyl (R-Ariz.) argued during a hearing in September 2009.“I think your mom probably did,” Stabenow shot back. 
*Want more updates from Amanda Terkel? Sign up for her newsletter, Piping Hot Truth, **here**.*

-- This feed and its contents are the property of The Huffington Post, and use is subject to our terms. It may be used for personal consumption, but may not be distributed on a website. Reported by Huffington Post 1 day ago.

NLRB files complaint against VW over practices at Tennessee plant

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DETROIT (Reuters) - The U.S. National Labor Relations Board has filed an unfair labor practices complaint against Volkswagen AG for hiking health insurance premiums and changing working hours of a group of skilled workers who voted for union representation in 2015. Reported by Reuters 1 day ago.
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