With concerns rising over the future of financial aid for low-income Americans who rely on Obamacare, senior congressional Democrats have asked the Trump administration for information on talks in which health insurance officials say a senior administration official linked the aid to the industry’s...
Reported by L.A. Times 10 hours ago.
Congressional Democrats demand answers on Trump threats to sabotage Obamacare insurance markets
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Delay in court case deepens health insurance uncertainty
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Trump administration and House Republicans are asking a federal appeals court for a 90-day extension in a case that’s casting a shadow of uncertainty over health insurance for millions of consumers. The case involves federal payments that insurers use to lower deductibles and copayments for people with modest incomes purchasing individual […]
Reported by Seattle Times 6 hours ago.
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Trump Decides Not To Blow Up Obamacare — Yet
President Donald Trump and House Republicans have decided not to blow up the Obamacare health insurance markets just yet.
In a filing to a federal appeals court Monday, the Justice Department and lawyers representing House Republicans have requested another 90-day delay in the proceedings from a case challenging the legality of payments made to health insurers serving low-income customers.
“The parties continue to discuss measures that would obviate the need for judicial determination of this appeal, including potential legislative action,” attorneys for both parties wrote to the appeals court.
If the court accepts the request, this would further postpone the reckoning from a 2014 lawsuit House Republicans brought against President Barack Obama’s administration.
The lawmakers claim Obama illegally made payments to health insurance companies without a congressional appropriation. Last year, a federal judge ruled in favor of House Republicans, prompting an appeal from the Obama administration, and courts have allowed the money to continue flowing until the appeal is resolved.
The Trump administration has continued to make the payments so far, but Trump himself favors cutting off the funding against the advice of some senior aides, Politico reported Friday. Opting against dropping the appeal of the lawsuit doesn’t take that option off the table, because Trump could simply order the Treasury Department to stop reimbursing insurers at any time. Congress could eliminate the problem by authorizing the spending, but has refused to do so.
Cutting off these payments to insurers could be catastrophic for the market for people who buy their health insurance directly from insurers or via exchange marketplaces like HealthCare.gov and Covered California, as opposed to getting coverage from an employer or a government program like Medicare or Medicaid.
-- 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 5 hours ago.
In a filing to a federal appeals court Monday, the Justice Department and lawyers representing House Republicans have requested another 90-day delay in the proceedings from a case challenging the legality of payments made to health insurers serving low-income customers.
“The parties continue to discuss measures that would obviate the need for judicial determination of this appeal, including potential legislative action,” attorneys for both parties wrote to the appeals court.
If the court accepts the request, this would further postpone the reckoning from a 2014 lawsuit House Republicans brought against President Barack Obama’s administration.
The lawmakers claim Obama illegally made payments to health insurance companies without a congressional appropriation. Last year, a federal judge ruled in favor of House Republicans, prompting an appeal from the Obama administration, and courts have allowed the money to continue flowing until the appeal is resolved.
The Trump administration has continued to make the payments so far, but Trump himself favors cutting off the funding against the advice of some senior aides, Politico reported Friday. Opting against dropping the appeal of the lawsuit doesn’t take that option off the table, because Trump could simply order the Treasury Department to stop reimbursing insurers at any time. Congress could eliminate the problem by authorizing the spending, but has refused to do so.
Cutting off these payments to insurers could be catastrophic for the market for people who buy their health insurance directly from insurers or via exchange marketplaces like HealthCare.gov and Covered California, as opposed to getting coverage from an employer or a government program like Medicare or Medicaid.
-- 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 5 hours ago.
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Canadians know their healthcare isn't perfect, but they would never trade their system for America's
To the editor: Thanks to David Lazarus for framing the healthcare issue the way he did. (“Miss USA spoke for many Americans when she said healthcare isn't a right,” May 19)
In my view, the major failure of President Obama and the Democrats in 2009 was that they did not frame or discuss health insurance... Reported by L.A. Times 7 hours ago.
In my view, the major failure of President Obama and the Democrats in 2009 was that they did not frame or discuss health insurance... Reported by L.A. Times 7 hours ago.
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Trump Saves Obamacare Again... For Now
The Trump administration and the House have *officially asked for another 90 days to work out a lawsuit over subsidies that help poorer people afford to use their Obamacare insurance plans*, further delaying a long-running legal fight that’s already destabilizing the health law.As Axio snotes, the key point is - *"The parties continue to discuss measures that would obviate the need for judicial determination of this appeal, including potential legislative action."*
*Full motion below...*
Bloomberg continues...
*Without the payments, insurers have threatened to drop out of Obamacare or substantially raise premiums, and customers could face thousands of dollars in unexpected costs.* The Trump administration could still choose to drop the appeal, though other parties are attempting to take up defense of the payments.
State officials, the health industry and Democrats in Congress have pushed for the payments to continue, saying that ending them would upend the insurance market and cost millions of people their health insurance.
*“We need swift action and long-term certainty on this critical program,”* Cathryn Donaldson, a spokeswoman for America’s Health Insurance Plans, said in an email.
*“It is the single most destabilizing factor in the individual market, and millions of Americans could soon feel the impact of fewer choices, higher costs, and reduced access to care.”*
The group is one of the main lobbying associations for health insurers.
However, as Bloomberg reports, *while the latest delay is a reprieve for Obamacare, it does little to resolve the underlying uncertainty created by the case and by Republican efforts in Congress to repeal and replace large parts of the law.* Health insurers are in the midst of deciding whether to participate in the Affordable Care Act next year, and what to charge customers. Some have already said they’ll raise premiums in 2018 because of uncertainty around the subsidies.
*Trump previously threatened to use the CSR payments as a bargaining chip to bring Democrats to the table on health care* if Republicans can’t muster enough repeal votes in the Senate. He also tried to use them as leverage to gain funding for a border wall with Mexico, saying he’d give Democrats a dollar in CSR money for every dollar for the wall.
Of course, the Democrats had plenty to say...
*Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said the decision to continue the funding showed the administration knows that continuing the payments is the right thing to do.* He criticized the uncertainty from Trump on their future.
"Unfortunately, by kicking the can down the road once again, the administration is continuing to sow uncertainty in the markets that will hurt millions of Americans," Schumer said in a statement. "Instead of hemming and hawing, they ought to step up to the plate and say once and for all that they will make these payments permanently, which help millions of Americans pay less for their health care."
*House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi, of California, criticized the action to delay the lawsuit further rather than resolve it once and for all.*
“Republicans cynically continue to sow uncertainty in the health coverage of millions of Americans,” Pelosi said in a statement. “At a critical period when insurers are deciding premiums for next year, Republicans are pouring uncertainty into the health insurance marketplaces.”
While the delay will move the next update for the case to mid-August,* the deadline for insurers to submit their 2018 plans for Obamacare' exchanges in most states is June 21.* Reported by Zero Hedge 5 hours ago.
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Trump's budget sets up an 'epic battle' over government spending
There's another fight brewing in Washington, which analysts predict could be of "epic proportions."President Donald Trump's team is expected to roll out its fiscal year 2018 budget proposal this week, starting the process of laying out the government's funding future.
Analysts say it is unlikely Trump's budget proposal will resemble what makes its way into law, based on what's reported to be included. It does, however, set up a larger philosophical battle that will reveal the ideological dynamics in Washington.
*In the deal*
The deal is expected to include proposals for major cuts in domestic sending programs across the board, especially deep slashes in the Environmental Protect Agency and State Department.
According to a report from Axios' Jonathan Swan, the budget proposal will also include deep cuts to spending on Medicaid — the program that provides health coverage for low-income Americans — and other entitlements that will total $1.7 trillion over the next 10 years. Other proposed entitlement cuts, according to Axios, will come from food stamps, the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP), and disability insurance.
The Washington Post's Emma Brown, Valerie Strauss, and Danielle Douglas-Gabriel reported that the budget would also cut $10.6 billion from federal education initiatives, including college work-study programs and public-service loan forgiveness — while at the same time increasing investments in charter schools.
That, according to reports, would allow the federal government to have a balanced budget in 10 years.
At the same time, spending on the departments of defense, homeland security, and veterans affairs would increase substantially.
Whether or not the proposal includes funding for some of Trump's pet projects, such as the wall along the border with Mexico, is not yet clear.
*'Epic battle'*
The Trump budget's prioritization of military and defense spending at the expense of many other departments will make for a tough battle in Congress, analysts say.
Greg Valliere, chief investment strategist and political analyst at Horizon Investments, said in a note titled "An Epic Battle Over Fiscal Policy Begins This Week" that the fight could reveal the fissures between Republicans in the two chambers of Congress.
"And make no mistake, this is will be an epic fiscal policy showdown that highlights a fundamental issue: concentrating spending power in Washington versus the states," Valliere wrote in a note to clients on Monday. "And it will pit the House, which is dominated by conservatives, against the Senate, which is dominated by moderates and liberals."
Chris Kruger, an analyst at Cowen Washington Research Group, gave an even more blunt take on the White House budget proposal.
"The budget has already been declared DOA on Capitol Hill ... by Congressional Republicans," Kruger said in a note to clients Monday. "Budgets are governing documents, and this is no different from a headline and policy-noise perspective."
Valliere said the biggest disagreement would come over the cuts to mandatory entitlements and likely will get no traction on either side of the aisle.
"This will hit a brick wall in the Senate and Trump will get the worst of both worlds: scathing criticism from the left for these spending cuts, and the inability to get most of them enacted," Valliere said.
Trump repeatedly promised through the campaign to make no cuts to entitlements, including Medicaid.
"I was the first & only potential GOP candidate to state there will be no cuts to Social Security, Medicare & Medicaid," Trump tweeted on May 7, 2015.
In the end, it is more likely that Congress will devise its own budget deal between the House and Senate. With competing interest and the pet projects of various lawmakers, it is likely that deep domestic cuts would not be enacted, said Issac Boltansky and Lukas Davaz of the political research firm Compass Point.
"The White House’s budget proposal will drive headlines over the week ahead as key administration officials head to the Hill, but this proposal should be viewed as nothing more than an opening move in a long and labored budget process that will shift significantly in the months ahead," the analysts wrote.
*Next steps*
The budget proposal will be rolled out early this week, and Mick Mulvaney, the director of the Office of Management and Budget, will testify in a series of hearings.
The degree to which Mulvaney, a former representative from South Carolina and member of the hard-line conservative House Freedom Caucus, is combative during his testimony will be indicative of just how hard the Trump administration will be on their budget priorities.
Congress will have to pass a budget resolution by the end of September to keep the government from shutting down.
*SEE ALSO: Trump reportedly wants to make a move that experts say could make Obamacare 'explode'*
Join the conversation about this story »
NOW WATCH: Yale history professor: Trump's path to tyranny is unfolding Reported by Business Insider 6 hours ago.
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Trump's Budget Is Basically A Wish List. Here's Why It Matters Anyway.
WASHINGTON ― The Trump administration will unveil its 2018 budget on Tuesday, likely including big-league cuts to social programs in order to pay for more guns and bombs.
The first thing to know about Trump’s budget ― or any president’s budget ― is that most of the proposals it contains stand little chance of becoming law. Instead, the president’s budget is a wish list that marks the beginning of a process in which Congress ultimately decides how to set spending levels.
Trump reportedly wants to boost military spending and pay for it with big cuts to safety net programs like Medicaid and food stamps, along with cuts to dozens of smaller items like the Community Development Block Grant.
Republicans are unlikely to go along, since they have struggled mightily to agree on cuts to health insurance subsidies this year. But Bob Greenstein, director of the liberal Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, said the party’s love of tax cuts could motivate them to consider all options.
“I would not rule out that these things will be seriously considered and could actually occur,” Greenstein told HuffPost.
Congressional Republicans will unveil their own versions of the budget after holding hearings on Trump’s budget this week. These documents may be similar to the president’s, including massive spending cuts. But even if the House and Senate approve them, nothing immediately happens. Instead, a final budget resolution from the House and Senate will set overall spending levels and then direct various committees to draft legislation to actually enact the cuts.
In 2015, the House and Senate approved budgets with big cuts but didn’t force committees to actually carry them out. Congress ultimately continued to fund the government via ad-hoc agreements. After all, President Barack Obama had a veto pen. The fact that Republicans now control the White House is one reason this year could be different, but it’s difficult to predict which proposals from the administration’s comprehensive outline will be priorities that both Congress and the White House want to pursue.
“There are a lot of budget battles that are fake battles, and there are some budget battles that are real battles,” said Chris Edwards, a tax and budget expert with the libertarian Cato Institute. Funding for a Mexican border wall and privatizing air traffic control will likely be top priorities for the Trump administration, Edwards said. But other aspects of the spending blueprint are important, he added, because they create a policy debate.
“The national discussion is really important,” Edwards said. “Major change doesn’t happen without the national discussion.”
Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-Va.) said he’s been able to use the budget process to defend the merits of a wide range of government programs in his district.
“It affords me an opportunity to articulate the alternative vision of what we can and should be and hopefully gauge public support for these investments,” Connolly told HuffPost. “It creates a dialectic this country needs to have.”
Republicans have repeatedly used the budget process to push big changes to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, and Trump’s proposal reportedly would cut the program’s funding by more than 25 percent, taking benefits away from millions. With nearly 44 million recipients, SNAP is one of the federal government’s biggest antipoverty programs.
An obstacle to following through on Trump’s SNAP cuts, however, is that lawmakers on the House and Senate agriculture committees have already spent years holding hearings on the nutrition program ahead of its next reauthorization in 2018.
“There is a very strong support base for the SNAP program,” Rep. Frank Lucas (R-Okla.), a former chairman of the House Agriculture Committee, told HuffPost. “Whatever’s recommended by the budget committee, even whatever recommendations are made by the administration, ultimately in the next farm bill the House [Agriculture] Committee and the Senate [Agriculture] Committee have to achieve consensus.”
I would not rule out that these things will be seriously considered and could actually occur.
Bob Greenstein on potential major cuts in the 2018 budget
The Trump administration may be of mixed mind when it comes to food stamps. The budget is crafted by the Office of Management and Budget, which is headed by Mick Mulvaney, a former member of Congress who was part of the hardcore conservative House Freedom Caucus. The Agriculture Department, which administers SNAP, is overseen by former Georgia Gov. Sonny Perdue, who said last week that he didn’t support big changes to SNAP.
The Trump administration released a “skinny” budget in March; the document coming out on Tuesday will be the fat version, meaning it will have a lot more detail. Republicans in Congress totally ignored the Trump administration’s skinny budget wishes in April when they crafted legislation to fund the government through the end of the current fiscal year. It’s possible they will ignore Trump again when it comes time to avoid a government shutdown this fall.
Rep. Mike Simpson (R-Idaho), a key member of the House Appropriations Committee, which is responsible for dealing with funding details after budget bills are approved, said he thinks Congress will want to avoid another budget mess. Democrats and Republicans alike strongly disliked the skinny budget, particularly for its possible impact on National Institutes of Health and Meals on Wheels funding.
“Like I want to go home after having [voted] against Meals on Wheels and say ‘Oh it’s a bad program, keeping seniors alive,’” Simpson said last week, according to Politico.
-- 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 4 hours ago.
The first thing to know about Trump’s budget ― or any president’s budget ― is that most of the proposals it contains stand little chance of becoming law. Instead, the president’s budget is a wish list that marks the beginning of a process in which Congress ultimately decides how to set spending levels.
Trump reportedly wants to boost military spending and pay for it with big cuts to safety net programs like Medicaid and food stamps, along with cuts to dozens of smaller items like the Community Development Block Grant.
Republicans are unlikely to go along, since they have struggled mightily to agree on cuts to health insurance subsidies this year. But Bob Greenstein, director of the liberal Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, said the party’s love of tax cuts could motivate them to consider all options.
“I would not rule out that these things will be seriously considered and could actually occur,” Greenstein told HuffPost.
Congressional Republicans will unveil their own versions of the budget after holding hearings on Trump’s budget this week. These documents may be similar to the president’s, including massive spending cuts. But even if the House and Senate approve them, nothing immediately happens. Instead, a final budget resolution from the House and Senate will set overall spending levels and then direct various committees to draft legislation to actually enact the cuts.
In 2015, the House and Senate approved budgets with big cuts but didn’t force committees to actually carry them out. Congress ultimately continued to fund the government via ad-hoc agreements. After all, President Barack Obama had a veto pen. The fact that Republicans now control the White House is one reason this year could be different, but it’s difficult to predict which proposals from the administration’s comprehensive outline will be priorities that both Congress and the White House want to pursue.
“There are a lot of budget battles that are fake battles, and there are some budget battles that are real battles,” said Chris Edwards, a tax and budget expert with the libertarian Cato Institute. Funding for a Mexican border wall and privatizing air traffic control will likely be top priorities for the Trump administration, Edwards said. But other aspects of the spending blueprint are important, he added, because they create a policy debate.
“The national discussion is really important,” Edwards said. “Major change doesn’t happen without the national discussion.”
Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-Va.) said he’s been able to use the budget process to defend the merits of a wide range of government programs in his district.
“It affords me an opportunity to articulate the alternative vision of what we can and should be and hopefully gauge public support for these investments,” Connolly told HuffPost. “It creates a dialectic this country needs to have.”
Republicans have repeatedly used the budget process to push big changes to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, and Trump’s proposal reportedly would cut the program’s funding by more than 25 percent, taking benefits away from millions. With nearly 44 million recipients, SNAP is one of the federal government’s biggest antipoverty programs.
An obstacle to following through on Trump’s SNAP cuts, however, is that lawmakers on the House and Senate agriculture committees have already spent years holding hearings on the nutrition program ahead of its next reauthorization in 2018.
“There is a very strong support base for the SNAP program,” Rep. Frank Lucas (R-Okla.), a former chairman of the House Agriculture Committee, told HuffPost. “Whatever’s recommended by the budget committee, even whatever recommendations are made by the administration, ultimately in the next farm bill the House [Agriculture] Committee and the Senate [Agriculture] Committee have to achieve consensus.”
I would not rule out that these things will be seriously considered and could actually occur.
Bob Greenstein on potential major cuts in the 2018 budget
The Trump administration may be of mixed mind when it comes to food stamps. The budget is crafted by the Office of Management and Budget, which is headed by Mick Mulvaney, a former member of Congress who was part of the hardcore conservative House Freedom Caucus. The Agriculture Department, which administers SNAP, is overseen by former Georgia Gov. Sonny Perdue, who said last week that he didn’t support big changes to SNAP.
The Trump administration released a “skinny” budget in March; the document coming out on Tuesday will be the fat version, meaning it will have a lot more detail. Republicans in Congress totally ignored the Trump administration’s skinny budget wishes in April when they crafted legislation to fund the government through the end of the current fiscal year. It’s possible they will ignore Trump again when it comes time to avoid a government shutdown this fall.
Rep. Mike Simpson (R-Idaho), a key member of the House Appropriations Committee, which is responsible for dealing with funding details after budget bills are approved, said he thinks Congress will want to avoid another budget mess. Democrats and Republicans alike strongly disliked the skinny budget, particularly for its possible impact on National Institutes of Health and Meals on Wheels funding.
“Like I want to go home after having [voted] against Meals on Wheels and say ‘Oh it’s a bad program, keeping seniors alive,’” Simpson said last week, according to Politico.
-- 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 4 hours ago.
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Trump administration wants Obamacare subsidy case put on hold, again
The subsidies are available to low-income Americans who buy individual health insurance on the exchanges created under Obamacare, former President Barack Obama's signature healthcare law.
Reported by DNA 4 hours ago.
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Silicon Valley is getting interested in healthcare — here's why that could be a good thing (GOOGL)
Major tech companies are eyeing the healthcare world.
Amazon is seriously considering entering the pharmacy business, according to CNBC, while Apple has been reportedly working on a non-invasive glucose monitor.
That could be a good thing for the industry, according to Dr. Krishna Yeshwant, a general partner and head of the Life Sciences team at GV (formerly Google Ventures).
He told Business Insider that when tech companies try to enter the healthcare space, their approach to competition could put them at an advantage. One of his colleagues once compared the different levels of competition to growing up as a *bacteria* versus growing up as a *mammal*.
Here's what that means: It's relatively easy to start a consumer tech company. There are platforms to use, and you really only need a little bit of capital. So you'll frequently see a bunch of companies enter a particular space, which makes the competitive pressure that much more. It's similar to how bacteria duke it out on surfaces.
For health startups, particularly in life sciences, you're dealing with an entirely different organism (they're the mammals in this analogy).
"Competitive pressures for mammals are far less than the competitive pressures for bacteria," Yeshwant said.
For example, there are often only one or two companies in a particular space. Yeshwant pointed to Aspire Health, a company GV invested in that's in the palliative health space. "There's not another company like that that I've ever come across," he said. That's because of all of the regulatory and health insurance hurdles that exist in healthcare that don't in tech.
*How a tech mentality could transform healthcare*
The entrance of more people with tech backgrounds into healthcare could have a dramatic impact on the industry, if they're able to approach the business with the same level of competition as a tech company.
"Whenever that person is willing to apply that same sort of thinking to the healthcare space, where nobody's used to that intensity, we can often find really exciting things can happen," he said.
Yeshwant pointed to Flatiron Health, a company GV's invested in. Its founders had worked at Google before starting the cancer information technology company. Coming from the advertising technology world, they were able to carry that competitive energy into building the team that would start diving into cancer data.
"I don’t know if they would have done that if they hadn’t had the exposure," to the competitive pressures of advertising technology, Yeshwant said.
*SEE ALSO: A promising new cancer treatment is facing a deadly setback*
*DON'T MISS: Insiders reveal how Boston moved to the forefront of the global fight against deadly diseases*
Join the conversation about this story »
NOW WATCH: Women are more attracted to men with these physical traits Reported by Business Insider 3 hours ago.
Amazon is seriously considering entering the pharmacy business, according to CNBC, while Apple has been reportedly working on a non-invasive glucose monitor.
That could be a good thing for the industry, according to Dr. Krishna Yeshwant, a general partner and head of the Life Sciences team at GV (formerly Google Ventures).
He told Business Insider that when tech companies try to enter the healthcare space, their approach to competition could put them at an advantage. One of his colleagues once compared the different levels of competition to growing up as a *bacteria* versus growing up as a *mammal*.
Here's what that means: It's relatively easy to start a consumer tech company. There are platforms to use, and you really only need a little bit of capital. So you'll frequently see a bunch of companies enter a particular space, which makes the competitive pressure that much more. It's similar to how bacteria duke it out on surfaces.
For health startups, particularly in life sciences, you're dealing with an entirely different organism (they're the mammals in this analogy).
"Competitive pressures for mammals are far less than the competitive pressures for bacteria," Yeshwant said.
For example, there are often only one or two companies in a particular space. Yeshwant pointed to Aspire Health, a company GV invested in that's in the palliative health space. "There's not another company like that that I've ever come across," he said. That's because of all of the regulatory and health insurance hurdles that exist in healthcare that don't in tech.
*How a tech mentality could transform healthcare*
The entrance of more people with tech backgrounds into healthcare could have a dramatic impact on the industry, if they're able to approach the business with the same level of competition as a tech company.
"Whenever that person is willing to apply that same sort of thinking to the healthcare space, where nobody's used to that intensity, we can often find really exciting things can happen," he said.
Yeshwant pointed to Flatiron Health, a company GV's invested in. Its founders had worked at Google before starting the cancer information technology company. Coming from the advertising technology world, they were able to carry that competitive energy into building the team that would start diving into cancer data.
"I don’t know if they would have done that if they hadn’t had the exposure," to the competitive pressures of advertising technology, Yeshwant said.
*SEE ALSO: A promising new cancer treatment is facing a deadly setback*
*DON'T MISS: Insiders reveal how Boston moved to the forefront of the global fight against deadly diseases*
Join the conversation about this story »
NOW WATCH: Women are more attracted to men with these physical traits Reported by Business Insider 3 hours ago.
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Single-payer health care would cost more than California budget
Proposed legislation to create a single-payer health care system in California would cost $400 billion a year — including $200 billion in new tax revenue, according to an analysis released Monday by the Senate Appropriations Committee. The projected cost far surpasses the annual state budget of $180 billion, and skeptics of the bill say the price tag is “a non-starter.” [...] the cost of the new tax would be offset by reduced spending on health care coverage by employers and employees — which is how nearly half of Californians receive health insurance. Ricardo Lara (D-Bell Gardens) and Toni Atkins (D-San Diego), which aims to transform California’s multi-payer health system into a single-payer fee-for-service program that would cover all 39 million residents. The analysis suggests the single-payer plan may not produce savings in the health system overall, said Larry Levitt, a health policy expert at the Kaiser Family Foundation.
Reported by SFGate 3 hours ago.
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Legacy Health CEO Brown announces retirement
Dr. George Brown, who has led Portland’s Legacy Health hospital system for the past nine years, announced that he will retire at the end of the year. Under Brown’s leadership as president and CEO of Legacy, the eight-hospital system has experienced record growth, expanded into health insurance and beefed up its urgent care. Brown oversaw the addition of Randall Children’s Hospital and collaborations with other Portland health systems to create the Unity Center for Behavioral Health and expanded…
Reported by bizjournals 1 hour ago.
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Nation So Sad It's Cheered Up By A Sphere
*Like what you read below? **Sign up for HUFFPOST HILL** and get a cheeky dose of political news every evening! *
President Trump was provided relief from a tumultuous trip abroad when he got to play with a globe that made his hands look as big as Eurasia. Speaking of hands, and maybe it’s just our wild imagination, but has anyone given any thought to the idea that the country is being run through Melania Trump’s hands? And the president’s budget includes very steep cuts to the social safety net. To all of you who will be roasting your boot on a spit over an oil drum fire in 2020, take comfort: The president saved a few dollars on the F-35. This is HUFFPOST HILL for Monday, May 22nd, 2017:
*BORED TRUMP NOW JUST GINNING UP HIS OWN CONTROVERSIES -* We’re all gonna die. Marina Fang: “President Donald Trump on Monday denied that he mentioned Israel at the Oval Office meeting where he reportedly leaked classified information to Russian officials, seemingly referring to reports that Israel was the source of that information. *‘Just so you understand, I never mentioned the word or the name “Israel.” Never mentioned it during that conversation,’* Trump said during an appearance with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem as part of his first foreign trip as president. The president was referring to reports that Israel was the source of classified information he disclosed to Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov and ambassador Sergei Kislyak during an Oval Office meeting on May 10. ‘They were all saying I did. So you had another story wrong,’ he said, pointing at reporters in the room. ‘Never mentioned the word “Israel.”’ It was never reported, however, that Trump told the Russians that Israel was the source of the information.” [HuffPost]
FLOTUS don’t want no POTUS.
*Jared Kushner must be so stressed right now, via Politico reporter Annie Karni’s **pool report**: *“Recently, Trump has said that he believes peace in the Middle East is ‘not as difficult as people have thought.’ On Monday night, he said, ‘I’ve heard it’s one of the toughest deals of all.’ And he sounded a little more tempered in his confidence: ‘But I have a feeling we’re going to get there eventually,’ he said. ‘I hope.’”
*FLYNN TAKING THE FIFTH -* Whew, one less instance of drama for Mitch McConnell to worry about. Amanda Terkel: “Former national security adviser *Michael Flynn **will not cooperate** with a Senate intelligence committee investigation, invoking his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination Monday to avoid turning over documents lawmakers have subpoenaed related to his interactions with Russian officials*. Flynn resigned in February, after it was revealed that he lied about whether he had substantive contacts with the Russian ambassador before President Donald Trump took office. In a letter to the leaders of the Senate intelligence committee posted by the Associated Press, Flynn’s lawyer said that without ‘assurances against unfair prosecution,’ he would ‘respectfully decline your request for an interview and for the production of documents.’” [HuffPost]
*This Flynn character may not be entirely on the up-and-up. *“Michael Flynn appears to have lied to Pentagon officials about payments he received from Russians when he was interviewed in 2016 for a renewal of his security clearance, according to a document obtained by the top Democrat on the House oversight committee. In a letter released Monday evening by Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-Md.), the congressman details a document that reveals Flynn told investigators he was paid by ‘U.S. companies’ when he traveled to Russia and dined with Russian President Vladimir Putin.” [HuffPost’s Laura Barrón-López]
James Comey’s testimony on his firing and the Russia investigation has been postponed, House oversight committee chairman Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah) announced on Twitter.
*OK, MAYBE THERE WILL BE PEOPLE DYING IN THE STREETS, PT. 623,005, 541 - *Arthur Delaney: “The Trump administration will unveil its 2018 budget on Tuesday, *likely including **big-league cuts to social programs** in order to pay for more guns and bombs. *The first thing to know about Trump’s budget ― or any president’s budget ― is that most of the proposals it contains stand little chance of becoming law. Instead, the president’s budget is a wish list that marks the beginning of a process in which Congress ultimately decides how to set spending levels. *Trump reportedly wants to boost military spending and pay for it with big cuts to safety net programs like Medicaid and food stamps*, along with cuts to dozens of smaller items like the Community Development Block Grant. Republicans are unlikely to go along, since they have struggled mightily to agree on cuts to health insurance subsidies this year. But Bob Greenstein, director of the liberal Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, said the party’s love of tax cuts could motivate them to consider all options.” [HuffPost]
*Haircut*: Bernie Sanders (h/t Haley Byrd).
*Like HuffPost Hill? Then order Eliot’s book*, The Beltway Bible: A Totally Serious A-Z Guide To Our No-Good, Corrupt, Incompetent, Terrible, Depressing, and Sometimes Hilarious Government
Does somebody keep forwarding you this newsletter? Get your own copy. It’s free! Sign up here. Send tips/stories/photos/events/fundraisers/job movement/juicy miscellanea to eliot@huffpost.com. Follow us on Twitter - @HuffPostHill
*COURT RULES AGAINST GOP DRAWN DISTRICTS* *-* Cristian Farias: “In a long-awaited decision,* the Supreme Court agreed on Monday with a lower court ruling that found that Republican lawmakers in North Carolina drew two congressional districts with improper racial considerations in mind.* The ruling is the latest attempt by the justices to clarify the standard for what counts as unconstitutional racial gerrymandering — the push by lawmakers, especially in the South, to draw district lines based on the racial demographics of a specific area. ‘The Constitution entrusts States with the job of designing congressional districts,’ wrote Justice Elena Kagan in the 5-to-3 decision. ‘But it also imposes an important constraint: A State may not use race as the predominant factor in drawing district lines unless it has a compelling reason.’” [HuffPost]
The sinkhole that formed in front of Mar-a-Lago is almost too easy a target for jokes.
*CITY ON A HILL UPDATE* *-* Your tired, poor huddled masses yearning to be free can crash on our futon for a couple of nights... maybe. Elise Foley: “*Tens of thousands of Haitians who had already been granted temporary reprieve to stay in the U.S. will be allowed to remain for an additional six months, but they should use that time to ‘get their affairs in order,’ a Trump administration official said Monday.* The Department of Homeland Security had until Tuesday to decide whether to extend temporary protected status, or TPS, for roughly 58,700 Haitians, who have been approved to remain in the U.S. following a devastating 2010 earthquake in their native country.” [HuffPost]
*TRUMP STILL THREATENING TO SABOTAGE OBAMACARE - *But he’s not doing it today. Jeffrey Young: “In a filing to a federal appeals court Monday, the Justice Department and lawyers representing House Republicans have requested another 90-day delay in the proceedings from a case challenging the legality of payments made to health insurers serving low-income customers…. *Without that money, insurers would face major financial losses because the law mandates they offer these discounts whether they get paid back or not. *Insurers received about $7 billion in these payments last year. Many states would allow health insurance companies to exit the Obamacare markets this year, leaving their policyholders with no coverage. Moreover,* if Trump makes clear the cost-sharing payments won’t be made in the future, health insurance companies would have a strong disincentive to participate in the exchanges next year*, leaving consumers with fewer, or possibly no, choices.” [HuffPost]
*CONGRATULATIONS TO THE LITTLE GUY -* [area liberals nervously making sure Ruth Bader Ginsburg is getting enough antioxidants in her diet]. Paul Blumenthal: “Newly minted Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch showed his hand on Monday on where he will likely stand on cases that would increase the amount of power held by large political donors. As the Supreme Court declined to hear a major campaign finance case that could have led to the lifting of campaign contribution limits to political parties, Gorsuch joined Justice Clarence Thomas in an unwritten dissent. *That means Gorsuch and Thomas wanted the court to hear the case, and likely wanted to vote to overturn yet another limit on big money in politics. *The case, Republican Party of Louisiana v. Federal Election Commission, challenged contribution limits placed on state-level political parties by the 2002 McCain-Feingold reform law. These are the limits on ‘soft money,’ unlimited contributions to the parties for supposedly non-electoral activities, imposed in the wake of scandals related to both how the money was raised and how it was spent.” [HuffPost]
The thankfully brief story of the D.C. bar that wanted to introduce a “Pill Cosby” drink to its menu.
*DEMOCRATS GRIPPED WITH RAHM-BASED NOSTALGIA -* To defeat a short-fingered vulgarian, sometimes you need a vulgar man with one shortened finger. Edward-Isaac Dovere and Gabriel Debenedetti: “Democrats see the same ugly storm forming for Republicans that delivered them the majority 11 years ago, and they’re digging out the blueprint. The party is vastly expanding the number of districts it plans to contest, recruiting veterans and business owners to compete in conservative terrain as it did back then. *Three senior House Democrats are soon heading to Chicago to seek advice from Rahm Emanuel, the party’s 2006 master strategist.* Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) has been tutoring members on the party’s campaign efforts that year…. Emanuel has been in touch regularly with Democratic leaders in Washington, holding frequent strategy phone calls with Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York.” [Politico]
*BECAUSE YOU’VE READ THIS FAR -* Here’s yet another puppy doing battle with a doorstop.
*TRUMP ISN’T THE ONLY ONE ON A #MAGA TRIP ABROAD - *How come there are never “belligerent ferry passenger asked to disembark” or “irate monorail rider forced to alight” stories? Avi Selk: “Like some bizarre parody of a Trump rally,* a belligerent man in a ‘Make America Great Again’ hat was booted off a plane in Shanghai Sunday* — defiantly waving as a crowd of passengers jeered in the terminal: ‘Lock him up! Lock him up!’ It’s unclear whether Chinese police did jail the man or who he was. As others on the United Airlines flight described it, he started arguing before he stepped onto the plane. ‘Obviously, the hat provoked some of the stuff,’ said Alexis Zimmerman, who was flying back to Newark from a business trip.” [WaPo]
*COMFORT FOOD*
- Dogs try to make sense of fidget spinners.
- The winning submissions from the first-ever “Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards.”
- An infographic showing all the colors of Mr. Rogers’ cardigans.
*TWITTERAMA*
@emmaroller: The Orb and the Obelisk have revealed themselves, as it was foretold. Now we wait for the third Dark Talisman to emerge.
@historyinflicks: Straightforward from here:
1 impeach Trump
2 steal orb
3 fall under maddening spell of orb
4 orb devours every human soul
5 President Hatch
@jephjacobs: Child: do you remember when Trump touched the Orb?
Me: Yes. None of us realized what it would-
Orb Police: HAIL ORB
Me & child: hail orb
Got something to add? Send tips/quotes/stories/photos/events/fundraisers/job movement/juicy miscellanea to Eliot Nelson (eliot@huffpost.com)
-- 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 55 minutes ago.
President Trump was provided relief from a tumultuous trip abroad when he got to play with a globe that made his hands look as big as Eurasia. Speaking of hands, and maybe it’s just our wild imagination, but has anyone given any thought to the idea that the country is being run through Melania Trump’s hands? And the president’s budget includes very steep cuts to the social safety net. To all of you who will be roasting your boot on a spit over an oil drum fire in 2020, take comfort: The president saved a few dollars on the F-35. This is HUFFPOST HILL for Monday, May 22nd, 2017:
*BORED TRUMP NOW JUST GINNING UP HIS OWN CONTROVERSIES -* We’re all gonna die. Marina Fang: “President Donald Trump on Monday denied that he mentioned Israel at the Oval Office meeting where he reportedly leaked classified information to Russian officials, seemingly referring to reports that Israel was the source of that information. *‘Just so you understand, I never mentioned the word or the name “Israel.” Never mentioned it during that conversation,’* Trump said during an appearance with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem as part of his first foreign trip as president. The president was referring to reports that Israel was the source of classified information he disclosed to Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov and ambassador Sergei Kislyak during an Oval Office meeting on May 10. ‘They were all saying I did. So you had another story wrong,’ he said, pointing at reporters in the room. ‘Never mentioned the word “Israel.”’ It was never reported, however, that Trump told the Russians that Israel was the source of the information.” [HuffPost]
FLOTUS don’t want no POTUS.
*Jared Kushner must be so stressed right now, via Politico reporter Annie Karni’s **pool report**: *“Recently, Trump has said that he believes peace in the Middle East is ‘not as difficult as people have thought.’ On Monday night, he said, ‘I’ve heard it’s one of the toughest deals of all.’ And he sounded a little more tempered in his confidence: ‘But I have a feeling we’re going to get there eventually,’ he said. ‘I hope.’”
*FLYNN TAKING THE FIFTH -* Whew, one less instance of drama for Mitch McConnell to worry about. Amanda Terkel: “Former national security adviser *Michael Flynn **will not cooperate** with a Senate intelligence committee investigation, invoking his Fifth Amendment right against self-incrimination Monday to avoid turning over documents lawmakers have subpoenaed related to his interactions with Russian officials*. Flynn resigned in February, after it was revealed that he lied about whether he had substantive contacts with the Russian ambassador before President Donald Trump took office. In a letter to the leaders of the Senate intelligence committee posted by the Associated Press, Flynn’s lawyer said that without ‘assurances against unfair prosecution,’ he would ‘respectfully decline your request for an interview and for the production of documents.’” [HuffPost]
*This Flynn character may not be entirely on the up-and-up. *“Michael Flynn appears to have lied to Pentagon officials about payments he received from Russians when he was interviewed in 2016 for a renewal of his security clearance, according to a document obtained by the top Democrat on the House oversight committee. In a letter released Monday evening by Rep. Elijah Cummings (D-Md.), the congressman details a document that reveals Flynn told investigators he was paid by ‘U.S. companies’ when he traveled to Russia and dined with Russian President Vladimir Putin.” [HuffPost’s Laura Barrón-López]
James Comey’s testimony on his firing and the Russia investigation has been postponed, House oversight committee chairman Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah) announced on Twitter.
*OK, MAYBE THERE WILL BE PEOPLE DYING IN THE STREETS, PT. 623,005, 541 - *Arthur Delaney: “The Trump administration will unveil its 2018 budget on Tuesday, *likely including **big-league cuts to social programs** in order to pay for more guns and bombs. *The first thing to know about Trump’s budget ― or any president’s budget ― is that most of the proposals it contains stand little chance of becoming law. Instead, the president’s budget is a wish list that marks the beginning of a process in which Congress ultimately decides how to set spending levels. *Trump reportedly wants to boost military spending and pay for it with big cuts to safety net programs like Medicaid and food stamps*, along with cuts to dozens of smaller items like the Community Development Block Grant. Republicans are unlikely to go along, since they have struggled mightily to agree on cuts to health insurance subsidies this year. But Bob Greenstein, director of the liberal Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, said the party’s love of tax cuts could motivate them to consider all options.” [HuffPost]
*Haircut*: Bernie Sanders (h/t Haley Byrd).
*Like HuffPost Hill? Then order Eliot’s book*, The Beltway Bible: A Totally Serious A-Z Guide To Our No-Good, Corrupt, Incompetent, Terrible, Depressing, and Sometimes Hilarious Government
Does somebody keep forwarding you this newsletter? Get your own copy. It’s free! Sign up here. Send tips/stories/photos/events/fundraisers/job movement/juicy miscellanea to eliot@huffpost.com. Follow us on Twitter - @HuffPostHill
*COURT RULES AGAINST GOP DRAWN DISTRICTS* *-* Cristian Farias: “In a long-awaited decision,* the Supreme Court agreed on Monday with a lower court ruling that found that Republican lawmakers in North Carolina drew two congressional districts with improper racial considerations in mind.* The ruling is the latest attempt by the justices to clarify the standard for what counts as unconstitutional racial gerrymandering — the push by lawmakers, especially in the South, to draw district lines based on the racial demographics of a specific area. ‘The Constitution entrusts States with the job of designing congressional districts,’ wrote Justice Elena Kagan in the 5-to-3 decision. ‘But it also imposes an important constraint: A State may not use race as the predominant factor in drawing district lines unless it has a compelling reason.’” [HuffPost]
The sinkhole that formed in front of Mar-a-Lago is almost too easy a target for jokes.
*CITY ON A HILL UPDATE* *-* Your tired, poor huddled masses yearning to be free can crash on our futon for a couple of nights... maybe. Elise Foley: “*Tens of thousands of Haitians who had already been granted temporary reprieve to stay in the U.S. will be allowed to remain for an additional six months, but they should use that time to ‘get their affairs in order,’ a Trump administration official said Monday.* The Department of Homeland Security had until Tuesday to decide whether to extend temporary protected status, or TPS, for roughly 58,700 Haitians, who have been approved to remain in the U.S. following a devastating 2010 earthquake in their native country.” [HuffPost]
*TRUMP STILL THREATENING TO SABOTAGE OBAMACARE - *But he’s not doing it today. Jeffrey Young: “In a filing to a federal appeals court Monday, the Justice Department and lawyers representing House Republicans have requested another 90-day delay in the proceedings from a case challenging the legality of payments made to health insurers serving low-income customers…. *Without that money, insurers would face major financial losses because the law mandates they offer these discounts whether they get paid back or not. *Insurers received about $7 billion in these payments last year. Many states would allow health insurance companies to exit the Obamacare markets this year, leaving their policyholders with no coverage. Moreover,* if Trump makes clear the cost-sharing payments won’t be made in the future, health insurance companies would have a strong disincentive to participate in the exchanges next year*, leaving consumers with fewer, or possibly no, choices.” [HuffPost]
*CONGRATULATIONS TO THE LITTLE GUY -* [area liberals nervously making sure Ruth Bader Ginsburg is getting enough antioxidants in her diet]. Paul Blumenthal: “Newly minted Supreme Court Justice Neil Gorsuch showed his hand on Monday on where he will likely stand on cases that would increase the amount of power held by large political donors. As the Supreme Court declined to hear a major campaign finance case that could have led to the lifting of campaign contribution limits to political parties, Gorsuch joined Justice Clarence Thomas in an unwritten dissent. *That means Gorsuch and Thomas wanted the court to hear the case, and likely wanted to vote to overturn yet another limit on big money in politics. *The case, Republican Party of Louisiana v. Federal Election Commission, challenged contribution limits placed on state-level political parties by the 2002 McCain-Feingold reform law. These are the limits on ‘soft money,’ unlimited contributions to the parties for supposedly non-electoral activities, imposed in the wake of scandals related to both how the money was raised and how it was spent.” [HuffPost]
The thankfully brief story of the D.C. bar that wanted to introduce a “Pill Cosby” drink to its menu.
*DEMOCRATS GRIPPED WITH RAHM-BASED NOSTALGIA -* To defeat a short-fingered vulgarian, sometimes you need a vulgar man with one shortened finger. Edward-Isaac Dovere and Gabriel Debenedetti: “Democrats see the same ugly storm forming for Republicans that delivered them the majority 11 years ago, and they’re digging out the blueprint. The party is vastly expanding the number of districts it plans to contest, recruiting veterans and business owners to compete in conservative terrain as it did back then. *Three senior House Democrats are soon heading to Chicago to seek advice from Rahm Emanuel, the party’s 2006 master strategist.* Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) has been tutoring members on the party’s campaign efforts that year…. Emanuel has been in touch regularly with Democratic leaders in Washington, holding frequent strategy phone calls with Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer of New York.” [Politico]
*BECAUSE YOU’VE READ THIS FAR -* Here’s yet another puppy doing battle with a doorstop.
*TRUMP ISN’T THE ONLY ONE ON A #MAGA TRIP ABROAD - *How come there are never “belligerent ferry passenger asked to disembark” or “irate monorail rider forced to alight” stories? Avi Selk: “Like some bizarre parody of a Trump rally,* a belligerent man in a ‘Make America Great Again’ hat was booted off a plane in Shanghai Sunday* — defiantly waving as a crowd of passengers jeered in the terminal: ‘Lock him up! Lock him up!’ It’s unclear whether Chinese police did jail the man or who he was. As others on the United Airlines flight described it, he started arguing before he stepped onto the plane. ‘Obviously, the hat provoked some of the stuff,’ said Alexis Zimmerman, who was flying back to Newark from a business trip.” [WaPo]
*COMFORT FOOD*
- Dogs try to make sense of fidget spinners.
- The winning submissions from the first-ever “Comedy Wildlife Photography Awards.”
- An infographic showing all the colors of Mr. Rogers’ cardigans.
*TWITTERAMA*
@emmaroller: The Orb and the Obelisk have revealed themselves, as it was foretold. Now we wait for the third Dark Talisman to emerge.
@historyinflicks: Straightforward from here:
1 impeach Trump
2 steal orb
3 fall under maddening spell of orb
4 orb devours every human soul
5 President Hatch
@jephjacobs: Child: do you remember when Trump touched the Orb?
Me: Yes. None of us realized what it would-
Orb Police: HAIL ORB
Me & child: hail orb
Got something to add? Send tips/quotes/stories/photos/events/fundraisers/job movement/juicy miscellanea to Eliot Nelson (eliot@huffpost.com)
-- 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 55 minutes ago.
↧
GOP bill could undercut self-employed insurance gains, report says
The insurance coverage was critical last year when doctors suspected Harvey might have developed a pituitary gland tumor — a condition her mother died from — and she had to undergo a series of tests that would have been unaffordable without insurance. Harvey is one of about 1.5 million self-employed Californians and workers at small businesses across the state who gained health insurance under the Affordable Care Act — and could lose coverage if Congress adopts a House-passed measure to repeal the health law, according to a new analysis from the UC Berkeley Center for Labor Research and Education. The health care law provided many of these entrepreneurs and workers with subsidies to buy insurance on the state exchange, Covered California. The law’s “mix of more government regulation, mandates and controls, increased taxes, and ramped up government subsidies and spending ... mean increased costs, dampened job creation, and diminished economic growth,” according to the Small Business and Entrepreneurship Council, a Washington-area group. According to the UC Berkeley analysis, employees of small businesses tend to rely more on Covered California and Medi-Cal because they are twice as likely than workers at larger employers to be low-income. [...] the measure would reduce federal subsidies to many of the 1.2 million Californians who use the assistance to buy plans on the state exchange — particularly older Californians in their 50s and 60s and those who live in high-cost areas — because the proposed GOP subsidies do not take income or cost of living into account. “Many of the self-employed and small business employees enrolled in the Medi-Cal expansion and Covered California with subsidies could lose coverage if the AHCA becomes law,” said UC Berkeley health policy analyst Laurel Lucia, who co-authored the report.
Reported by SFGate 1 hour ago.
↧
↧
$400 billion price tag for California single-payer bill
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — A California bill that would eliminate health insurance companies and provide government-funded health coverage for everyone in the state would cost $400 billion and require significant tax increases, legislative analysts said Monday. Much of the cost would be offset by existing state, federal and private spending on health coverage, the analysis […]
Reported by Seattle Times 15 minutes ago.
↧
TrumpCare And My Daughter's Wheelchair
When a child is born ill or with disabilities, there is love, but there is also fear. Fear of what will happen during the endless medical procedures, what kind life the child might live, how life will be different than what was imagined and fear of paying for it all.
When my daughter Claire was born almost 11 years ago, her health and future were uncertain. Born with a rare genetic disorder that affects nearly every part of her body, Claire spent time in the neo-natal intensive care unit, had heart surgery when she was 4 months old, and endured test after test after test to figure out the extent of the impact of her extra genetic material would have on her health and development. These tests determined she was missing part of her brain, that she suffered from pulmonary hypertension, that she had hearing loss, that she was likely to suffer seizures, that she would be lucky to one day recognize simple symbols, and on and on.
Before Claire was a month old, we started calling her the Million Dollar Baby, since her medical bills were already so high. Yet with a secure job at the federal government and a good insurance plan, I hadn’t yet started to worry about the exorbitant cost of caring for a child with significant needs.
That changed quickly. Although I had dutifully gotten on several waitlists for daycare centers when I was pregnant, none were able to take on the task of caring for Claire. In any event, I realized that I would not be able to both work and take Claire to the 5-10 appointments she had per week. My request to work part time was denied, and so I lost my job ― and with it my employer-subsidized health insurance.
Fear set in. My husband had insurance through his employer, but they did not offer family benefits, and we were faced with living on one income, spending upward of $1,000 a month for an insurance plan with higher co-pays and less coverage. With only one working parent, more fear set in about what would happen with an un-insurable child if my husband were to ever lose his job or his employer decided to stop allowing family members on their plan at all.
When Claire was about 2, I was invited to a lobby day on Capitol Hill to discuss our story with the staff of Republican Congressman actively opposed to ObamaCare. I posed the question of how Claire would get health insurance if my husband ever lost his job since no private plan would cover her at any cost. Their answer, which still seems bizarre to me, was that surely doctors would have sympathy and offer their services for free.
My husband and I joked that one day we would travel from doctor’s office to doctor’s office asking, “Please sir, can you spare a bypass surgery?” Our fear ran so deep we had nothing left to do but laugh as we imagined a future in which our daughter lacked any dignity and literally begged for life-saving treatment. Other suggestions were to “spend down” our few assets and have my husband quit his job so that my entire family lived at the poverty line as a path to getting Claire Medicaid. Or, we could declare medical bankruptcy.
Around the time Claire turned 4, with a growing list of needs, our fears lifted somewhat after Claire was found eligible for Medicaid under a Katie Beckett waiver, a program Ronald Reagan started to help children with significant disabilities. Medicaid provided not just reassurance that Claire would always have insurance, but that she would also have access to the treatments and medical equipment her doctor thought she needed regardless of what our private insurance covered, like her wheelchair. Under Medicaid, Claire got the hearing aid her private insurance had rejected. She got an adaptive stroller to help her get around. She got a bed she would not fall out of at night.
Claire’s Medicaid benefits also help her to receive an education by providing her with special education services at school as well as the therapies she needs to help her access her school’s curriculum and activities. Under Medicaid, Claire also receives support she needs to be able to stay at home, including one-to-one supervision during her waking hours.Claire’s prognosis is not one any parent wants for their child. She is almost 11 and cannot speak or safely walk on her own. She wears diapers. Her progress is measured by how many times she seems to respond to her name or whether she can independently place two pieces in Mr. Potato Head by herself. While we celebrate her victories, the nature of her success also makes it clear that she will need significant support throughout her lifetime and as the physical demands of caring for her increase.
With the threat of TrumpCare looming large, we are more afraid than ever. The safeguards of ObamaCare are at risk, but so are the Medicaid benefits that impact nearly every aspect of her life from education, to home life, to medical care to medical equipment. It has been years since anyone made the suggestion to me that my family spend down our assets and that we quit our jobs to help ensure Claire had access to necessary medical care, but since TrumpCare has been in the news this is a phrase I am hearing again.
Claire and our family recently joined one of TrumpCare’s most vocal opponents, Pennsylvania Senator Bob Casey, for a press conference about the significant threats posed to children by proposed cuts to Medicaid. After the press conference, Claire’s grandmother asked one of his legislative assistants what would happen to Claire if TrumpCare became a reality.
“We don’t know,” he said, and encouraged us to fight with all we had.
For all of the families who are afraid, please fight. With all you have.type=type=RelatedArticlesblockTitle=Related... + articlesList=59135d17e4b0e070cad70b40,59161ff8e4b02d6199b2ef12,58d53c50e4b03787d357b910
-- 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 hours ago.
When my daughter Claire was born almost 11 years ago, her health and future were uncertain. Born with a rare genetic disorder that affects nearly every part of her body, Claire spent time in the neo-natal intensive care unit, had heart surgery when she was 4 months old, and endured test after test after test to figure out the extent of the impact of her extra genetic material would have on her health and development. These tests determined she was missing part of her brain, that she suffered from pulmonary hypertension, that she had hearing loss, that she was likely to suffer seizures, that she would be lucky to one day recognize simple symbols, and on and on.
Before Claire was a month old, we started calling her the Million Dollar Baby, since her medical bills were already so high. Yet with a secure job at the federal government and a good insurance plan, I hadn’t yet started to worry about the exorbitant cost of caring for a child with significant needs.
That changed quickly. Although I had dutifully gotten on several waitlists for daycare centers when I was pregnant, none were able to take on the task of caring for Claire. In any event, I realized that I would not be able to both work and take Claire to the 5-10 appointments she had per week. My request to work part time was denied, and so I lost my job ― and with it my employer-subsidized health insurance.
Fear set in. My husband had insurance through his employer, but they did not offer family benefits, and we were faced with living on one income, spending upward of $1,000 a month for an insurance plan with higher co-pays and less coverage. With only one working parent, more fear set in about what would happen with an un-insurable child if my husband were to ever lose his job or his employer decided to stop allowing family members on their plan at all.
When Claire was about 2, I was invited to a lobby day on Capitol Hill to discuss our story with the staff of Republican Congressman actively opposed to ObamaCare. I posed the question of how Claire would get health insurance if my husband ever lost his job since no private plan would cover her at any cost. Their answer, which still seems bizarre to me, was that surely doctors would have sympathy and offer their services for free.
My husband and I joked that one day we would travel from doctor’s office to doctor’s office asking, “Please sir, can you spare a bypass surgery?” Our fear ran so deep we had nothing left to do but laugh as we imagined a future in which our daughter lacked any dignity and literally begged for life-saving treatment. Other suggestions were to “spend down” our few assets and have my husband quit his job so that my entire family lived at the poverty line as a path to getting Claire Medicaid. Or, we could declare medical bankruptcy.
Around the time Claire turned 4, with a growing list of needs, our fears lifted somewhat after Claire was found eligible for Medicaid under a Katie Beckett waiver, a program Ronald Reagan started to help children with significant disabilities. Medicaid provided not just reassurance that Claire would always have insurance, but that she would also have access to the treatments and medical equipment her doctor thought she needed regardless of what our private insurance covered, like her wheelchair. Under Medicaid, Claire got the hearing aid her private insurance had rejected. She got an adaptive stroller to help her get around. She got a bed she would not fall out of at night.
Claire’s Medicaid benefits also help her to receive an education by providing her with special education services at school as well as the therapies she needs to help her access her school’s curriculum and activities. Under Medicaid, Claire also receives support she needs to be able to stay at home, including one-to-one supervision during her waking hours.Claire’s prognosis is not one any parent wants for their child. She is almost 11 and cannot speak or safely walk on her own. She wears diapers. Her progress is measured by how many times she seems to respond to her name or whether she can independently place two pieces in Mr. Potato Head by herself. While we celebrate her victories, the nature of her success also makes it clear that she will need significant support throughout her lifetime and as the physical demands of caring for her increase.
With the threat of TrumpCare looming large, we are more afraid than ever. The safeguards of ObamaCare are at risk, but so are the Medicaid benefits that impact nearly every aspect of her life from education, to home life, to medical care to medical equipment. It has been years since anyone made the suggestion to me that my family spend down our assets and that we quit our jobs to help ensure Claire had access to necessary medical care, but since TrumpCare has been in the news this is a phrase I am hearing again.
Claire and our family recently joined one of TrumpCare’s most vocal opponents, Pennsylvania Senator Bob Casey, for a press conference about the significant threats posed to children by proposed cuts to Medicaid. After the press conference, Claire’s grandmother asked one of his legislative assistants what would happen to Claire if TrumpCare became a reality.
“We don’t know,” he said, and encouraged us to fight with all we had.
For all of the families who are afraid, please fight. With all you have.type=type=RelatedArticlesblockTitle=Related... + articlesList=59135d17e4b0e070cad70b40,59161ff8e4b02d6199b2ef12,58d53c50e4b03787d357b910
-- 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 hours ago.
↧
Trump's budget calls for staggering cuts to domestic programs
The White House began its roll out of its fiscal year 2018 budget on Monday, setting the stage for a battle over proposed massive cuts to domestic programs at the expense of increased defense spending.While the full budget will be released and distributed to Capitol Hill lawmakers on Tuesday, Office of Management and Budget director Mick Mulvaney shone a light on some of the details during a call with reporters on Monday.
The budget, officially dubbed "A New Foundation for American Greatness," includes massive cuts over the next ten years to social safety net programs like Medicaid, food stamps, and the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) while increasing the budget for the Department of Homeland Security and Department of Defense. According to Bloomberg's Justin Sink and Erin Wasson, the budget would cut domestic agencies' budgets by 40% in 2027.
The plan is expected to receive pushback not only from incensed Democrats, but likely many Republicans. Additionally, cuts to farm subsidies and student loan programs will also face pushback from strong interest groups.
While the bipartisan resistance to the budgetary ideas will be huge, the White House's attempt does represent the first bid in a long process to funding the government.
Here's a breakdown of some of the key points from Mulvaney's briefing on Monday:
· *An assumption of 3% economic growth:* Part of the Trump team's assumptions in paying for plans from the budget to their massive tax cuts has been a system called dynamic scoring, which factors in an assumption of stronger economic growth for increased payments to the government. The White House budget proposal, said Mulvaney, is "part of an effort to get to sustained 3% economic growth." GDP growth in the first quarter of 2017 was 0.7% annualized according to the Bureau of Economic Analysis.
· *Massive cuts to Medicaid:* The budget proposes an additional $610 billion cut to Medicaid, with $250 billion in savings to offset it. Based on Mulvaney's comments, it appears this is in addition to the $880 billion already cut under the House's American Health Care Act. "We go another half a step further [beyond the AHCA] and ratchet down some of the growth rates that are assumed in the AHCA," Mulvaney said. "So if you assume growth rates — I can't remember what the exact measure is — it’s a CPI-plus measure. We take a measure that we think is closer to what the actual growth rates look like.
· *Large cuts to foods stamps, officially known as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) *According to Bloomberg, the cuts to the food stamp program in the budget would amount to $193 billion. The program would also phase in a work requirement, according to Mulvaney, so that people without dependents would have to be employed to qualify.
· *$1.6 billion for border-wall funding:* "The spending on the border security is $2.6 billion, of which I think $1.6 billion is actual bricks and mortar construction," Mulvaney told reporters. "The other $1 billion is infrastructure and technology."
Mulvaney will testify on Capitol Hill in the House on Wednesday and speak to the Senate on Thursday.
A budget is needed by the end of September to prevent a government shutdown.
*SEE ALSO: Trump's proposed budget sets up an 'epic battle' over government spending*
Join the conversation about this story »
NOW WATCH: WATCH: Putin reacts to Trump firing FBI Director James Comey Reported by Business Insider 20 hours ago.
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Chubb Life Wins Six Bloomberg Businessweek/Chinese Edition Financial Institution Awards 2017
HONG KONG, May 23, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Chubb Life in Hong Kong, the local branch of the life insurance division of Chubb, today announced it has won six awards at the Bloomberg Businessweek/Chinese Edition Financial Institution Awards 2017 ("the Awards") organized by Bloomberg Businessweek/Chinese Edition in Hong Kong. These include Excellence Award in the categories of "Mobile Usability" and "Wealth Management Platform"; Outstanding Award in four categories, namely "Saving Plan", "Retirement Plan", "Client Service" and "Corporate Social Responsibility".Mr. Michael Ho, Country President (right) of Chubb Life in Hong Kong represents the company to receive the award from Bloomberg Businessweek/Chinese Edition.
The Awards recognize Chubb Life in Hong Kong's achievement in crafting and delivering high quality life insurance products and services for our customers. They also reflect the company's profitable performance, significant value growth in products and services, development of innovative strategies, and diversification in capabilities and distribution channels among the life insurance industry.
Michael Ho, Country President of Chubb Life in Hong Kong, said, "We are immensely proud to be the recipient of these pretigious industry awards for the third year, adding to a total of 50 awards since Chubb starts its life operations in Hong Kong in 2011. In particular, attaining the highest honour in both the "Mobile Usability" and "Wealth Management Platform" categories affirms our persistent efforts in enhancing customer experience and commitment in developing the high net worth market. We will continue to deliver the highest standards in all aspects of our business while striving for continous improvement. "
Held for the third year, the Awards aim to recognize contributions and efforts of those financial institutions that have outstanding and profitable performance in the past year; and enhance the competitive edge and credibility of outstanding companies in the banking and financial industry. Judged by a panel comprising professors, financial analysts, legislative councilors and Bloomberg Businessweek/Chinese Edition's editorial board, the Awards are divided into 31 categories in three sectors -- banking, insurance, and investment banking/securities, scoring on market performance, growth, development and business strategy.
Customer promotion
To celebrate the achievements of Chubb Life in Hong Kong, from now till June 30, 2017, customers who successfully apply for designated insurance plan can enjoy up to 3-month premium waiver or up to 12% Super Bonus.
Please refer to the relevant flyer for detailed information and conditions.
*About Chubb Life in Hong Kong*
Chubb is the world's largest publicly traded property and casualty insurance company. With operations in 54 countries, Chubb provides commercial and personal property and casualty insurance, personal accident and supplemental health insurance, reinsurance and life insurance to a diverse group of clients. As an underwriting company, we assess, assume and manage risk with insight and discipline. We service and pay our claims fairly and promptly. The company is also defined by its extensive product and service offerings, broad distribution capabilities, exceptional financial strength and local operations globally. Parent company Chubb Limited is listed on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: CB) and is a component of the S&P 500 index. Chubb maintains executive offices in Zurich, New York, London and other locations, and employs approximately 31,000 people worldwide.
Chubb Life, the life insurance division of Chubb, operates in 30 countries around the world. In Asia, Chubb Life operates in Hong Kong, Indonesia, Korea, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam, and participates in a joint-venture in China. Chubb Life has been in Hong Kong since 1976, and launched its Global Wealth Management business from Hong Kong in 2015. To meet the financial protection and wealth management needs of its broad range of customers, Chubb Life in Hong Kong (Chubb Life Insurance Company Ltd.) offers a range of life protection, savings, accident and health insurance solutions through agents, brokers and banks.
Additional information can be found at: http://life.chubb.com/hk
Photo - https://photos.prnasia.com/prnh/20170523/1858493-1
SOURCE Chubb Life Reported by PR Newswire Asia 17 hours ago.
The Awards recognize Chubb Life in Hong Kong's achievement in crafting and delivering high quality life insurance products and services for our customers. They also reflect the company's profitable performance, significant value growth in products and services, development of innovative strategies, and diversification in capabilities and distribution channels among the life insurance industry.
Michael Ho, Country President of Chubb Life in Hong Kong, said, "We are immensely proud to be the recipient of these pretigious industry awards for the third year, adding to a total of 50 awards since Chubb starts its life operations in Hong Kong in 2011. In particular, attaining the highest honour in both the "Mobile Usability" and "Wealth Management Platform" categories affirms our persistent efforts in enhancing customer experience and commitment in developing the high net worth market. We will continue to deliver the highest standards in all aspects of our business while striving for continous improvement. "
Held for the third year, the Awards aim to recognize contributions and efforts of those financial institutions that have outstanding and profitable performance in the past year; and enhance the competitive edge and credibility of outstanding companies in the banking and financial industry. Judged by a panel comprising professors, financial analysts, legislative councilors and Bloomberg Businessweek/Chinese Edition's editorial board, the Awards are divided into 31 categories in three sectors -- banking, insurance, and investment banking/securities, scoring on market performance, growth, development and business strategy.
Customer promotion
To celebrate the achievements of Chubb Life in Hong Kong, from now till June 30, 2017, customers who successfully apply for designated insurance plan can enjoy up to 3-month premium waiver or up to 12% Super Bonus.
Please refer to the relevant flyer for detailed information and conditions.
*About Chubb Life in Hong Kong*
Chubb is the world's largest publicly traded property and casualty insurance company. With operations in 54 countries, Chubb provides commercial and personal property and casualty insurance, personal accident and supplemental health insurance, reinsurance and life insurance to a diverse group of clients. As an underwriting company, we assess, assume and manage risk with insight and discipline. We service and pay our claims fairly and promptly. The company is also defined by its extensive product and service offerings, broad distribution capabilities, exceptional financial strength and local operations globally. Parent company Chubb Limited is listed on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE: CB) and is a component of the S&P 500 index. Chubb maintains executive offices in Zurich, New York, London and other locations, and employs approximately 31,000 people worldwide.
Chubb Life, the life insurance division of Chubb, operates in 30 countries around the world. In Asia, Chubb Life operates in Hong Kong, Indonesia, Korea, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam, and participates in a joint-venture in China. Chubb Life has been in Hong Kong since 1976, and launched its Global Wealth Management business from Hong Kong in 2015. To meet the financial protection and wealth management needs of its broad range of customers, Chubb Life in Hong Kong (Chubb Life Insurance Company Ltd.) offers a range of life protection, savings, accident and health insurance solutions through agents, brokers and banks.
Additional information can be found at: http://life.chubb.com/hk
Photo - https://photos.prnasia.com/prnh/20170523/1858493-1
SOURCE Chubb Life Reported by PR Newswire Asia 17 hours ago.
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Uncertainty grows as Trump delays a health care decision
The administration and House Republicans have asked a federal appeals court for a 90-day extension in a case that involves federal payments to reduce deductibles and copayments for people with modest incomes who buy their own policies. In requesting the extension, lawyers for the Trump administration and the House said the parties are continuing to work on measures, "including potential legislative action," to resolve the issue. —Continued protections for people with pre-existing medical conditions and sustained federal funding to offset the cost of care for the sickest patients. —Preserving ACA consumer safeguards including no lifetime caps on benefits, no higher premium for women based on gender, and a requirement that insurers spend a minimum of 80 cents of every premium dollar on medical care. About 20 million Americans purchase individual health insurance policies, with more than half using the ACA's markets, which offer income-based subsidies for premiums and out-of-pocket costs. "In merely delaying their suit, Republicans cynically continue to sow uncertainty in the health coverage of millions of Americans," House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi of California said in a statement. The case is on appeal after a lower court ruled that the government lacks constitutional authority to make the payments because Congress failed to specifically approve them in the Obama-era health overhaul legislation.
Reported by SeattlePI.com 17 hours ago.
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What is health insurance and why do you need it?
Shorter waiting times, faster diagnosis, better facilities
Reported by Independent 13 hours ago.
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10 things you need to know before the opening bell (SPY, SPX, QQQ, DIA, AAPL, NOK)
Here is what you need to know.
*Trump's budget is out. *The White House's 2018 budget calls for massive cuts over the next 10 years to social safety-net programs like Medicaid, food stamps, and the Children's Health Insurance Program while increasing the budget for the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Defense.
*The British pound is slipping after the Manchester bombing.* The pound trades down by 0.2% at 1.2972 against the dollar after an explosion following an Ariana Grande concert on Monday night killed at least 22 people while injuring more than 50.
*Greece still doesn't have a deal. *A meeting between Greece and its creditors failed to iron out details of a new debt deal, with the International Monetary Fund reiterating its stance that any framework must grant debt relief, Reuters says.
*Eurozone growth holds at a 6-year high. *Flash eurozone PMI held at a six-year high of 56.8 in May, with IHS Markit saying, "Job creation also perked up to one of the strongest recorded over the past decade amid improved optimism about future prospects."
*Bitcoin plunges and then recovers. *The cryptocurrency fell by more than $300 a coin from Monday's record high of $2,298 before recouping its losses. Bitcoin now trades up by almost 2% near $2,190.
*Apple and Nokia settle their patent dispute. *Apple will pay Nokia an undisclosed up-front cash payment and additional revenue, and the two sides agreed to collaborate further, Reuters says.
*Global smartphone sales jumped. *The global smartphone market grew by 9.1% in the first quarter versus a year ago, but Apple and Samsung saw their market shares fall, TechCrunch reports, citing Gartner data.
*Stock markets around the world trade mixed. *China's Shanghai Composite (-0.5%) lagged in Asia, and Germany's DAX (+0.4%) is out front in Europe. The S&P 500 is set to open up by 0.2% near 2,398.
*Earnings reporting is light. *AutoZone and Toll Brothers are among the names reporting ahead of the opening bell.
*US economic data flows. *US Markit PMIs will be released at 9:45 a.m. ET, and new-home sales will cross the wires at 10 a.m. ET. The US 10-year yield is down by 1 basis point at 2.25%.
Join the conversation about this story » Reported by Business Insider 8 hours ago.
*Trump's budget is out. *The White House's 2018 budget calls for massive cuts over the next 10 years to social safety-net programs like Medicaid, food stamps, and the Children's Health Insurance Program while increasing the budget for the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Defense.
*The British pound is slipping after the Manchester bombing.* The pound trades down by 0.2% at 1.2972 against the dollar after an explosion following an Ariana Grande concert on Monday night killed at least 22 people while injuring more than 50.
*Greece still doesn't have a deal. *A meeting between Greece and its creditors failed to iron out details of a new debt deal, with the International Monetary Fund reiterating its stance that any framework must grant debt relief, Reuters says.
*Eurozone growth holds at a 6-year high. *Flash eurozone PMI held at a six-year high of 56.8 in May, with IHS Markit saying, "Job creation also perked up to one of the strongest recorded over the past decade amid improved optimism about future prospects."
*Bitcoin plunges and then recovers. *The cryptocurrency fell by more than $300 a coin from Monday's record high of $2,298 before recouping its losses. Bitcoin now trades up by almost 2% near $2,190.
*Apple and Nokia settle their patent dispute. *Apple will pay Nokia an undisclosed up-front cash payment and additional revenue, and the two sides agreed to collaborate further, Reuters says.
*Global smartphone sales jumped. *The global smartphone market grew by 9.1% in the first quarter versus a year ago, but Apple and Samsung saw their market shares fall, TechCrunch reports, citing Gartner data.
*Stock markets around the world trade mixed. *China's Shanghai Composite (-0.5%) lagged in Asia, and Germany's DAX (+0.4%) is out front in Europe. The S&P 500 is set to open up by 0.2% near 2,398.
*Earnings reporting is light. *AutoZone and Toll Brothers are among the names reporting ahead of the opening bell.
*US economic data flows. *US Markit PMIs will be released at 9:45 a.m. ET, and new-home sales will cross the wires at 10 a.m. ET. The US 10-year yield is down by 1 basis point at 2.25%.
Join the conversation about this story » Reported by Business Insider 8 hours ago.
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