8 Ways New Healthcare Bill Is Harmful To Your Health
8 Ways the Health Care Bill Is Hazardous to Your Health by David Frank, AARP , May 2, 2017|Comments: 0 En espaol | A bill slated for a vote in the U.S. House of Representatives this week threatens your health and your wallet in many ways. The American Health Care Act (AHCA) was pulled from consideration in March because it lacked the votes. House leaders say they are mustering support for a revised version of the AHCA despite opposition from doctors, hospitals and consumer groups, including AARP. They hope to have a vote on the bill this week. Among the key provisions, the legislation would: Impose an age tax . Insurers could charge older adults five times what younger consumers pay for health insurance up from three times what younger people pay, under the current law. At the same time, the bill would reduce tax credits that help older adults afford their coverage. The age tax could increase annual premiums by $13,000, according to the Congressional Budget Office (CBO). Making matters worse, states could receive a federal waiver that would allow insurers to charge even more than five times what younger people pay. Allow insurers to charge higher premiums to consumers with preexisting conditions , potentially to levels that people cannot afford. Some 25 million people ages 50 to 64 have a preexisting condition, such as cancer, diabetes or heart disease. They are protected under current law from paying more for insurance than those without such conditions. Permit states to rely upon high-risk pools with sky-high premiums to cover people with preexisting conditions. That tab could reach $25,700 a year in 2019, according to AARPs Public Policy Institute. Whats more, high-risk pools are not a viable solution. When they were used before the passage of the Affordable Care Ac Continue reading >>
Grade The President: Here's What You Thought Of Trump's First 100 Days
President Trump has earned a failing grade as a leader and as a manager. Without a doubt, the Trump Presidency has been the worst moment in recent U.S. history. Trump has to make the parties meet in the middle. Obamacare isn't perfect but the attack on health care benefits rather than the health insurance industry, high drug prices, and correction of Obamacare flaws is shameful. Trump's foreign policy is incoherent. I can't believe it's only been 100 days. He has been the most divisive President of my lifetime. His inability to tell the truth is mind boggling and serves to underscore how unfit he is for the job. Trump's staff do not understand America's mission and values, have no strategy to serve America's people, fail to perform the tasks of the Executive branch, cannot handle a crisis, show no concern for future generations, and have no culture other than corruption. Trump's tax cuts will dramatically raise my taxes, while cutting his Trump continued to recklessly roll back protections for workers, the environment, and healthcare. live and work with the military in South Korea. Totally don't appreciate him endangering me and my students and friends at all. There have been so many assaults on our rights and everything important to me, it's virtually impossible to keep up. President Trump is trying to accomplish the things that he set out to accomplish. He put Wall Street and many divisive advisors back in the driver's seat. He's running the government more like a business. He is tough, but fair and honest as opposed to the liberals and the media. I feel that he can't be trusted, not a single thing he has said has been truthful, with the exception of him admitting that the job was hard. Today I was listening to NPR and I heard a clip of Trump saying something to the Continue reading >>
Fact Check: Rumors, Claims And Context On G.o.p. Health Bill
Politics |Fact Check: Rumors, Claims and Context on G.O.P. Health Bill Members of the House Energy and Commerce Committee plowed through a stack of amendments for the American Health Care Act, which would repeal most of Obamacare, in March. Credit Stephen Crowley/The New York Times WASHINGTON Rumors that the Republican health care bill counts rape, domestic violence and ulcers as uninsurable pre-existing conditions are circulating among opponents of the bill. But these claims are overly simplistic. The claims conflate what the bill says and its potential outcomes. While the bill could weaken protections for people with pre-existing conditions and result in much more expensive insurance , the effect ultimately rests on states and insurers. More important, the bill does not specify what a pre-existing condition is, nor does it allow insurers to deny coverage outright, although potentially they could set premiums beyond the reach of some sick consumers. Several liberal websites, like the Resistance Report , suggested that the bill allows insurers to discriminate against rape victims. Under Trumpcare plan, rape would be considered a pre-existing condition. THIS NEEDS CONTEXT. The bill does not define rape as a pre-existing condition, and neither did insurers before the Affordable Care Act. It is possible that sexual assault victims could see higher insurance costs, not because of assault itself but because of resulting trauma or sexually transmitted diseases. Iterations of the claim began to circulate year ago during the debate over the Affordable Care Act. Internet searches on whether rape is a pre-existing condition started to spike again on Wednesday, the day before the House voted to repeal and replace the health care law . This appeared to follow the publication of an Continue reading >>
Trump Budget Director: No Health Care For Lazy Americans
Photo-Illustration: Daily Intelligencer; Photos: Saul Loeb/AFP/Getty Images (Trump); Mike Kemp/Getty Images/Rubberball Many conservatives believe that a large proportion of Americans do not deserve access to medical care because their high medical costs result from poor decisions. This belief has been floating around right-wing circles for years. It resurfaced during the debate over the passage of Obamacare, was recently endorsed by Representative Mo Brooks, and again last week by Mick Mulvaney, the Trump administrations budget director. Mulvaney defended the Republican health-care plan because it allegedly provides a safety net for people who get cancer. However, he insisted, That doesnt mean we should take care of the person who sits at home, eats poorly, and gets diabetes. Almost anybody who is not an American conservative would consider the premise that denial of medical care is a fair punishment for unhealthy behavior self-evidently monstrous. But since the idea has important resonance within the Republican Party Mulvaney alone is a highly influential member of the Trump administration it is worth examining the idea on its own terms. There is some proportion of medical costs attributable to lifestyle decisions within ones control. The Affordable Care Act does allow insurers to charge higher rates to smokers, but it doesnt let them charge higher rates to people who eat badly, refuse to exercise, and so on. It is true that universal health insurance does subsidize the cost of unhealthy behavior. Lets assume that we accept the premise that denial of medical care is a morally acceptable tool to attack this problem. (Which, to be clear, I very much reject.) Can the Republican health-care plan be justified as a response to this kind of moral hazard? No, it cant. The fir Continue reading >>
- For Native Americans, fighting diabetes means fighting the federal government for their fair share of health care funds
- Top Trump official says we shouldnt take care of someone who eats poorly and gets diabetes
- Solera Health and the American Diabetes Association® Collaborate to Help Prevent and Delay Type 2 Diabetes for Millions of Americans
Fact Checking President Trump's Claims About James Comey
Fact Checking President Trump's Claims About James Comey President Donald Trump contended in recent days that he didnt know his FBI chief, James Comey, well enough to lean on him for his loyalty. That was one of a number of claims by the president that called for scrutiny in the fierce backwash of Comeys accusations in Senate testimony that Trump exerted improper pressure on him to back off an FBI investigation. A review of some statements from the president and his people on the Russia investigation, NATO, health care and more: Trump: I believe the James Comey leaks will be far more prevalent than anyone ever thought possible. Totally illegal? Very cowardly! tweet Sunday I believe the James Comey leaks will be far more prevalent than anyone ever thought possible. Totally illegal? Very 'cowardly!' Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) June 11, 2017 The Facts: Cowardice and courage are in the eye of the beholder. As to Trumps question about the legality of Comeys disclosures , theres scant expert opinion that the fired FBI chief broke the law when he released memos he wrote of his private conversations with Trump. Several Republican lawmakers, though admiring of his testimony to Congress last week , said it was inappropriate for Comey to give the memos to a friend for the purpose of making them public. But few are alleging criminal behavior. Releasing his memos is not damaging to national security, Republican Sen. James Lankford of Oklahoma said Sunday. Trump actually was ahead of Comey in disclosing content from their private meetings and phone calls. When he fired the director, Trump revealed that Comey had assured him he was not under FBI investigation. Comey said he resisted pressure from Trump to make that fact public because the investigation might expand to include Continue reading >>
Gop Rep. Says Those With Pre-existing Conditions Don't Live Right
GOP Rep. Says Those With Pre-Existing Conditions Don't Live Right Today has been a day where Donald Trump, Sean Spicer, and every surrogate on the planet has an opinion on Trumpcare and pre-existing conditions. Trump and Spicer just plan on lying to everyone. Rep. Mo Brooks, on the other hand, has a more nuanced and evil argument. People with pre-existing conditions, you see, just haven't led good lives. My understanding is that it will allow insurance companies to require people who have higher health care costs to contribute more to the insurance pool, Brooks said. That helps offset all these costs, thereby reducing the cost to those people who lead good lives, theyre healthy, theyve done the things to keep their bodies healthy. And right now those are the peoplewhove done things the right waythat are seeing their costs skyrocketing. Oh, hey, Rep. Brooks, how about if you go sit over there in the corner and take a nice dose of STFU while you explain to me how children born with diabetes don't live good lives. Tell me about the young person who played sports and hurt their knee. Apparently that's a sign of not living a good life? How about that young pregnant mother? Suddenly pregnancy is not leading a good life? I think about veterans coming back from our wars in Iraq and Afghanistan who need lifetime medical attention. Are they too, people who haven't lived good lives? These Republicans do not understand how health insurance works. Everyone will need health care at some point, through no fault of their own, but simply because people get sick, they get hurt, they are afflicted with disease and illness, often through no fault of their own. So we all get in the same pool and swim together, dividing up the costs amongst all of us. We don't judge others about how they li Continue reading >>
Trump Official Says Diabetes A Preexisting Condition Not Worthy Of Coverage
Mick Mulvaney, OMB director, is the latest Republican official whose rhetoric in support of the AHCA has drawn condemnation. Editor’s Note – 5/18/2017 – Since this article was published, we have found video with the full quote from Director Mulvaney. It is somewhat different than the condensed quote attributed to him by the Washington Examiner. You can read the full quote here: Republicans have continued to struggle with their messaging in defense of the American Health Care Act (AHCA), particularly when it comes to the provisions of the legislation that weakens protections for people with preexisting conditions. sponsor Mick Mulvaney, director of the Office of Management and Budget for the Trump administration, was the latest to utter a remark quickly deemed insensitive to people with preexisting conditions, and he managed to use the “D” word while doing so. Read more: Congressman Says Your Preexisting Condition is Probably Your Fault According to a report in the Washington Examiner, Mr. Mulvaney attempted to differentiate between preexisting conditions which deserve coverage and those which don’t. While doing so, he is reported to have said, “That doesn’t mean we should take care of the person who sits at home, eats poorly and gets diabetes. Is that the same thing as Jimmy Kimmel’s kid? I don’t think that it is.” His statement was quickly condemned by many in the diabetes community, including the American Diabetes Association. The ADA put out a statement saying it “is extremely disappointed by the misinformed statement of Mick Mulvaney, director of the White House Office of Management and Budget, as reported by The Washington Examiner. Mr. Mulvaney’s comments perpetuate the stigma that one chooses to have diabetes based on his/her lifestyle. Continue reading >>
Obamacare And Diabetes — Year Two
What does the Affordable Care Act (the ACA, also known as “Obamacare”) mean for people with diabetes? ACA makes some changes that should help people with diabetes, and some that maybe aren’t so good. I’m not talking about ACA’s long-term effects on the health-care system or the economy. We’re just talking about immediate impacts on people with diabetes. The most important positive is that plans will no longer be allowed to deny coverage because of diabetes. According to the American Association of Diabetes Educators (AADE), “Starting in 2014 job-based plans and new individual plans aren’t allowed to deny coverage, charge more, or refuse to cover treatments due to a pre-existing condition such as diabetes.” Many readers have probably been denied coverage in the past. Have you noticed a difference with ACA? Another good thing: ACA requires “free preventive care” from most plans. This includes diabetes screenings for adults with high blood pressure and for pregnant women. It also requires “medical nutrition therapy” for people with diabetes. But the rules vary by state. What has been your experience? AADE believes that diabetes self-management training (DSMT) will be more readily covered under ACA, but we don’t know the exact status of DSMT yet. How much training will be covered, and how much will insurers pay? In theory, all plans have to provide basic levels of coverage and quality to be sold in the government’s “insurance marketplaces.” Most experts think this is a good thing, but some people are miffed. The coverage they have had for a long time does not meet government standards and is no longer available or is at least are harder to get. A major negative for young healthy people (though not for people with diabetes) is that they are Continue reading >>
Trump White House Says Diabetics Dont Deserve Health Care
Trump White House Says Diabetics Dont Deserve Health Care Facebook Twitter Subscribe Google Whatsapp Pinterest Print Mail Flipboard Trump Budget Director Mick Mulvaney said that people with Type 2 diabetes dont deserve to have health insurance because they gave themselves diabetes. While speaking at Stanford University, Trump Budget Director Mick Mulvaney classified diabetes as a bad lifestyle choice, That doesnt mean we should take care of the person who sits at home, eats poorly and gets diabetes. Is that the same thing as Jimmy Kimmels kid? I dont think that it is. If you get Type II diabetes because you listened to Republicans and rebelled against former First Lady Michelle Obamas efforts to encourage healthy eating, youre on your own. According to the CDC , More than 29 million Americans are living with diabetes, and 86 million are living with prediabetes, a serious health condition that increases a persons risk of type 2 diabetes and other chronic diseases. Type 2 diabetes accounts for about 90% to 95% of all diagnosed cases of diabetes, and type 1 diabetes accounts for about 5%. The health and economic costs for both are enormous. The way Republicans are going to bring down the cost of health care is to not pay for care for people who have Type II diabetes. Not surprisingly the top nine states with the highest rates of diabetes were all won by Donald Trump in 2016 presidential election. The principle behind the Republican plan is that sick people must pay more for less coverage. Trumpcare is targeting sick people, and the next group on the list are the more than 100 million Americans who have Type II diabetes or are pre-diabetic. If youre ready to read more from the unbossed and unbought Politicus team, sign up for our newsletter here! Continue reading >>
S.amdt.8 To S.con.res.3115th Congress (2017-2018)
Amendment Text: S.Amdt.8 115th Congress (2017-2018) This Amendment appears on page S79 in the following article from the Congressional Record. [ Pages S75-S106 ]From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov] CONCURRENT RESOLUTION ON THE BUDGET, FISCAL YEAR 2017 The PRESIDING OFFICER. The clerk will report the concurrent resolution. The bill clerk read as follows: A concurrent resolution ( S. Con. Res. 3 ) setting forth the congressional budget for the United States Government for fiscal year 2017 and setting forth the appropriate budgetary levels for fiscal years 2018 through 2026. The PRESIDING OFFICER. The assistant Democratic leader. Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, the pending business in the U.S. Senate is to set the stage procedurally so the Republican majority of 52 to 48 can repeal ObamaCare, the Affordable Care Act. That is what we are about. That is the business of the day, the week, and probably the weeks to come. So we are addressing that issue and others related to the budget. I would like to start by sharing a story that was told to me by a family who I represent, Richard and Mary Laidman, who live in Naperville, Illinois. They told me a story, and I will recount it to you. My 13-year-old son Sam was diagnosed with leukemia one day after the ``no pre-existing conditions exclusions for children''[[ Page S76 ]] protection went into effect [under the Affordable Care Act.] The good news is that the form of leukemia has, so far, been effectively controlled by a magic-bullet drug. My son is currently a very robust young man and in otherwise good health (while the drug keeps him alive). The bad news is that the drug, as I understand it, costs [Blue Cross Blue Shield] about $10,000 a MONTH! Without even going into the issue Continue reading >>
Trump White House Says Diabetics Dont Deserve Health Care (statistics, Alabama) - Politics And Other Controversies -democrats, Republicans, Libertarians, Conservatives, Liberals, Third Parties, Left-wing, Right-wing, Congress, President - City-data Forum
Trump White House Says Diabetics Dont Deserve Health Care (statistics, Alabama) Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account , you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads. View detailed profile ( Advanced ) or search Trump Budget Director Mick Mulvaney said that people with Type 2 diabetes don't deserve to have health insurance because they gave themselves diabetes. Trump Budget Director Mick Mulvaney said that people with Type 2 diabetes don't deserve to have health insurance because they gave themselves diabetes. Ironic that the states with the highest type II d are all trump states. Hilariously ironic. Ironic that the states with the highest type II d are all trump states. Hilariously ironic. Look at the rates of incidence by ethnicity/race. Those skewing the statistics are highly unlikely to be Trump voters: $245 billion: Total costs of diagnosed diabetes in the United States in 2012 Trump Budget Director Mick Mulvaney said that people with Type 2 diabetes don't deserve to have health insurance because they gave themselves diabetes. This idiot has no idea what he's talking about... Type 2 diabetes develops when the body becomes resistant to insulin or when the pancreas stops producing enough insulin. Exactly why this happens is unknown, although genetics and environmental factors, such as excess weight and inactivity, seem to be contributing factors. Status: "Climbing Celeste" (set 6 days ago) Look at the rates of incidence by ethnicity/race. Those skewing the statistics are highly unlikely to be Trump voters: Statistics About Diabetes: American Diabetes Association Interesting how Continue reading >>
White House Removes Military Family Support Page From Official Site (updated)
White House removes military family support page from official site (updated) Shortly after President Donald Trump raised his right hand and took the Oath of Office, the Joining Forces page on WhiteHouse.gov went dark. When Googled, the first link which used to be the Obama administrations official page is now no longer part of the White Houses website and is, instead, housed at archives.gov . The URL, whitehouse.gov/joiningforces also redirects to the archived version. When using the search string Joining Forces on the official White House website, no hits appear that are related to the Joining Forces initiative. Screenshot of WhiteHouse.gov, taken 1/20/2017. Created in 2011 by former First Lady Michelle Obama and Dr. Jill Biden, Joining Forces had the mission to work, advocate for, and raise awareness of the obstacles and difficulties military families face. The initiative has worked with private companies to put military-connected folks in careers, called on state legislatures to make license portability easier for military spouses, and expanded wellness services. According to Military Times , Joining Forces had received 1.25 million hiring commitments for veterans and military spouses from its corporate partners. It also has helped broker legislation enabling spouses to transfer certifications across all 50 states. Other highlights included more than 100 colleges training future educators on the needs of military children, 35 communities committing to reducing veteran homelessness, and a campaign to raise awareness for mental health issues affecting the military community. While Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton promised to keep the successful initiative, then-Republican nominee Trump was hesitant to state his support of the program. It will remain to be seen whet Continue reading >>
Mulvaney Agrees With 'jimmy Kimmel Test'
Budget Director Mick Mulvaney said Thursday that a Republican plan to repeal and replace Obamacare should pass the "Jimmy Kimmel test." (AP Photo/Andrew Harnik) Mick Mulvaney, President Trump's budget chief, said Thursday that a Republican plan to repeal and replace Obamacare should pass the "Jimmy Kimmel test," though his definition deviated from that of the comedian's. The phrase "Jimmy Kimmel test" was coined by Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., after Kimmel delivered a monologue last week in which he shared difficult circumstances about his son's birth and pleaded for politicians to keep Obamacare's guarantee for coverage of people with pre-existing illnesses. Cassidy said he would vote for a healthcare bill only if it met that test, and Mulvaney was asked by a member of the audience at the Light Forum at Stanford University in Palo Alto, Calif., if he agreed with that standard. "I do think it should meet that test," Mulvaney said. "We have plenty of money to deal with that. We have plenty of money to provide that safety net so that if you get cancer you don't end up broke that is not the question. The question is, who is responsible for your ordinary healthcare? You or somebody else?" He said the debate centered on whether others should pay the burden of paying for someone's healthcare. "That doesn't mean we should take care of the person who sits at home, eats poorly and gets diabetes. Is that the same thing as Jimmy Kimmel's kid? I don't think that it is." Kimmel told Cassidy this week that his definition of the test was "that no family should be denied medical care, emergency or otherwise, because they can't afford it." Of Kimmel's definition, Cassidy said: "Hey, man, you're on the right track, if that's the closest we can get that works great in government. Now we hav Continue reading >>
Mick Mulvaney Gets Schooled About Diabetes After Saying Its Caused By Poor Lifestyle Choices
The American Diabetes Association is teaching Mick Mulvaney, who serves as head of the Office of Management and Budget under President Donald Trump, a valuable lesson about human biology. On Thursday, Mulvaney told an audience at the Light Forum at Stanford University that people who get diabetes may not deserve affordable health insurance. "That doesn't mean we should take care of the person who sits at home, eats poorly and gets diabetes. Is that the same thing as Jimmy Kimmel's kid? I don't think that it is," Mulvaney told the audience, according to a report by the Washington Examiner . Butas the American Diabetes Association pointed out in a public statement on Friday, the notion that the condition is solely caused by poor lifestyle choices is both offensive and inaccurate. "All of the scientific evidence indicates that diabetes develops from a diverse set of risk factors, genetics being a primary cause," the statement said. "People with diabetes need access to affordable health care in order to effectively manage their disease and prevent dangerous and costly complications. Nobody should be denied coverage or charged more based on their health status." This isn't the first time that Mulvaney has made comments which critics perceived as calloused and factually challenged. In March, Mulvaney caught flak for arguing that cutting funds to Meals on Wheels was "probably one of the most compassionate things we can do" because it allowed the government to "guarantee to you that that money is actually being used in a proper function." Not only was this remark derided for its insensitivity, but it ignored the fact that Meals on Wheels has been demonstrably very effective. Continue reading >>
Fact-checking Trump White House Health Care Claims
Fact-checking Trump White House health care claims By Allison Graves , Aaron Sharockman on Sunday, March 12th, 2017 at 4:16 p.m. Health and Human Services secretary Tom Price made the case that Obamacares impact on the number of new people insured can be overstated. Republicans supporting the House GOPs effort to repeal and replace Obamacare are pushing back on criticism that the plan would strip health insurance away from an estimated 6 million to 15 million Americans, as Congress awaits additional insight from the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office. UPDATE:The CBO released its analysis of the House plan on March 13, 2017. The CBO says the plan would "reduce federal deficits by $337 billion over the coming decade and increase the number of people who are uninsured by 24 million in 2026 relative to current law." Appearing on the Sunday shows, White House Office of Management and Budget director Mick Mulvaney said the CBO isnt capable of assessing such a large piece of legislation. "If the CBO was right about Obamacare to begin with, there'd be 8 million more people on Obamacare today than there actually are," Mulvaney said on This Week. "So, I love the folks at the CBO, they work really hard. They do. Sometimes we ask them to do stuff that they're not capable of doing." Gary Cohn, director of the White Houses National Economic Council, echoed Mulvaney on Fox News Sunday. For PolitiFact, those claims rate Half True . Mulvaney has a point that the CBOs projections for how many people would gain coverage through the Affordable Care Act was higher than reality, but that criticism isnt enough to undermine the CBOs ability to analyze the Republican repeal-and-replace bill, experts told us. The CBO released enrollment projections for the health care law in March 2010. It Continue reading >>
