The GOP Health Plan -or-If You're Not Wealthy You're Screwed

[Lord Jim]

Here's a link to a really good breakdown on where individual GOP Senators are currently on the Senate bill:

http://www.cnn.com/2017/06/22/politics/ ... index.html

[Scooter]

It will only take three. Susan Collins among all of them has to know that her career is over if she votes for this bill.

[Scooter]

[rubato]

Only Republicans would think this was a good idea:

http://thehill.com/policy/healthcare/33 ... hcare-bill

Senate adds penalty for going uninsured to healthcare bill
By Rachel Roubein and Nathaniel Weixel - 06/26/17 01:29 PM EDT

Senate Republicans on Monday released a revised version of their healthcare reform bill that adds a provision requiring consumers with a break in coverage to wait six months before buying insurance.

The Senate bill would make those who had a lapse in coverage for 63 days or more wait six months before obtaining insurance. Read the bill here.

The continuous coverage provision was noticeably omitted from the Senate’s draft, but aides said they were working behind the scenes to add it. The provision addresses concerns that people would only sign up for health coverage when they’re sick if insurers can't deny coverage for pre-existing conditions.

The addition of the six-month waiting period could make it more difficult to pass the legislation if the Senate parliamentarian rules the provision violates the complex budget reconciliation rules. Republican leadership was working over the weekend to make sure the provision complies with the rules and can be included. ... "

Killing people by denying them care when they are sick is a choice. And Republicans think choice is a good thing.

McConnell was given free care paid for by the government when he got polio as a child. Now he wants to take that away from everyone else.

GOP = the party of death.

yrs,
rubato

[Lord Jim]

This just in...

Sen. Susan Collins‏Verified account @SenatorCollins 13m13 minutes ago

I want to work w/ my GOP & Dem colleagues to fix the flaws in ACA. CBO analysis shows Senate bill won't do it. I will vote no on mtp. 1/3
717 replies 1,302 retweets 2,858 likes

ETA:

Sen. Susan Collins‏Verified account @SenatorCollins 12m12 minutes ago
Replying to @SenatorCollins

Senate bill doesn't fix ACA problems for rural Maine. Our hospitals are already struggling. 1 in 5 Mainers are on Medicaid. 3/3
106 replies 325 retweets 924 likes

Sen. Susan Collins‏Verified account @SenatorCollins 13m13 minutes ago
Replying to @SenatorCollins

CBO says 22 million people lose insurance; Medicaid cuts hurt most vulnerable Americans; access to healthcare in rural areas threatened. 2/3
21 replies 303 retweets 825 likes

[Scooter]

With Heller that's two. Only needs one more.

[Scooter]

I'm not even counting the five who said they won't support it because it won't kill enough people for their taste, because I suspect that's just posturing.

[Scooter]

And just because we all know that I'm psychic, when it fails, Trump will tweet that it's Obama's or Clinton's or some generic Democrats' fault.

[Lord Jim]

I'm not even counting the five who said they won't support it because it won't kill enough people for their taste, because I suspect that's just posturing.

I don't know...

They may not be able to craft a bill that will kill enough people to suit Rand Paul...

[Sue U]

This is not a healthcare bill. This is a tax-cut-for-the-wealthy and windfall-for-the-insurance-industry bill.

For the life of me, I can't understand why Americans think it's okay to be having a "healthcare" debate over how much we can cut from funding and how many can we exclude from coverage, rather than how to provide quality medical care for everyone. Every other industrialized democracy in the world provides universal healthcare. The farce being played out in Congress is simply a policy choice that this government is making: ensuring healthcare for every American is just not as important as tax cuts for the rich and profits for the insurance industry.

[Scooter]

[Sue U]

About 21% of Medicaid beneficiaries are elderly or disabled, and another 46% are children. Leeches on society, obvs.

[Scooter]

Better to reduce the surplus population, someone once said.

[RayThom]

Better to reduce the surplus population, someone once said.

[Beer Sponge]

Better to reduce the surplus population, someone once said.

Even that guy learned to value his humanity, and the humanity of others! Not much hope with this crop of republicans.

[Scooter]

They had the nerve to raise the spectre of "death panels" under the ACA, and now they have the balls of purest brass to produce THIS as a replacement? Ma fammi il piacere!

[BoSoxGal]

This bill can't pass, can it?

[Scooter]

I would have said the same thing about the House bill, so...

[Lord Jim]

This bill can't pass, can it?

Not this week...

GOP Delays Health Care Vote Amid Defections, Disagreement

WASHINGTON — Senate Republicans Tuesday postponed a planned vote on the GOP bill to replace Obamacare until after the July 4th recess. Senators were told of the delay at a Republican lunch by Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, according to multiple sources.

At least five GOP senators had said they were not prepared to vote in favor of a procedural measure that was slated to take place as early as Tuesday evening. That vote was necessary to begin the process that would have allowed the Senate to take a final vote by the end of the week. With no Democratic support for the bill, GOP leadership needs the votes of at least 50 of the 52 Republican senators to pass it.

Many Republican senators expressed their reservations about the bill as they walked into their weekly Tuesday lunch where they were joined by Vice President Mike Pence and White House Chief of Staff Reince Priebus. All GOP senators have been invited to a meeting at the White House this afternoon to discuss the legislation.

Both conservative and moderate Republicans have talked about their concerns with the bill since it was unveiled late last week. Conservatives were disappointed that the legislation does not constitute a full repeal of the Affordable Care Act, while moderates in the senate are concerned about the deep cuts in Medicaid spending.

http://www.nbcnews.com/politics/congres ... an-n777266

[Big RR]

Jim--I imagine you know the procedure here; if the dems tried to filibuster, could a simple majority vote to end it?