Tag: Obamacare

“Fix Obamacare! Stop Wasting Time and Money Tearing It Down.”

The Republicans have burned a lot of time and money trying to dismantle Obamacare. Instead, they and the Democrats should be collaborating to fix it.

For more than 20 million previously uninsured Americans, health insurance through the Affordable Care Act (the “ACA” or “Obamacare”) has been a boost in ways that cannot be measured in dollars and cents:  better health, lower stress, more productivity, making life better for everyone.

“Instead of collaboration to make Obamacare better, Congress spent $87 million of taxpayer dollars on 60 efforts to repeal it.”

The efforts to “repeal and replace” appear to give priority to cutting taxes for the wealthy, and assuring big profits for health insurers, rather than bringing health care to more Americans.  (By the way, can you imagine how great it would be if everyone here was healthy–or at least healthier?)

What is most upsetting is that these same conservatives, through their politics, have done their best to cripple Obamacare and now use the damage they have wrought as a cover for their efforts to repeal and replace it.

I am not saying Obamacare is perfect.  Even President Obama called for improvements. But instead of collaboration to fix the current law, Congress spent $87 million of taxpayer dollars on 60 unsuccessful attempts to repeal it.

Those who sponsored those efforts knew full well that President Obama’s veto pen was always ready.  The only explanation for their bullheaded behavior is that it was a craven, partisan effort to manipulate public opinion and weaken Obamacare.

“Conservatives, through their politics, have done their best to cripple Obamacare and now use the damage they have wrought as a cover for their efforts to repeal and replace.”

They have now turned up the volume on words and phrases, like “disaster,” “imploding,” “death spirals,” and other highly-charged rhetoric that exaggerates and misleads.  (Remember “Death Panels”?)

Of course, this has been calculated to further undermine confidence in the current law and drive away demand from the individual insurance markets.

In addition, on the very day of his inauguration, President Trump’s first order of business to call for “repeal and replacement” of Obamacare and non-enforcement of its mandate and penalties.  For the continued viability of Obamacare, this was like draining the air from your tires and putting sugar in your gas tank.

The new American Health Care Act (the “AHCA” or “Ryancare”) has problems that become more apparent every day.  It is based on false economics, false hope and deserves to fail.  Then, attention should turn to fixing Obamacare, to make it work better, more fairly and for more people.

It’s time to fix Obamacare and to stop the waste of time and money tearing it down. “Collaboration” is NOT a dirty word.

Nor, by the way, is “Public Option.”

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Paul Ryan and His $1.5 Million Powerpoint Presentation

With all the money the Insurance Industry has pumped into lobbying and campaign donations, we can certainly depend on our politicians to do what is best for the country. Right?

As you may have seen in my last blog post, the profits of the largest health insurance companies have been hurt under Obamacare.  It is encouraging that these companies and other members of the Insurance Industry are still investing in maintaining the freedom of our markets.

I have dug into the numbers to have a better understanding of their valiant efforts during Obamacare.

“Majority Leader Paul Ryan has received $1,576,754 in Insurance Industry campaign donations since 2010.”

According to Opensecrets.org, the total amount they invested in our political processes in 2016 was almost $80 million, up from around $45 million in 2010, the year of the enactment of Obamacare.

In addition to payments to industry lobbyists, these amounts include donations to incumbent politicians, assuring that caring, experienced public servants, like them, remain in office.

Majority Leader Paul Ryan, the most visible and devoted advocate for dismantling Obamacare, has received $1,576,754 in Insurance Industry campaign donations since 2010. This is the largest amount given to any one member of Congress during the years of Obamacare.

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At the same time, we can be proud of our very own Senator Mike Crapo, who has also been among the top congressional beneficiaries of Insurance Industry campaign donations, with  a very respectable $543,750 since 2010.

In addition, it is so comforting to know that around 70% of total Insurance Industry investment in our government has gone to Republican defenders of freedom and free markets.

I am sure Leader Paul Ryan, Senator Crapo and their congressional colleagues–with the benefit of Insurance Industry support and lobbying–are doing their objective, level best to craft a healthcare plan that will be good for the whole country.