Category: US News

GOP lawmakers continue to mislead about the ACA

After six years of blind rejection of the Affordable Care Act, and never proposing a plan on how to achieve affordable health care for all Americans, our elected representatives have finally given us a vague proposal, “alternative facts” and misleading statistics on the Affordable Care Act . On the very same day as this misleading diatribe, the Post-Gazette had an article showing that the percentage of Americans without health insurance was the lowest ever .

2/25/2017

… her testimony – surpassing the time limit by several seconds to urge lawmakers to “stop playing with women’s health care as if it’s your own political puppet” – Schwertner hammered his gavel prompting a swift crack that shattered the desk top and …

Pre-existing conditions complicate health care replacement

As Republicans try to unite around a replacement for the Affordable Care Act, one of the most popular parts of the law will be among the most difficult to replace: the guarantee of health coverage for people with pre-existing conditions. The challenge of providing insurance for Americans who have no other alternative has some congressional Republicans considering whether to ask the states to reboot high-risk pools, an option with a rocky history.

GOP proposal aims to end insurance mandate in ‘Obamacare’

A draft Republican bill replacing President Barack Obama’s health care law would end its Medicaid expansion, scrap fines on people not buying insurance and eliminate taxes on the medical industry and higher earners. Instead, it would create tax credits worth up to $4,000, allow bigger contributions to personal health savings accounts and impose a new levy on expensive health coverage some employees get at work.

Kennedy: ACA repeal would have ‘huge consequences’

With the Affordable Care Act, known as Obamacare, under fire by President Donald Trump and some members of the Republican party, U.S. Rep. Joseph Kennedy III is working to maintain access to affordable health insurance for the area’s neediest residents.  Kennedy said the ACA, while “not perfect” is a necessity for the many people who need it to stay healthy.  Kennedy and State Rep. Patricia A. Haddad, D-Somerset, held a roundtable discussion at Charlton Memorial Hospital on Friday morning to talk with physicians, legislators, and agencies about the successes of the program, and the impact a repeal would have for local women, families, and senior citizens.  Kennedy said he left Washington 10 days ago and it was “unfortunate” that “very much is still unknown.

Republicans claim their tax cuts will mostly help the middle class. It’s a lie.

Interpretation of the news based on evidence, including data, as well as anticipating how events might unfold based on past events Fear not, middle class Americans: this multi-millionaire from Goldman Sachs and his billionaire boss have your best interests at heart. “We are going to massively lower taxes on the middle class, reduce taxes on American business and make our tax code more simple and much more fair for everyone including the people and the business,” said Donald Trump in his speech at CPAC today, with characteristic eloquence.

Virginia Organizing Calls on Rep. Goodlatte to Protect Health Care

The Harrisonburg Chapter of Virginia Organizing will hold a public demonstration to call on U.S. Representative Bob Goodlatte to protect health insurance coverage for millions and expand coverage for all people on Saturday, February 25 at 12 p.m. at Court Square in Harrisonburg. “Coverage through the Affordable Care Act has allowed me to realize my potential,” said Steve Smith.

John Boehner says swift Obamacare repeal, replace is just ‘happy talk’

The Ohio Republican, who left Congress in late 2015 amid friction with hardline conservatives, told an Orlando health conference that he started to laugh when Republicans promised swift moves to repeal and replace the massive law, according to a Politico report . Mr. Boehner’s blunt assessment comes as GOP lawmakers struggle to explain the path forward to angry liberal activists and constituents back home.

Fact Check: Roy Blunt leaves out the context of Missouri’s health insurance coverage

As a Republican-controlled Congress continues to advance plans to defund and eventually dismantle former President Barack Obama’s signature health care law, Missouri’s Sen. Roy Blunt has once again echoed his reasoning for supporting a repeal. “This year, 97 Missouri counties have only one insurer participating in the Obamacare exchanges,” the Republican said in a Jan. 11 press release.

Important public forum

… appointed, and the Senate confirmed on a party line vote, Atlanta’s Rep. Tom Price as the head of the Department of Health and Human Services. Price, like his friend Speaker Paul Ryan, wants to do away with traditional Medicare and change the age of …

Defund Planned Parenthood

This weekend, America spoke out and asked the 115th Congress to reroute taxpayer dollars from Planned Parenthood, including Planned Parenthood of the North Country, to comprehensive health care centers. More than 225 #DefundPP events took place in 43 states and the nation’s capital, drawing tens of thousands of people rallying to protest tax dollar support of Planned Parenthood.

The Further Adventures of Paul Ryan, Serious Policy Wonk

Paul Ryan has a very, very serious proposal to eventually have a proposal to take away health insurance from millions of people to pay for upper-class tax cuts. He is defending it with all the seriousity his proposal deserves: The rhetoric: In her inaugural weekly address, House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi claimed that repealing Obamacare-a law that, in her words, has experienced ” immense progress “-will result in widespread death and suffering.

Asbestos on Board

File photo: Workers clean the interior of a cargo hold aboard the LST-1166. What happens when a solution to one or many obstacles ends up becoming an even larger problem? For seamen, one such problem is asbestos.

GOP’s Obamacare replacements, Dallas nonprofit sues Texas, surgeon…

Some of the GOP proposals to replace Obamacare would hit middle-class Americans right in the wallet , according to several health care experts, employer groups and even a few Republican lawmakers. At issue is the longstanding tax exclusion for employer-sponsored health insurance, more than $250 billion that Americans who receive insurance from their jobs don’t pay in federal income or payroll taxes annually, according to 2016 figures from the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office.