first step towards repeal & replace taken in the wee hours of the morning

[Homerboy]

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/01/12/us/politics/health-care-congress-vote-a-rama.html

WASHINGTON — Senate Republicans took their first major step toward repealing the Affordable Care Act on Thursday, approving a budget blueprint that would allow them to gut the health care law without the threat of a Democratic filibuster.

The vote was 51 to 48. During the roll call, Democrats staged a highly unusual protest on the Senate floor to express their dismay and anger at the prospect that millions of Americans could lose health insurance coverage.

 

[vi edit]

Time to find out if that third rail really does have any juice in it.

 

[Pens1566]

Part of me looks forward to "the people" realizing exactly what it is they've brought on themselves.

 

[Homerboy]

Part of me looks forward to "the people" realizing exactly what it is they've brought on themselves.

Me too. But then again I have many friends that use (and love) ACA and certainly did not vote for Trump. I feel horrible for them and their families.
Hopefully the "replace" portion is something good and I would love to see the GOP prove everyone wrong, based on previous track records (and current state of things) I'm not too optimistic.

 

[repoman0]

I noticed that republicans also blocked an amendment proposed by democrats to allow Americans to import drugs from Canada. Thanks, republicans! Making our lives better and cheaper every day!

 

[vi edit]

Yeah there were like 17 that the D's brought. All voted against. I think it's all stuff to go on the record for 2018/2020. See who voted stuff down and use it for capital later.

 

[Pens1566]

Me too. But then again I have many friends that use (and love) ACA and certainly did not vote for Trump. I feel horrible for them and their families.
Hopefully the "replace" portion is something good and I would love to see the GOP prove everyone wrong, based on previous track records (and current state of things) I'm not too optimistic.

Yeah, I get that. I just find it highly unlikely they'll make it better.

 

[Homerboy]

I noticed that republicans also blocked an amendment proposed by democrats to allow Americans to import drugs from Canada. Thanks, republicans! Making our lives better and cheaper every day!

FWIW, 12 Rs voted for it and 13 Ds against it.

 

[repoman0]

FWIW, 12 Rs voted for it and 13 Ds against it.

Fair enough, neither side has a complete monopoly on sense.

 

[vi edit]

Me too. But then again I have many friends that use (and love) ACA and certainly did not vote for Trump. I feel horrible for them and their families.
Hopefully the "replace" portion is something good and I would love to see the GOP prove everyone wrong, based on previous track records (and current state of things) I'm not too optimistic.

Riiiiight. Republicans love their vouchers. They'll offer some piddly voucher amount that won't go a fraction as far as what Obamacare subsidies went. Healthy & young people won't chose to enroll because the juice isn't worth the squeeze. Everyone else will just fall back to either "suck it up and deal with it" or will go to the ED and stick the hospital with the tab when cheap and preventative care could have possibly treated it sooner and much cheaper.

Basically we'll be right back to where we were 10 years ago. My employer is already bracing for it.

 

[Homerboy]

Riiiiight. Republicans love their vouchers. They'll offer some piddly voucher amount that won't go a fraction as far as what Obamacare subsidies went. Healthy & young people won't chose to enroll because the juice isn't worth the squeeze. Everyone else will just fall back to either "suck it up and deal with it" or will go to the ED and stick the hospital with the tab when cheap and preventative care could have possibly treated it sooner and much cheaper.

Basically we'll be right back to where we were 10 years ago. My employer is already bracing for it.

As I said, I'm hopeful but not optimistic.

PS: I was browsing through insurance company CEOs pay from last year last night. My provider (UHC) the CEO made $66M. I'm guessing he gets full coverage too with no out of pocket deductibles?

 

[glenn1]

Me too. But then again I have many friends that use (and love) ACA and certainly did not vote for Trump. I feel horrible for them and their families.
Hopefully the "replace" portion is something good and I would love to see the GOP prove everyone wrong, based on previous track records (and current state of things) I'm not too optimistic.

Did you feel similarly "horrible" for all the folks whose lives were negatively impacted by assuming the higher costs to pay for your "many friends"? Considering that one of the main goals of the law was specifically to screw over the young and healthy to buy plans they didn't need and wouldn't benefit from in order to fund the subsidies perhaps you should reconsider if your horror was misplaced.

 

[brycejones]

Glenn1 taking FYGM position as usual. Keep on keeping on!

 

[Sonikku]

I noticed that republicans also blocked an amendment proposed by democrats to allow Americans to import drugs from Canada. Thanks, republicans! Making our lives better and cheaper every day!

Why would they? Drugs are significantly cheaper in Canada. If people could import from Canada they would stop buying the same drugs for significantly more in America. Drug companies in the US would have to charge... less. It would be... capitalism or something. We can't have that!

 

[Homerboy]

Did you feel similarly "horrible" for all the folks whose lives were negatively impacted by assuming the higher costs to pay for your "many friends"? Considering that one of the main goals of the law was specifically to screw over the young and healthy to buy plans they didn't need and wouldn't benefit from in order to fund the subsidies perhaps you should reconsider if your horror was misplaced.

Nah. I don't feel bad either when the firefighters go put out a fire in my city that isn't my own house, yet I helped subsidize the fire department through my taxes.
Or when the taxes I pay go towards a school/park/road/whatever that I never use.

Personally, I'm for the betterment of my country and willing to help my fellow Americans.

 

[vi edit]

Did you feel similarly "horrible" for all the folks whose lives were negatively impacted by assuming the higher costs to pay for your "many friends"? Considering that one of the main goals of the law was specifically to screw over the young and healthy to buy plans they didn't need and wouldn't benefit from in order to fund the subsidies perhaps you should reconsider if your horror was misplaced.

No one needs insurance. Until they need it.

 

[OrByte]

Losing ACA is going to sting alot of people.

Thankfully me and my family is not in the way of republicans "making america great again"

 

[momeNt]

Why would they? Drugs are significantly cheaper in Canada. If people could import from Canada they would stop buying the same drugs for significantly more in America. Drug companies in the US would have to charge... less. It would be... capitalism or something. We can't have that!

It would undermine our robust patent laws.

Very few on this forum believe that intellectual property doesn't exist. They hold dear to the fact that an idea is as real as a tract of land, that it can be stolen, taken from another's mind and implanted into anothers, and that there is loss involved. Importing drugs from Canada erodes our fundamental right to the property of the ideas in our mind.

Just offering a sarcastic argument. Helping illustrate to everybody that we all helped create this situation. When chemistry becomes property you create a ridiculous economy.

 

[boomerang]

When chemistry becomes property you create a ridiculous economy.

Property for 20 years. It's a complex issue and anyone can knee-jerk it. Many do.

If it was easy, everybody would be doing it. A good question to ponder is why so few are actually doing it.

Oh, and in regards to the thread subject, it's nice to see that Republicans have decided they can play by the same rules as Democrats. Late night votes are right out of the Democrat playbook.

 

[Homerboy]

Property for 20 years. It's a complex issue and anyone can knee-jerk it. Many do.

If it was easy, everybody would be doing it. A good question to ponder is why so few are actually doing it.

Oh, and in regards to the thread subject, it's nice to see that Republicans have decided they can play by the same rules as Democrats. Late night votes are right out of the Democrat playbook.

Late night votes are right out of everyone's playbook. Both sides have done it forever. It's nothing new for either party, so don't try to assign blame. I was just stating when it was done in my thread title.

 

[vi edit]

It would undermine our robust patent laws.

Very few on this forum believe that intellectual property doesn't exist. They hold dear to the fact that an idea is as real as a tract of land, that it can be stolen, taken from another's mind and implanted into anothers, and that their is loss involved. Importing drugs from Canada erodes our fundamental right to the property of the ideas in our mind.

Just offering a sarcastic argument. Helping illustrate to everybody that we all helped create this situation. When chemistry becomes property you create a ridiculous economy.

It's not an easy subject to broach. There certainly needs to be protection offered to companies for research, development and bringing to market of new medications. That's not a short or cheap process. 20 years is the time for patent, but it's usually a 10-13 year process to get it to market. So for many they have about 7 years of protected market. Where it gets messy is when they go to extend the patent by doing trivial little tweaks to the drug to make it a "new" one that offer no additional therapeutic improvements. That's gaming the system IMHO and really infuriates someone like my wife that has to counsel patients daily on incredibly expensive medications.

 

[hal2kilo]

Glenn1 taking FYGM position as usual. Keep on keeping on!

I would be like the sun not rising the next day if he did not weigh in with his usual.

 

[glenn1]

I would be like the sun not rising the next day if he did not weigh in with his usual.

I don't see poors dead in the street yet.

 

[Homerboy]

I don't see poors dead in the street yet.

And I don't see "young and healthy" pan-handling in the streets due to increased insurance premiums.

 

[PokerGuy]

Riiiiight. Republicans love their vouchers. They'll offer some piddly voucher amount that won't go a fraction as far as what Obamacare subsidies went. Healthy & young people won't chose to enroll because the juice isn't worth the squeeze. Everyone else will just fall back to either "suck it up and deal with it" or will go to the ED and stick the hospital with the tab when cheap and preventative care could have possibly treated it sooner and much cheaper.

Basically we'll be right back to where we were 10 years ago. My employer is already bracing for it.

Re: saving money by people going to preventative care instead of the ER. Intuitively, you'd think that to be the case, but I remember seeing studies that concluded that in fact it ended up costing even more. I'll try to find a link.

Regarding your employer already "bracing for it", that doesn't make any sense. What exactly is your employer bracing for?