Another Healthcare Disaster Countdown

Instead of using the extra $59 million dollars Trump budgeted for the military, he should be using that money   to help all Americans in Texas and Puerto Rico and Florida to get electricity and phone service working again to avoid more deaths from the aftermath from recent hurricanes there. Our government chose to focus on trying to pass yet another attempt to pass a new health care plan in a rush before Congress will even have enough time to read the document. It is flawed and probably won’t get approval if we are lucky.

This new health plan is called the Graham-Cassidy plan named after the legislators who created it. They want the states to decide on what you will be covered for and it could be different rules for each state. The concept is already very confusing. The American Medical Association is already opposing the Graham-Cassidy Health Care Bill because it violates “first do no harm” which is the declaration that all Doctors make a vow to. It will result in millions of Americans in losing their health insurance coverage. It will destabilize health insurance markets and decrease access to affordable coverage and care.

The Children’s Hospital Association is against this Graham-Cassidy plan too. They said that under this plan 30 million children will lose health care because they will lose Medicaid. Why won’t these bloated politicians who make laws for the American people even consult our respected associations like the American Medical Association and the Children’s Hospital Association before they make plans to make sure it is what is best for ALL Americans?

The Trump Administration and most Republicans who are in power now don’t consult any professionals in their fields. We need to fix the things that don’t work and leave the things that do work. When will somebody important say IMPROVE the Affordable Healthcare Act? The last 3 bills died as recently as July 27, 2017 and they had 7 years to devise something better. This latest attempt is not better either. The Majority leader Mitch said he intends to rush the Graham-Cassidy Bill to the voting floor next week. Why such a rush? Does he want to sneak this one in while they country is literally drowning in grief and water?

Most leaders don’t know much about the bill anyway and many will be gone from Washington out celebrating the Jewish New Year holidays. The Senate is trying to tear up Obamacare while you are consumed with natural disasters. They should be consumed too and deploying our military and their unique skills to help people in distress. Under Obamacare the Federal government gives money to help people get health insurance through subsidies. They make payments to the insurance companies to bring costs down and gives money to states to offer Medicaid to a larger group of people. Under this bill all of that money would get converted into a lump sum   or a block grant to each state.

In March 23, 2010 Obama let states decide whether to expand Medicaid to more people. The winners under the new bill would be the states that did not expand Medicaid. The losers would be the states that did.  This new bill would cut Medicaid to most people. It would be a massive change to our safety net for the people who need help the most. The Republicans need 50 out of 52 votes to pass the bill. Already about 4 Senators said they would vote NO. Mitch is pushing a vote because in 9 days the special rule that allows them to pass a bill with only 51 votes expires. Count on the Republicans to keep trying to pass a wacky bill at least till they lose their majority.