Rep. Kevin Brady: Health care relief

The Republican Study Committee is proposing some changes to the way the bill reforms Medicaid that could go a long way toward fixing one of the most objectionable parts of the bill. Republicans have the power to repeal Obamacare now, but with that comes the responsibility to replace that public health care delivery system with something more efficient, effective, and affordable. It operates two hospitals with a total of almost 1,400 beds and provides some 700,000 visits per year, for outpatient and inpatient services.

The criticism towards the new healthcare bill has come from both ends of the political spectrum – Democrats are anxious millions will lose health insurance, while conservative Republicans fear it’s still too similar to Obamacare; medical professionals have also voiced serious objections; the biggest denouncement came from the American Medical Association in a letter to Congress.

All of us who are concerned about our health care coverage should remain engaged and hold our elected representatives accountable.

Put another way, average premium increases for those 60+ would be more than four and a half times the size of premium reductions for those 20 to 29.

Repealing the expansion would cause some 130,000 San Franciscans to lose coverage, SFHN said in a recent fact sheet, and result in the city health network losong some $125 million a year in revenue. But they should call it the BBBA: “the Big Breaks for Billionaires Act”, said Congresswoman Cheri Bustos on Saturday. The older you are, the more you get. US$3,000 equates to about S$4,200. By contrast, Americans age 30 and younger would be eligible for a $2,000 tax credit. Only 28 percent of employees of private firms with low average wages (e.g., retail, food service, agriculture) get health insurance through their jobs. For married couples filing taxes jointly with income above $150,000, the credits are further reduced.

“It’s going to be so budget-heavy and it’s going to be at the expense of many many people losing coverage”, said Tammy Harkness, the founder of the ‘Concerned Constituent Action Group’.

At 63 years old I received shocking news from my employer.

“You’re jacking up the prices and giving people less of a subsidy, which is a damaging combination”, AARP legislative policy director David Certner told Vox.com.

“A true and lasting reform of the health insurance system must be accomplished by bringing the two sides together, not by replacing one divisive wedge with another”, he wrote.

Gesturing to his pie chart, divided between healthy people, coded in blue, and sick people, in red, Ryan explained the basic tenet of insurance: A bunch of people pay insurance premiums and then that money is used to pay off claims as they arise.

Rep. Joe Kennedy, D-Mass., said he and Rep. Peter Welch, D-Vt., introduced an amendment during the committee meeting to include mandates for substance abuse and mental-health coverage, but it was voted down along party lines. “I believe in self-reliance, and they’re going to have to make those decisions”. Will the final form of the Republican plan preserve this provision for seniors?

NY would lose more than $1 billion in funds that help hospitals treat the uninsured – while states that needlessly denied expanded Medicaid coverage to their working-class citizens are poised to get a cash boost. “The current Medicaid system underfunds nursing center care by $22.46 per day, resulting in a shortfall of almost $7 billion annually”. Now, it’s not clear where many health industry groups will come down on the GOP health care bill.

The Kaiser Family Foundation estimates more than 10 million people gained coverage under Obamacare Medicaid Expansion.

A new health-care bill unveiled by Republicans as a replacement for Obamacare is now making its way through Congress. If states enroll anyone for the expanded Medicaid after 2020, they won’t get any federal dollars for such an enrollee.

I hope our local US district Rep. Greg Walden, as well as Oregon’s other USA legislators, including Senators Ron Wyden and Jeff Merkley, and Representatives Suzanne Bonamici, Peter DeFazio, Earl Blumenauer and Kurt Schrader will only support proposals that would ensure access to the same kind of care that the ACA provides.