Category Archives: Health
Insurance Companies’ Very Bad Week
Last week President Trump issued an executive order rolling back President Obama’s executive order to subsidize insurance companies. The subsidies reimburse the companies for reducing certain out-of-pocket expenses to policy holders.
The only problem is Congress refused to appropriate money for the subsidies. So Obama whipped out his pen and phone and and started spending the money anyway. And Trump continued that practice. But a federal district court judge says that’s illegal.
Insurance Companies’ Very Bad Week
This week two Republican senators, Tom Cotton and Pat Toomey, introduced a bill to to partially end the individual mandate, no longer requiring some people to buy health insurance.
Yesterday two more Senators, Republican Lamar Alexander and Democrat Patty Murray, made a deal to keep the subsidies alive. Trump said nice things about it last night but withdrew support today.
Time.com tries to explain what’s going here.
Jimmy’s Late Night Opinions
Harvey Weinstein probably won’t have much to say about current events for a while, but Jimmy Kimmel will. The comedian turned policy wonk has had a lot to say about health care and gun control lately thanks to the failed Graham-Cassidy bill and the Las Vegas massacre.
As for Harvey Weinstein’s escapades? Well, Jimmy had a lot to say about Donald Trump.
Jimmy’s Late Night Opinions
What if you don’t like Jimmy’s late night opinions? On CBS Sunday Morning he said, “I mean, you don’t have to watch the show. You don’t have to listen to what I say.”
“Yeah, I mean, I saw, I don’t know if it was a study or a poll, some combination of those two things, that, like, three years ago I was equally liked by Republicans and Democrats. And then Republican numbers went way down, like 30% or whatever. And, you know, as a talk show host, that’s not ideal. But I would do it again in a heartbeat.”
Despite the Deplorable decline his ratings are up 11% from a year ago..
President Trump’s NFL Rant
Some players are now saying they’re not protesting the flag or the country when they take a knee during the national anthem. But that’s not what Colin Kaepernick had to say when he started the whole thing:
“I am not going to stand up to show pride in a flag for a country that oppresses Black people and people of color,”
NFL Rant
It wan’t all about taking a knee during President Trump’s Friday night NFL rant. He also complained that the league doesn’t allow hard enough hitting:
“Today, if you hit too hard … 15 yards, throw him out of the game,” Trump said. “They are ruining the game, right?”
Medical researchers might want to take a knee over that.
McCain Health Care Bill Kills
Senator McCain sided with Jimmy Kimmel in shooting down best bud Lindsey Graham on Friday. He announced he would vote “no” on the Graham Cassidy health care reform.
Two McCain Bill Kills
Those in the know think that pretty much kills the bill. And that would make two health bill kills for McCain.
Damn, should have drawn that on the fuselage.
Insurance Industry Opposes Republican Health Bill
Fortune seemed surprised that insurers oppose last ditch Republican efforts to replace and repeal ObamaCare.
As usual, the industry’s concern is for consumers.
Insurance Industry Explains Why
Industry spokesmen displayed their concern in an article titled “Even the Insurance Industry is Against the Latest GOP Health Care Plan”:
Despite the general view that health insurance companies would benefit from a free and open market, two of the biggest trade groups for insurers — Blue Cross Blue Shield Association and America’s Health Insurance Plans — announced their first opposition to the Republicans’ latest plan to repeal and replace Obamacare.
Both the Blue Cross and the AHIP came out against the so-called Graham-Cassidy bill Wednesday, arguing that the legislation would lead to an unstable market that would harm both insurers and patients.
“The bill contains provisions that would allow states to waive key consumer protections, as well as undermine safeguards for those with pre-existing medical conditions,’’ the Blue Cross association said in a statement. “The legislation reduces funding for many states significantly and would increase uncertainty in the marketplace, making coverage more expensive and jeopardizing Americans’ choice of health plans.”
The AHIP doubled down on those sentiments, writing that the bill “would have real consequences on consumers and patients by further destabilizing the individual market” and could “potentially allowing government-controlled, single payer health care to grow,” in a letter to Senate majority and minority leaders Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) and Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.).
The insurance trade associations’ resistance joins a number of health care groups already speaking out against the proposed bill, including the American Medical Association, the American Hospital Association and the American Association of Retired Persons.
The Graham-Cassidy bill, named after two of its drafters, Sens. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) and Bill Cassidy (R-La.), has a voting deadline of Sept. 30. The Senate is expected to vote on the legislation next week after several previously unsuccessful attempts earlier this year.
President Donald Trump talked up the bill Wednesday, saying that it has “a very good chance” of passing in the Senate.
