Sen. Chuck Schumer Cartoons

HHS' Price argues new ObamaCare overhaul bill could cover more Americans

Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price argued Sunday that more Americans would have insurance under the Senate Republicans’ new health care bill, compared to the 2010 ObamaCare law they've been trying to replace. But the Congressional Budget Office analysis of the bill, which would project those coverage numbers, will not be released Monday as anticipated.   

“One of the interesting things that's in this bill ... is the opportunity to make certain that those folks that actually fell into a gap below 100 percent of the poverty level, but above where a state might allow individuals on the Medicaid system... this bill provides for coverage for those individuals through the tax credit process," Price said on Fox News’ “Sunday Morning Futures.” “That hole was not covered before.”

He suggested that tax credits in the new bill would in part help those who had previously fallen into that coverage gap.
“That’s something that’s new,” said Price, a doctor. “That also is one of the reasons that we believe we’re going to be able to cover more individuals on this bill than are currently covered.”
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., was expected to hold a key vote this week on the overhaul bill.
But the nonpartisan CBO apparently slowed its efforts to make that deadline after McConnell delayed the vote until Arizona GOP Sen. John McCain can return to Washington. He underwent surgery last Friday to removal a blood clot behind one eye and is expected to be gone at least a week.
The CBO’s analysis of Senate Republicans’ first ObamaCare overhaul bill this year -- released before Congress’ July 4 recess but which lacked enough support to even get a vote -- concluded 22 million more Americans would be uninsured, compared to ObamaCare.
Price and other Washington Republicans have argued that CBO projections are not exact and that the office was off on its ObamaCare numbers, too.
“CBO doesn’t even capture those individuals who say to the federal government, ‘I don’t want the plan that you think I need. I want the plan that I know I need for myself and for my family.’ So those numbers are so flawed in terms of what actually happens in the real world,” Price said.
Price also said he recently returned from the annual National Governors Association meeting where state leaders said they want the overhaul bill to have “flexibility” to designing a Medicaid program “for their own population” and want it to include adequate resources to insure the “vulnerable population.”

Schumer: McCain's return won't save health care bill

Ever watch the Wizard of OZ?

Sen. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., told reporters Sunday there is no saving the Republicans’ health care bill despite the extra time they have in wake of Sen. John McCain’s emergency eye surgery.

McCain, R-Ariz., had surgery Friday to remove a blood clot over his left eye.

“Time is not the problem in the present health care bill,” Schumer said, according to the New York Daily News. “The problem is the substance. It slashes Medicaid, which has become something that helps middle class New Yorkers and millions of Americans.”
Schumer has led the Democrats’ charge in trying to kill the bill.
“This bill should be scrapped because it hurts middle class Americans too much at the same time that it gives tax breaks to the wealthy,” he said. “Instead, have Democrats and Republicans sit down and work together on improving Obamacare, specifically making premiums lower and health care better.”
Despite growing pessimism, Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price said in an interview on “Sunday Morning Futures” that more Americans would have insurance under the GOP health bill, compared to the 2010 ObamaCare law they have been working to replace.
“One of the interesting things that's in this bill ... is the opportunity to make certain that those folks that actually fell into a gap below 100 percent of the poverty level, but above where a state might allow individuals on the Medicaid system... this bill provides for coverage for those individuals through the tax credit process," Price said. “That hole was not covered before.”
Price also said that tax credits in the new bill would in part help those who had previously fallen into that coverage gap.
Despite Price’s pep talk, support of the health care bill seemed to diminish even further. Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., who does not favor the proposed bill, said he did not think Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., had enough votes to get the bill through the Senate.
“I don’t think he does” have the votes,” Paul said in an interview on “Fox News Sunday.” “We won four elections on repealing ObamaCare … but this doesn’t.”
Paul has argued that the measure gives too much subsidy money to health insurance companies in the ObamaCare program.
“That is not a Republican idea, to give taxpayer money to a private industry,” Paul, a doctor, said about the bill's so-called “temporary stabilization fund” that is now at about $200 billion.
Republicans had hoped to get a vote to the floor this week, but McCain’s surgery pushed it back.
The Congressional Budget Office also will not release its score of the Senate GOP bill. An earlier report said the last proposal would leave 22 million people without health insurance by 2026.

Sen. Majority Whip: Debate on Health Care Bill Will be ‘Open Process’

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In an effort to pass health care reform, the Senate Majority Whip says the debate over the latest bill will be an ‘open process’.
On Sunday, Texas Senator John Cornyn claimed republicans and democrats will be able to offer an amendment to the current draft.
He also blasted democrats for their lack of cooperation saying if the left won’t participate in health care reform, GOP leaders will have to come up with another plan.
Cornyn also expects a vote on the latest bill to take place when Arizona Senator John McCain returns to congress after recovering from surgery.
The vote on the Senate’s health care legislation was suppose to take place this week, but Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said the vote will be delayed until McCain returns.

Pres. Trump to Kick-Off New Made in America Messaging Campaign Monday

Look out Wal Mart

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The Trump Administration is set to kick-off a new ‘Made in America’ messaging campaign at the White House Monday.
The event will reportedly celebrate American companies that manufacture their products in the U.S.
The ‘Made in America’ showcase will host locally made products from all 50 states and display them on the White House lawn.
And later this week, President Trump is expected to reiterate the importance of American manufacturing as he commissions a new aircraft carrier in Virginia.
The new campaign will continue throughout the rest of July.

Insurance Company Cartoons

Major insurance groups call part of health bill 'unworkable'

America's Health Care Plans

If Company's try to dictate whats right and wrong for the American people, who benefits the most?

Two of the insurance industry's most powerful organizations say a crucial provision in the Senate Republican health care bill allowing the sale of bare-bones policies is "unworkable in any form," delivering a blow to party leaders' efforts to win support for their legislation.

The language was crafted by conservative Sen. Ted Cruz, R-Texas, and leaders have included it in the overall bill in hopes of winning votes from other congressional conservatives. But moderates have worried it will cause people with serious illnesses to lose coverage, and some conservatives say it doesn't go far enough.

Two of the 52 GOP senators have already said they will oppose the legislation. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell cannot lose any others for the legislation to survive a showdown vote expected next week.
The overall measure represents the Senate GOP's attempt to deliver on the party's promise to repeal President Barack Obama's health care law, which they've been pledging to do since its 2010 enactment.
The criticism of Cruz's provision was lodged in a rare joint statement by America's Health Care Plans and the BlueCross BlueShield Association. The two groups released it late Friday in the form of a letter to McConnell, R-Ky.
"It is simply unworkable in any form," the letter said. They said it would "undermine protections for those with pre-existing medical conditions," increase premiums and lead many to lose coverage.
The provision would let insurers sell low-cost policies with skimpy coverage, as long as they also sell policies that meet a stringent list of services they're required to provide under Obama's law, like mental health counseling and prescription drugs.
Cruz says the proposal would drive down premiums and give people the option of buying the coverage they feel they need.
Critics say the measure would encourage healthy people to buy the skimpy, low-cost plans, leaving sicker consumers who need more comprehensive coverage confronting unaffordable costs. The insurers' statement backs up that assertion, lending credence to wary senators' worries and complicating McConnell's task of winning them over.
The two groups say premiums would "skyrocket" for people with preexisting conditions, especially for middle-income families who don't qualify for the bill's tax credit. They also say the plan would leave consumers with fewer insurance options, so "millions of more individuals will become uninsured."
According to an analysis by the BlueCross BlueShield Association, major federal consumer protections would not be required for new plans permitted by the Cruz amendment.
Among them: guaranteed coverage at standard rates for people with pre-existing conditions, comprehensive benefits, coverage of preventive care -- including birth control for women -- at no added cost to the consumer, and limits on out-of-pocket spending for deductibles and copayments.
The bill provides $70 billion for states to use to help contain rising costs for people with serious conditions. But the insurance groups' statement says that amount "is insufficient and additional funding will not make the provision workable for consumers or taxpayers."
The Cruz provision language in the bill is not final. McConnell and other Republicans are considering ways to revise it in hopes of winning broader support.
McConnell and top Trump administration officials plan to spend the next few days cajoling senators and home-state governors in an effort to nail down support for the bill.
The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office is expected to release its analysis of McConnell's revised bill early next week, including an assessment of Cruz's plan.
The office estimated that McConnell's initial bill would have caused 22 million additional people to be uninsured.

McConnell delays action on health care after McCain surgery

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell R-Ky announced Saturday that he was delaying consideration of health care legislation in light of Sen. John McCain’s absence from recent surgery.

McConnell released a statement on Saturday night saying that he was deferring action on the measure as McCain recovers at his home in Arizona.

"While John is recovering, the Senate will continue our work on legislative items and nominations, and will defer consideration of the Better Care Act," McConnell said.
Surgeons in Phoenix removed a blood clot from above McCain's left eye on Friday. The 80-year-old Senate veteran was advised by doctors to remain in Arizona next week, his office said.
A procedural vote expected in the coming days had been cast as a showdown over the measure designed to replace Obamacare once and for all.
With a 52-48 majority, Republicans can afford to only lose two votes. Vice President Mike Pence would break a tie for final passage.
Two Republicans, Rand Paul of Kentucky and Susan Collins of Maine, have already said they'll vote against the measure.
McConnell and other GOP leaders have been urging senators to at least vote in favor of opening debate, which would allow senators to offer amendments. In recent days GOP leaders have expressed optimism that they were getting closer to a version that could pass the Senate.

The Left just loves Crap like this.