Republicans are pushing a new bill to let Americans keep their health insurance plans

[Sarah G]

I just wish the Republicans would do something, anything at all with their time in congress. They really don't do anything except object to whatever the Democrats want to do.

Not that congress historically ever goes out of their way to work but there hasn't been anything even remotely resembling work there in the longest time...

 

[Amelia]

Pols push 'Keep Your Health Plan Act' as files show gov't knew millions could lose coverage

House Republicans are pushing a new bill to let Americans keep their health insurance plans following revelations that the Obama administration knew millions could lose their current coverage due to changes from the Affordable Care Act.

Rep. Fred Upton, R-Mich., was introducing the "Keep Your Health Plan Act" in a bid to address widespread reports of people losing their current plans. CBS News reported Monday that more than 2 million Americans have already been told they can't renew their policies.

"This legislation is about providing folks the peace of mind that they will be allowed to keep their current coverage if they so choose," Upton said in a statement. The bill would allow plans sold on the market today to continue to be available.


The document addressed a rule in the law that states individual policies purchased on or before March 23, 2010 would be "grandfathered" -- or exempt from changes required under ObamaCare. However, the provision was changed so that plans that undergo "significant changes" could lose that special status

Pols push 'Keep Your Health Plan Act' as files show gov't knew millions could lose coverage | Fox News

The Republicans will try to keep Obama honest. A difficult task, indeed.

It's too late. The damage is done. Insurance companies would have to run two separate insurance programs -- with a set of policies for people the ACA made them cancel and a set of policies for new policy holders.

And with the new policy holders paying so much more than the old policy holders, that would be another nightmare, even if the companies could fix their software to accommodate both classes of people.

 

[Dont Taz Me Bro]

I think it's a good move by the GOP.
Now if they or the Dems or anybody can come up with a solid plan to get the cost per capita for healthcare in the US at least close to what the rest of the world pays, that would be an actual achievement.

Switch everybody to a high deductable HSA and make Medicare pay a market rate to doctors instead of undercutting them and you will achieve lower costs per capita without sacrificing the quality of care. The government is the reason the costs became out of control in the first place because their policies eliminated the free market and contrary to what the lying Obamabots like to claim, ObamaCare exchanges do not reintroduce it.

 

[JimH52]

Not one of you wingnuts have bothered to ask the obvious question: Why are some people losing their health plans?
The reason is that the ACA has standards that apply to what insurance a person can carry. IF their current insurance plan does not meet those standards the people with the plans will be forced to purchase better plans.
For example, some people have plans which cost around $54 dollars a month. That sounds like a really great deal except the plan covers almost nothing. For example, in some cases the plan does not even cover x-rays, CAT scans, MRI's, or ultra-sounds. Not only that but the plans have high deductables and exclude many serious illnesses. I believe they are referred to in the business as "junk insurance policies."
In other words, some people HAVE health insurance in name only. Their plans cover almost nothing and will not protect them in the event of a serious illness or accident.

The people know this going into the plan. Its called freedom of choice. Now, they are forced into buying something that they do not want at huge costs.

Republicans are quick to call out the "welfare queens" because they are taking advantage of the system and collecting their hard earned tax money. But when someone has junk health insurance and ends up rooking the same tax payer for emergency coverages, the same repubs seem to think that is okay.

 

[Stephanie]

well there ya have it, we should just all forgive these lying bastards and move along..Pelosi, you had to pass it to SEE WHAT'S IN IT

SNIP:

Hoyer: Dems knew some patients would lose insurance plans under ObamaCare

By Mike Lillis - 10/29/13 01:38 PM ET

Democrats knew all along that some patients would lose their health insurance plans under the new law, Rep. Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) acknowledged on Tuesday.

Although President Obama had vowed repeatedly that, under his signature healthcare initiative, those who like their plans could keep them, millions of patients are reportedly in individual plans that don't meet the law's minimum coverage criteria, forcing them to buy better insurance.

Hoyer, the House minority whip, said Democrats were aware that such a shift was coming. He defended the change by arguing that those patients would ultimately benefit by getting better insurance, many of them at a lower price than they currently pay.

"We knew that there would be some policies that would not qualify, and therefore people would be required to get more extensive coverage," Hoyer said during a press briefing in the Capitol.

The promise that patients could retain their current coverage was designed, Hoyer said, "to allay the fears of somebody that had insurance — group insurance, for the most part — that do meet the criteria."

"We've used that [message] in trying to allay the fears of people who have group policies or significant coverage … through their employer, which was the overwhelming number," he said. "I think we could have caveated [to say], 'Unless you have coverage that's insufficient to accomplish the objectives of giving you adequate, quality healthcare.'"

Pressed as to whether Obama and the Democrats misled the public on the topic, Hoyer conceded the party's message could have been better articulated.

"I don't think the message was wrong. I think the message was accurate. But it was not precise enough," he said. "Clearly, it should have been caveated with, 'Assuming you have a policy that, in fact, does do what the bill is designed to do.' "

Under the 2010 healthcare law, insurance plans have to cover a basic scope of services to be considered viable under the individual mandate.

On Monday, NBC News reported that at least half of the 14 million Americans who have individual coverage are in plans that don't meet those minimum standards.

Republicans have pounced on the news, arguing that the broken promise is just another reason to scrap the entire law.

ALL of it here with SCATHING comments...
Read more: Hoyer: Dems knew some patients would lose insurance plans under ObamaCare - The Hill's Healthwatch
Follow us: [MENTION=27326]The[/MENTION]hill on Twitter | TheHill on Facebook

 

[driveby]

As bad as this is, wait until the employer mandate kicks in.....


P.S. Democrats and Obama are a bunch of fucking liars, fact not opinion....

 

[driveby]

Not one of you wingnuts have bothered to ask the obvious question: Why are some people losing their health plans?
The reason is that the ACA has standards that apply to what insurance a person can carry. IF their current insurance plan does not meet those standards the people with the plans will be forced to purchase better plans.
For example, some people have plans which cost around $54 dollars a month. That sounds like a really great deal except the plan covers almost nothing. For example, in some cases the plan does not even cover x-rays, CAT scans, MRI's, or ultra-sounds. Not only that but the plans have high deductables and exclude many serious illnesses. I believe they are referred to in the business as "junk insurance policies."
In other words, some people HAVE health insurance in name only. Their plans cover almost nothing and will not protect them in the event of a serious illness or accident.

The people know this going into the plan. Its called freedom of choice. Now, they are forced into buying something that they do not want at huge costs.

Republicans are quick to call out the "welfare queens" because they are taking advantage of the system and collecting their hard earned tax money. But when someone has junk health insurance and ends up rooking the same tax payer for emergency coverages, the same repubs seem to think that is okay.

Nothing but pure deflection from all liberals in this thread, Obama willingly lied his ass off and everyone knows it......

 

[Sunshine]

Consider this, a woman in Florida is losing her insurance plan. Here are some details:
"That includes 56-year-old Dianne Barrette. Last month, she received a letter from Blue Cross Blue Shield informing her as of January 2014, she would lose her current plan. Barrette pays $54 a month. The new plan she's being offered would run $591 a month -- 10 times more than what she currently pays."
She was paying $54 dollars a month. Currently the average cost for a one day hospital stay is around $1850/day. Exactly how much insurance are you buying when you pay $54 dollars a month. I do not care if she had Blue Cross Blue Shield. A $54 a month insurance policy isn't worth shit. Read the article at the following link for prospective.
http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/magazine/2012/03/junk-health-insurance/index.htm
The link is from Consumer Reports which is as non-partisan as one can get.

I pay $186 a month for my Blue Cross retirement insurance. Coverage is the same as the employees get. And there is no cap. It just paid $8,000 that neither Medicare no medigap covered. You do not know what you are talking about. A group health plan costs what the company you work for wants it to cost. They pick up about 1/2 of the premium if the don't underwrite their own, which the government and a lot of large corporations do. When they underwrite their own, the company just pays the claims and the insurance company only administers the program.

 

[Neotrotsky]

Perhaps the Republicans should have just sat on their hands as the Democrats were doing, just still claiming everything is fine.

But it's not their way. If they had some input in this boondoggle, there would have been a working website and people would not be losing their insurance all over the place. But Pelosi, et al could handle it, and look at what we have.

They should draw attention to the problems. Relentlessly.

Then they need to draft alternate legislation that keeps the positive aspects of Obamacare and eliminates the rest.

Very true

You can see the beginning of panic in the left and Obama apologists.
They want to tinker around the margins to fix a very bad program.

First, this would only give cover for them to try and pass some of the stink of
Obamacare off to them

Second, how can anyone deal with Democrats who have become so extreme since their moderates got kicked out for supporting Obamacare

Third, we see how from top to bottom, Papa Obama to the democrats in Congress
they all lied to the America people.

So the left and Obama apologists would want the GOP to think they would bargain in good faith-

Sure, a bunch of leftists extremists who lie to the American people

The wheels are coming off the bus, the democrats are panic mood,
the best thing is let them have to deal with the problem and lies to the American people.

Since the House will stay out of the extreme left's hands, real reform is only going to happen if the Senate goes back into GOP hands and they are able to present a realistic and less extreme attempt than Papa Obama care

 

[Sunshine]

The millions of people who have suddenly lost their insurance coverage are going to remember Obama promised them this would not happen.

And the Democrats are going to pay the price for that.

The issue ad writes itself.

oh yes they will, it won't be pretty come voting time..why do you think people like ron and a few others here, are spinning so HARD
come on people you can do it, kick them all out...do us all a favor

Well ron is a newby. I'd guess he is the newest iteration of she who shall not be named. Bought and paid for by the DNC.

 

[Sunshine]

"dipshit!" Another example of republican class. If you are incapable of communicating like an adult I see no reason to waste time on you. I will not respond to any of your posts on this thread.

Obviously, you haven't seen g5000 throw wrenches into both sides of the persuasion.

I could care less who g5000 is or what he has done. I did not call s/he/it any names and I reserve the right to respond or not to respond to anyone who calls me names. That type of behavior is what I would expect on the playground.

Aww.....poor widdle biddy baby, he got 'cawed a name.' Boo hoo hoo hoo hoo

 

[Vox]

Not one of you wingnuts have bothered to ask the obvious question: Why are some people losing their health plans?
The reason is that the ACA has standards that apply to what insurance a person can carry. IF their current insurance plan does not meet those standards the people with the plans will be forced to purchase better plans.
For example, some people have plans which cost around $54 dollars a month. That sounds like a really great deal except the plan covers almost nothing. For example, in some cases the plan does not even cover x-rays, CAT scans, MRI's, or ultra-sounds. Not only that but the plans have high deductables and exclude many serious illnesses. I believe they are referred to in the business as "junk insurance policies."
In other words, some people HAVE health insurance in name only. Their plans cover almost nothing and will not protect them in the event of a serious illness or accident.

The people know this going into the plan. Its called freedom of choice. Now, they are forced into buying something that they do not want at huge costs.

Republicans are quick to call out the "welfare queens" because they are taking advantage of the system and collecting their hard earned tax money. But when someone has junk health insurance and ends up rooking the same tax payer for emergency coverages, the same repubs seem to think that is okay.

you idiot, you think those obamacare are going to be different?
they hose the middle class but do not offer shit - who the heck needs OB and peds coverage when they are in their 50s? and the majority of people NEEDING insurance are way past the childbearing age.
catastrophic insurance which was the cheapest covered what healthy people needed - now they do not have ANY option except go without insurance whatsoever and manipulate the tax returns in order not to pay any penalty

 

[Stephanie]

Obviously, you haven't seen g5000 throw wrenches into both sides of the persuasion.

I could care less who g5000 is or what he has done. I did not call s/he/it any names and I reserve the right to respond or not to respond to anyone who calls me names. That type of behavior is what I would expect on the playground.

Aww.....poor widdle biddy baby, he got 'cawed a name.' Boo hoo hoo hoo hoo

awww, the big bad ron turns into a sniveling baby

 

[Sunshine]

Consider this, a woman in Florida is losing her insurance plan. Here are some details:
"That includes 56-year-old Dianne Barrette. Last month, she received a letter from Blue Cross Blue Shield informing her as of January 2014, she would lose her current plan. Barrette pays $54 a month. The new plan she's being offered would run $591 a month -- 10 times more than what she currently pays."
She was paying $54 dollars a month. Currently the average cost for a one day hospital stay is around $1850/day. Exactly how much insurance are you buying when you pay $54 dollars a month. I do not care if she had Blue Cross Blue Shield. A $54 a month insurance policy isn't worth shit. Read the article at the following link for prospective.
http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/magazine/2012/03/junk-health-insurance/index.htm
The link is from Consumer Reports which is as non-partisan as one can get.

And she apparently decided that was good enough coverage for her. How do you know she doesn't have the money available to cover what the insurance wouldn't in the case of a catastrophic event?

Again, I ask you who the hell you are to decide how much insurance someone else needs? How about you and everyone else who thinks they know what's good for everybody else just step the fuck off and find a way to make your own lives more fulfilling?

If she has the money to cover a catastrophic event she will have funds in the mid to high six figure range which is more than enough to purchase decent insurance. Also if she doesn't have the money to pay for the insurance there are subsidies built into ACA. Somehow you people always seem to forget that little detail.
I will tell you why I have decided she needs more insurance. She needs to have more insurance because I am tired as hell from paying for deadbeats who refuse to buy decent insurance and then go to the hospital and run up huge bills they cannot pay. I am tired as hell from watching hospitals boost up bills to pay for the deadbeats who can't or won't act in a responsible manner. And I am especially tired of watching my insurance costing more and more because of the deadbeats. Maybe you want to pay for people who arn't paying their bills, BUT I DO NOT TO PAY OTHERS PEOPLE'S MEDICAL BILLS ESPECIALLY IF IT CAN BE AVOIDED. That is who I am and if you had a brain in your head you would be mad at the deadbeats also. The republican party screams about personal responsibility but when there is a question about personal responsibilty but chooses to look the other way.
Oh, and if you check the years Calvin Coolidge was president you will find he was in office at the start of the greatest depression this country had. It is no wonder you think highly of him.

You logged off here last night at 9:43 p.m. and you were back on at 23:36 p.m. today. I doubt you pay for even your own food, let alone anyone's insurance. More like you get paid by the DNC to post at their discretion and what they tell you to post.

Forum: Politics Today, 12:36 PM

Forum: General Discussion Yesterday, 09:34 PM

 

[Sarah G]

Perhaps the Republicans should have just sat on their hands as the Democrats were doing, just still claiming everything is fine.

But it's not their way. If they had some input in this boondoggle, there would have been a working website and people would not be losing their insurance all over the place. But Pelosi, et al could handle it, and look at what we have.

They should draw attention to the problems. Relentlessly.

Then they need to draft alternate legislation that keeps the positive aspects of Obamacare and eliminates the rest.

Very true

You can see the beginning of panic in the left and Obama apologists.
They want to tinker around the margins to fix a very bad program.

First, this would only give cover for them to try and pass some of the stink of
Obamacare off to them

Second, how can anyone deal with Democrats who have become so extreme since their moderates got kicked out for supporting Obamacare

Third, we see how from top to bottom, Papa Obama to the democrats in Congress
they all lied to the America people.

So the left and Obama apologists would want the GOP to think they would bargain in good faith-

Sure, a bunch of leftists extremists who lie to the American people

The wheels are coming off the bus, the democrats are panic mood,
the best thing is let them have to deal with the problem and lies to the American people.

Since the House will stay out of the extreme left's hands, real reform is only going to happen if the Senate goes back into GOP hands and they are able to present a realistic and less extreme attempt than Papa Obama care

Yeah, that's why this thread is chock full of right wingnuts ...

 

[JakeStarkey]

I think it's a good move by the GOP.
Now if they or the Dems or anybody can come up with a solid plan to get the cost per capita for healthcare in the US at least close to what the rest of the world pays, that would be an actual achievement.

Switch everybody to a high deductable HSA and make Medicare pay a market rate to doctors instead of undercutting them and you will achieve lower costs per capita without sacrificing the quality of care. The government is the reason the costs became out of control in the first place because their policies eliminated the free market and contrary to what the lying Obamabots like to claim, ObamaCare exchanges do not reintroduce it.

Partially correct, Taz. Health insurance companies' refusal to create plans so that all could insurance policies is a major portion of the fault as well.

 

[Sunshine]

Also, that $591 figure doesn't take into account the subsidies that this person is allowed. I would not believe one thing that is being said about these exchanges. We all need to talk with them for our own particular situations.

Why does it have to talk about the subsidies? Assuming she even has any, the bottom line is that a policy she once had that only cost $54 is now costing more than $500 more a month because of this law. Regardless of whether or not she is paying the whole difference or the rest of us are picking up the tab for her, how the hell is that a win for anyone, you drooling drone?

You apparently can not see how this problem affects you. Let me try to explain.
Suppose this gal keeps her $54/month policy and suppose she has a catastrophic accident or illness. Such an illness can create bills up in the mid six figure range. $54 policies come with limits which means the insurance company MIGHT pay a $1000 or two. THERE IS NO WAY AN INSURANCE COMPANY IS GOING TO PAY A $400,000 BILL FOR A PERSON WITH A $54 DOLLAR A MONTH POLICY. The rest of the bill falls on her back. If she cannot or will not pay her bill the hospital suffers a huge loss. To cover that loss they raise their rates. After all, hospitals are business' and they are there to make a profit. If the hospital raises its rates the insurance company has to pay more. They are a business also and their goal is to make money. To cover the hospitals raise in rates the insurance company must raise its rates. In other words, IF YOU ARE ACTING RESPONSIBILY AND HAVE PURCHASES INSURANCE TO PROTECT YOUSELF YOU ARE NOW FORCED TO PAY HIGHER RATES BECAUSE SOME DEADBEAT PURCHASED A $54/MON POLICY. I'm curious, do you like the idea of watching your insurance rates go up because other people are irresponsibly? I don't.

I think this loser was on here wearing a different sock droning on and on about the Martin Zimmerman trial. Sounds just like him.

 

[Sunshine]

No, that is not what I or Democrats think of the American people. It is what I think of the deadbeats who refuse to take responsibility for themselves and who expect others to bail them out. It is what I think of people who can afford insurance but chose to gamble on not getting sick and then sticking it to those who acted responsibly and purchased decent insurance.
I have good insurance and when I go to the hospital my bills will be covered by my insurance company. I will not cost you or anyone one penny. I am tired of those who could give a shit that others have to pay their way because they were to cheap to do so or who thought they could game the system and get away with it. My question is, why don't you feel the same way? Do you like watching your insurance rates rise because others refuse to purchase insurance? I don't.

They are not the reasons for high healthcare costs, insurance companies are. And why aren't rates being quoted much lower then since anticipated costs are going to go way down now?

Apparently you do not understand cause and effect. You claim the high costs are due to the insurance companies.
Follow the reasoning below.
A person without insurance runs up a huge hospital bill.
Because the bill will not be paid the hospital will lose money.
To stay in business the hospital raises its rates to cover the loss.
An increase in hospital rates means the insurance company is forced to raise their rates.
The person who didn't pay their bill forces me to pay more insurance.
Should you or I have to pay higher insurance because somebody either can't or refuses to purchase insurance? I don't.
Oh, and I don't recall there being any talk about rates going down. What Obama is trying to do is to slow the speed at which rates were raising. Prior to ACA the rates were raising at a rate much faster than the inflation rate.

YO! 25 Caliber!

 

[Sunshine]

Very cheap health insurance invariably covers only serious illness or accident.

That's correct. High deductible insurance is inexpensive and a lot of people who have high deductible insurance also have an HSA.

 

[Sunshine]

Very cheap health insurance invariably covers only serious illness or accident.

Very cheap health insurance covers almost nothing. It is impossible for an insurance company to make a profit off a person who is paying $54 a month and who could easily run up a six figure hospital bill in a couple of weeks. Currently the average cost for a one (1) day hospital stay is around $1850. The bottom line is the cheap health insurance pollicies are not much better than no policy. The cheap policies have limits on what will be paid and exclusions on many major health problems. Several states have filed law suits against companies offering cheap health insurance.
Check out the link below for an overview on cheap health insurance. The link is to Consumer Reports which is as non-partisan as one can get.
http://www.consumerreports.org/cro/magazine/2012/03/junk-health-insurance/index.htm

We do not all get sick. But we will all die. And life insurance companies make money. It is clear you do not have a concept of the insurance industry. No doubt the DNC is funneling your posts to you. I wonder how many similar ones we would find on the many web forums!