GOP Controlled Senate Looks Towards More “Modest” Overhaul Of Ocare

For the most part, overhauling Obamacare, otherwise known as the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (otherwise known as the Putting Government In Control Of Your Healthcare And Raising Your Premiums and Deductibles Act), is all the Republicans in Congress have been doing from the start. Once they found a way to start debate, they didn’t even give full repeal a shot

(Vox) On Wednesday afternoon, a cleaner repeal bill, the Obamacare Repeal Reconciliation Act, also failed, 45 to 55, with seven Republicans and all Democrats voting to block it.

The legislation would have repealed Obamacare’s spending on insurance coverage and its taxes on the wealthy and health care industries; it would not have included any new provisions to replace the law. The projected outcome, according to the Congressional Budget Office, would have been 32 million fewer Americans with health insurance 10 years from now without such a replacement.

That is NOT full repeal. So, what to do? Water the already watered down “repeal and replace” even more

GOP momentum grows for more modest plan to overhaul Obamacare

The Senate rejected a proposal Wednesday that would have repealed major parts of the Affordable Care Act, but Republican leaders were growing more confident about their chances of passing a more modest overhaul of the health-care law later this week.

Republicans appeared to be ­coalescing around a “skinny repeal” that would abolish the individual and employer insurance mandates and perhaps just one tax in an attempt to sustain their seven-year quest to unwind President Barack Obama’s health-care law. But even if they succeed — and start negotiations with the House — they will face significant obstacles in accomplishing anything more substantial.

Top Republicans such as Sen. John Thune (S.D.), the chamber’s third-ranking Republican, said that although leaders have not yet found “the sweet spot” between conservatives and centrists, they had picked up support for a more modest plan because it did not include deep cuts to Medicaid. Some Republican senators were simply open to any legislation that could keep alive the roller-coaster push for an overhaul.

“We’re edging closer and closer” to getting 50 votes for a bare-bones plan, Thune said. He said leaders were betting that some Republicans who defected on votes this week would feel more pressure to support any bill that emerged from negotiations with the House to face a final vote in the Senate.

Of course, a “skinny” bill which dinks and dunks around the edges but leaves Obacare in force of law has real Conservatives up in arms, proclaiming it would be DOA. Even squishy Lindsay Graham finds that it is not the solution. A group of 10 Republican Governors is also against this deal.

This is a corner Congressional Republicans have backed themselves into. They ran on full repeal of Obamacare for 7 years. Yet, they aren’t really attempting to actually repeal Ocare. Just modify it. And their modifications aren’t even that good.

Crossed at Right Wing News.

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25 Responses to “GOP Controlled Senate Looks Towards More “Modest” Overhaul Of Ocare”

  1. Jeffery says:

    They will change the name of Obamacare, declare victory, and move on. Sad.

  2. Jeffery says:

    Surprise! Surprise! For 7 years the Repubs have been politically grandstanding, lying to, and manipulating their base. They now own the House, the Senate and the White House, and by default, health care.

    • Hoss says:

      Sorry Jeff, you lefties broke health care, so you still own it. It’s just the Republicans are pussies ,and unwilling to take the free goodies away from the moochers, but I get why you’d wanna pass it off onto somebody else.

      • Jeffery says:

        Hoss,

        Do you agree that insurance in the US should cover pre-existing conditions? Or should that policy be rescinded?

        How about lifetime limits on payouts?

        It was conservatives that blocked the public option.

        And in fact, the subsidies for the poor allowed millions of Americans to purchase health insurance. Since it’s conservative policies that have gutted the working classes and squelched wage increases since 1980, at least part of the blame goes to the Con Men.

        Do you consider the American working classes to be moochers or is moocher just Con Man code for Black people?

        • david7134 says:

          Stupid comment by a stupid fool. Fact is these people have insurance that is all. The insurance does not pay for medical care. The stupid liberals can’t understand that concept.

        • Dana says:

          Jeffrey asked:

          Do you agree that insurance in the US should cover pre-existing conditions? Or should that policy be rescinded?

          Rescinded! Why should healthy people be saddled with the costs of homosexuals who went out and got AIDS? Why should healthy people be saddled with the costs of people who went out and smoked themselves into COPD? Why should healthy people be saddled with the costs of those pigs who went out and ate themselves into obesity and heart disease?

          How about lifetime limits on payouts?

          That was one way insurance companies controlled costs, and ending that causes premiums to increase.

          It was conservatives that blocked the public option.

          It was Democrats who blocked public option, but that, at least was a good thing.

          And in fact, the subsidies for the poor allowed millions of Americans to purchase health insurance. Since it’s conservative policies that have gutted the working classes and squelched wage increases since 1980, at least part of the blame goes to the Con Men.

          The subsidies for the unproductive are just another form of welfare, are are the most objectionable part of Obysmalcare.

          • drowningpuppies says:

            Forget it, Dana, little jeffuckery knows little of history.

          • Jeffery says:

            dana,

            You’re saying tough shit to those unlucky enough to have chronic diseases such as Type 1 diabetes, Crohn’s, or even cancer survivors, It’s a fact that childhood survivors of leukemia are much more likely to develop secondary cancers and heart disease later in life.

            We understand that you object to taxes going to help people less privileged or less fortunate than you. What percentage of your tax burden do you believe goes to help who you incorrectly label as undeserving and unproductive?

            Most (75%) of gov’t spending goes to Medicare, Social Security, Interest and Defense. The rest covers FDA, FBI, foreign aid, Medicaid (9%), SEC, transportation, DHS, courts, Energy, EPA, NASA, NIH, IRS, unemployment insurance, housing assistance, SNAP, Education…

  3. Jeffery says:

    dave,

    That’s just untrue. Many, many people had access the health care that didn’t before. Lives were saved.

    A friend of mine, a farmer in southern MO, signed up for the ACA, the first health insurance he could afford in a long time. Not long after, he was diagnosed with B-cell NHL and received a complete course of treatment at Siteman Cancer Center. Do you have any idea how expensive 6 mo of chemo is? He’s convinced the ACA saved his life. Now, the GOP wants to take his insurance away.

    • david7134 says:

      So your friend received the expensive medication you make. How does that mean a thing? You are a total fool. No idea as to what you are saying. But you will spout your foolish stupid message. Let me repeat, I see a considerable number of people and they don’t receive the needed care because of O care. You on the other hand simply want communism and will lie and misrepresent to get your way fool.

  4. Jeffery says:

    dave,

    Our drug is in development and is only used in FDA approved clinical trials. My friend was not enrolled in a clinical trial. And anyway, as you should know, drugs used in trials are free to the patients.

    Why do you only type lies? Are you that insecure? Maybe it’s your maintenance hormone treatments.

    Like all Con Men, you deny reality, and when presented with the truth, you lash out like a wounded animal.

    We understand your frustration when you’re presented with facts that refute your bleatings, but we cannot excuse your willful ignorance.

    The fact remains that the ACA enabled many millions to afford health insurance. And GOPKare is intended to take it away.

    • david7134 says:

      Jeff,
      You are a liar, you have no knowledge at all of the health care industry other than hosting parties, I am not a wounded animal, just someone that hates to see trusting people injured, you seem to delight in that fact.

    • drowningpuppies says:

      when presented with the truth, you lash out like a wounded animal.

      Project much, little jeffuckery?

    • drowningpuppies says:

      The fact remains that the ACA enabled many millions to afford health insurance.

      TOTAL TAXPAYER DOLLARS THROWN AWAY ON FAILED HEALTHCARE EXCHANGES SO FAR:

      $1,820,114,940

      And the losses keep mounting.

      Obamacare fail.

  5. Jeffery says:

    dave,

    OK…

  6. Dana says:

    Jeffrey wrote:

    You’re saying tough shit to those unlucky enough to have chronic diseases

    Yes, yes I am. That should be their problem, not mine. I admit it: I am an [insert slang term for the rectum here], but I don’t care about Other People’s Problems.

    • Jeffery says:

      We assume you have purchased health insurance, or do you “self-insure” paying out of pocket for all health care expenses? If you have private health insurance and you are relatively healthy you are indeed paying for other’s bad habits already. It’s how insurance works.

      If your health insurance is through an employer you are being subsidized by your employer who is in turn being subsidized by the government with tax breaks.

      If you are covered by Medicare you are being subsidized by other tax payers the moment you get sick. It’s how insurance works.

      Just one more diagnostic for the Con Man “mind” – they have no caring in them. Yet they expect others to care for them when needed.

  7. Dana says:

    I will be covered by Medicare starting next April. However, I pre-paid for that, already, through forty years of being taxed for it.

  8. Jeffery says:

    dana,

    You didn’t pre-pay for anything. Those taxes (and mine) paid for your parents, aunts, uncles and millions of other seniors. Besides payroll taxes and premiums, Medicare also requires general revenue subsidies. As Con Men like to point out, those general revenues are paid largely by high-income Americans such as my wife and I. You’re welcome.

    Not to mention, because of our current income level, when we start Medicare coverage this Sep and Dec, our premiums will be over double the standard premium! So not only did we pay higher Medicare payroll taxes, we get double tagged with higher premiums! You’re welcome.

    If you’re paying the standard premium than we’re subsidizing you yet again (and millions of other tRump voters)!

    The irony. But you’re welcome.

    We happen to believe that the stability Medicare offers to ALL American seniors and to society as a whole, even as we subsidize others like you and your family members, is worth it. You’re welcome.

    • drowningpuppies says:

      So sanctimonious and soooo magnanimous in the same post.
      Could you be any more sickening, little jeffuckery?

    • Dana says:

      We all paid “double the premiums,” because the employer’s share was simply part of our compensation.

      Of course we pre-paid: we were all taxed with the promise that Medicare would be there for us when we turned 65 and we had no choice in the matter. You are attempting to equate Medicare, and Social Security as well, with welfare.

      Of course, it would do my heart good if I thought that a liberal who votes for all of this stuff was having to pay taxes to support conservatives’ benefits; that which thou hast sown, also shall ye reap.

      • Jeffery says:

        dana,

        Being self-employed and paying the employer part of the payroll tax is not the same as the monthly premiums you pay once you turn 65.

        A summary of the payroll tax history from the conservative Raging Capitalist:

        Medicare was legislated in 1965, and a new payroll tax was implemented in 1966 to cover the new entitlement program. The initial tax was 0.35%, payable by both the employee and employer on the first $6,600 of the employee’s wages. (0.7% x $6600 = $46.20 maximum total paid in 1966) The $6,600 upper wage limit rose by about 50% in total over the first 8 years, and increased thereafter, until reaching $135,000 in 1993. The upper wage limit was eliminated in 1994, meaning that the tax began to be charged on all wages at that time.

        While the Medicare wage limit was being increased, the tax rate was increased continuously as well. It increased in the first 8 years from 0.35% to 1.0%, and eventually hit the current level of 1.45% in 1986. In dollar terms, the amount collected on the wage limit maximum from both the employee and employer increased from $23.10 in 1966 to $1,957.50 on the $135,000 limit that was in place in 1993.

        here’s a summary of monthly premiums:

        https://www.medicare.gov/your-medicare-costs/costs-at-a-glance/costs-at-glance.html

        Liberals pay all the taxes that you do, contrary to TEACHs lie that only Con Men pay taxes – that only Con Men are productive. In fact, tRump won the EC largely on the backs of men and women whom will be hurt by new tRump/GOP policies. In 2015, 42% of Medicaid recipients were nonHispanic whites, and 19% were Black.

  9. Jeffery says:

    Smegma Wormtongue,

    tRump voters such as you, marginal producers at best (if at all), whine incessantly about the burdens placed on them, yet when it’s pointed out you are takers and not makers, you whine even more! You are taking money out of my pocket but rather than just say thank you, you whine. Regardless bitch, you’re welcome. There may come a day that we wealthy, who are supporting societal leeches such as you, say, Enough!.

    Are you a Medicare and Social Security taker? Or just disability? If so, you’re welcome. Even if the world will be better when you’re gone… you’re welcome.

    My wife (also a business owner) and I are subsidizing the uneducated, unemployed, oxycontin users in Michigan, Wisconsin and PA who elected your tax-avoiding god-king, tRump. You’re welcome.

    There’s a lot more of you rural deadbeats than the “lazy moochers” (Blacks) you whine about incessantly. But we’re here to help you, so, you’re welcome.

    Go bend over bitch, your German Shepherd is horny.

    • drowningpuppies says:

      Why yes, yes you CAN be more sickening, little jeffuckery.
      We knew you had it in ya!
      Is there more?

  10. Jeffery says:

    My Bitch,

    How do you support yourself?

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