24 million fewer would be covered under the GOP health-care plan and the deficit would drop by $337 billion over 10 years, CBO says - The Washington Post
https://apple.news/AzsLoFw2TQ4enYp3whzwRMA
We, collectively as a country, also should provide coverage to people not only because it is the RIGHT thing to do but because it is the most cost effective thing to do. Mental and medical health care helps insure someone is more likely to remain a functioning and productive member of society, employable, able to care for their family (both elders and offspring). It affects not only that one person, but any children they might have, the company they work for or the person they employ. If they are unemployed, it helps them find care that is more efficient than emergency room care. So many hidden costs not factored in by the selfish people who only seem to want to look at the “bottom line” but rarely look at the real bottom line. As I said before, penny wise, pound foolish.
@thumper1 I’m your kid’s experience with the Minute Clinic was inexpensive. I’m on Kaiser and needed to get some antibiotics for something similar. All of 15 min to diagnose. Headed to our equivalent of the Minute Clinic, though has a doctor not nurse, but they really can’t do much as they are in a closet basically. Anyhow a call to Kaiser assured me that it was covered JUST like if I went to the official Kaiser clinic since these clinics are branded as “Kaiser”. Hmm, maybe my coverage has changed (who can keep track!), but they socked me for $145. Arg. Would have been $25 if I’d gone to the official Kaiser clinic as ususal.
Wow–that sounds VERY inefficient and deceptive! It costs me $15 to see any participating and preferred MD (including wild famous specialists), but could cost me more to see a PA at Minute Clinic–seems very counter intuitive and inefficient. The pricing is not transparent, so I’m not sure what my copay would be other than when I go to an MD or in network PA.
Full CBO report included in link.
Well, the stakes are clear.
Perhaps stating the obvious, and most likely futile, but I wish the parties would work together to fix the ACA.
I find I’m feeling very, very low at the prospect of this thing passing, so I’m seeking out any article I can find that suggests the GOP doesn’t expect it to pass and it’s political theater.
Sigh.
As far as I can tell (someone correct me if I’m wrong) the CBO numbers don’t even take into account the probable death spiral, where people are no longer required to buy insurance but they cannot be declined no matter how sick they are.
Note that while RyanCare/TrumpCare/AHCA has tax credits for medical insurance that phase out starting at $75,000 per year income for individuals, it reduces taxes for the highest income ranges. These are the additional 0.9% tax on wages and salaries over $200,000 per year, and the net investment income tax of 3.8% on investment income over $200,000 per year for individuals, both of which came with ObamaCare/ACA. So those with the highest incomes (particularly investment income, which tends to be a much greater share of income at the highest income levels compared to lower income levels where income is mainly from labor) would see the greatest benefit (no surprise). It is a great time to be in Wall Street.
The entire house of cards starts with tax credits. The concept of tax credits is an illusion to the working poor, and even to the middle class, to some degree. I know in my youth, just out of college, there were these amorphous things called tax credits that meant absolutely nothing to me, living paycheck to paycheck (well, it’s not much better now, but the numbers are bigger). Tax credits without disposable income – tax credits without the ability to plan more than a week ahead – may as well be mythological. They are worse than useless.
Tom Price danced around the “access to healthcare” question on the morning show today. Savannah Guthrie likened it to someon who made $26K/yr having “access” to buying a BMW, but cant afford it. Price then alluded to Medicaid availability. Well, many states dont have the Medicaid expansion or it may go away in others. What a bunch of smoke an mirrors.
“Tax credits without disposable income – tax credits without the ability to plan more than a week ahead – may as well be mythological.”
That.
Some need to stop for a moment and really think about getting med care, when there is no extra money.
Of course, we could shift the health consciousness. But we simply aren’t there yet. And that will be a tough task in a country based on a market economy that presses freedom of choice among an ever growing array of unhealthy products one can buy.
It’s a tax cut bill for the rich masquerading as a heath insurance bill.
Serious question - how much do the representatives pay towards their own health care? I am assuming hey have a terrific plan.
Not sure that I agree. In the most recent year for which there is data, 27 million families claimed the EITC, which is a refundable tax credit, i.e., its a refund even if your tax liability is zero.
@bluebayou you missed the point. How does someone making 35K per year pay for the $10K insurance plan every month? Sure, they may get back 6K after filing taxes based on the credits in this bill - but how do they afford to pay the monthly premium of $833 when they make $2500 a month (net)? Its a cashflow problem! That same person now gets their monthly premium for insurance net of the discounts.
Yes, @suzyQ7 sums up my point exactly. I’ve had years when I got back thousands in a tax refund, but that money was essentially a windfall and not something that helped me in the 12 prior months. And for those who say “you should plan better; why give Uncle Sam a free loan?” - that’s not always possible in a gig economy where you may make a lot of money one month and next to nothing in the future, and when you make minimum wage, even if you’re gonna get it all back April 15, you still have it taken out every week, so that is impossible to count on when the rent is due. You muddle through as best you can – and I assume we’re all highly educated college grads here – what about the people working minimum wage, trying to keep the car running and the lights on? They are NOT strategizing about how best to employ tax credits a year from now.
Price and Trump are stuck between a rock and a hard place with healthcare. Their base constituents believe health insurance should be treated like a luxury purchase, while many/most Americans demand a higher standard.
Politically, they are screwed either way.