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I would at least wait until the intelligence community is done grinding their ax for Trump before you pass judgement on the Democrats. Some higher ups think he will go to jail. Who in Washington is coming to his defense? You should stop for a moment and digest the fact that Russia's intelligence personnel were in communication with the president's campaign. I guess we'll have to look for a "rat line" before we know for sure he's going down.
Slow down. There is a plethora of rumors and very few facts at this point. All we know is Flynn lied. What was said and who talked to who if beyond Flynn is just rumor at this point. And these rumors over the past few weeks have not been very accurate.
Lovin the trend. I think the Dems are going to continue losing seats and power for the next 2 election cycles. Once there is recognition that they have been completely demolished by their hating racist radical wing, perhaps some moderate Dems will emerge to take over what's left of the party.
The recent poll on here had democrats losing 6 seats in 2018. With so manly more democratic seats in jeopardy in 2018, even in red states, democrats are panicking.
The recent poll on here had democrats losing 6 seats in 2018. With so manly more democratic seats in jeopardy in 2018, even in red states, democrats are panicking.
The recent poll on here had democrats losing 6 seats in 2018. With so manly more democratic seats in jeopardy in 2018, even in red states, democrats are panicking.
Trump WILL get voter ID laws passed which will cost Democrats seats. It will also cool their love of the illegals who can no longer vote for them.
Slow down. There is a plethora of rumors and very few facts at this point. All we know is Flynn lied. What was said and who talked to who if beyond Flynn is just rumor at this point. And these rumors over the past few weeks have not been very accurate.
What we know and what the intelligence community knows is not within the same realm of knowledge. What is not rumor but fact is Flynn lied to the vice president and that in itself is astounding. Two people in Trumps inner circle have resigned over contact with Russian intelligence , that should should give us pause. Why is no one coming to the president's defense?
What we know and what the intelligence community knows is not within the same realm of knowledge. What is not rumor but fact is Flynn lied to the vice president and that in itself is astounding. Two people in Trumps inner circle have resigned over contact with Russian intelligence , that should should give us pause. Why is no one coming to the president's defense?
Noticeably absent are his biggest cheerleaders: Rudy and Newt.
As I've mentioned before, tRump has spent tremendous energy in cultivating powerful enemies, even in his own party. Now that he's tripped badly over his own feet, there'll be no one willing to reach out to break his fall.
He's all alone with his squabbling dysfunctional inner circle.
No GOP office holder wants to be identified with assisting him or his toadies in their little Russian adventure.
Democrats are constantly playing the PC game instead of focusing on real issues such as fixing income inequalities and the tax code.
If the party doesn't reorganizes itself and rebrand. 2018 elections will be a moment of truth.
Jim Webb is completely correct but they wont listen, the blue areas are increasingly becoming smaller smaller, the Democrat party is minorities and black cities, nyc and parts of new england, west coast cities and alot of flakiness and identity groups. The democrats future was promoting the "browning of america" , ,they have been losing white people in droves.
The Democrats havent wont he white vote since Carter
Quote:
Originally Posted by Elliott_CA
Nice deflection. Democrats are on the sidelines, we've got popcorn watching the Trump White House becoming a train wreck.
On the sidelines in correct and its going to get alot worse in 2018
There is Rand Paul's bill and also the Cassidy's Patient Freedom Act (S. 191)
I am for them taking the time to get it right. We all now see what happens when something is rushed through and not well thought out. If left intact it may not make it to 2018, or there will be huge gaps in areas or states where there is not coverage at all available. But it may not even be savable at this point.
The Rand Paul bill is a non-starter with middle America. We don't have the money to sock away $5,000 in HSAs. Selling across statelines sounds good but it also goes against consumer protection and state's rights (a rare time I'll concede to that idea.) The Debate Over Selling Insurance Across State Lines | Kaiser Health News
Quote:
What currently restricts insurers from selling policies outside of their home states?
States have primary regulatory authority over insurance. As a result, insurers are allowed to sell policies only in states where they are licensed to do business. Most insurers obtain licenses in multiple states. States have different laws regulating benefits, consumer protections and financial and solvency requirements.
How do the health overhaul bills approved by the House and Senate handle the issue of selling insurance across state lines?
The House would allow states to form health care “compacts” in which one state would allow their residents to buy coverage from an insurer based in another state. The states would determine which states’ law applies to coverage sold through the compacts.
The Senate bill also allows states to form “compacts.” But it would require that the coverage would be governed by the laws of the state in which the policies are “issued or written.”
The Senate bill also would allow at least two insurers (one being a nonprofit) to sell multi-state plans in any state. The multi-state plans, which would provide coverage in the individual and small employer markets, would be supervised by the Office of Personnel Management, which oversees health benefits to federal employees. Under the legislation, the federal government would determine the minimum benefits the multi-state plans would offer. As a result, the minimum benefits could be more or less extensive than exist in some states. States could add more requirements to the plans though the states would have to bear the costs.
Why are Republicans critical of how Democrats handle the issue?
They say its redundant for states to have to pass laws to allow their residents to buy coverage from other states. And they don’t like the idea of having the federal government set minimum standards. “In reality, (their) bill nationalizes federal insurance regulation and gives the average American family no relief from expensive mandates that drive up the cost of health insurance,” said Rep. John Shadegg, R-Ariz. said.
What do advocates say are the main advantages of allowing insurers to sell across state lines?
The individual health insurance market is dominated in many states by just a handful of companies, so this provision would allow consumers to shop broadly for cheaper policies, supporters say. “You want to have greater competition in the insurance market and this does that,” said Douglas Holtz-Eakin, a fellow at the Manhattan Institute and top health adviser to McCain during his presidential campaign.
Republicans says consumers may be able to buy less expensive policies in other states because of variations in laws and regulations. While some states may require insurers to pay for a particular treatment of autism, for example, others don’t. Insurers bristle at many of these mandates.
“This is absolutely a way to get around some of those state-mandated benefit laws that are counterproductive and drive up insurance costs,” said Merrill Matthews Jr., executive director of the Council for Affordable Health Insurance, which represents companies selling individual health insurance.
Why is there skepticism about the concept?
“It always sounds appealing to offer more choice,” said Kenneth Thorpe, an Emory University health policy expert and a health official in the Clinton administration. “But if you do look at it more closely, it does raise issues of regulation.”
If insurers can sell beyond state lines, the concern is that consumers would be attracted to the least comprehensive policies because they’d be cheapest. For example, someone could buy a policy in a state that doesn’t mandate coverage of diabetic supplies. “You get what you pay for in these policies (and) consumers won’t realize it until they are sick and it’s too late,” said Jerry Flanagan, health care policy analyst for Consumer Watchdog, a California consumer health group.
There are also fears that consumers dealing with out-of-state companies would have difficulties resolving disputes, and that insurers selling across state lines would market policies to younger, healthier individuals. Older and sicker individuals would face ever-rising rates – or face being turned down – because their insurers would have fewer healthy people to spread risk. And, since health costs vary geographically, insurance purchased in one state might not cover as much of the cost of care in a more expensive state.
Finally, critics say that selling insurance across state lines might not save much money, and point to a 2005 CBO report that says: “if only those benefit mandates imposed by the states with the lowest-cost mandates were in effect in all states, the price of individual health insurance would be reduced by about 5 percent, on average.”
Q: What would happen to Mainers who currently have health insurance plans purchased through the Affordable Care Act?
A: For states that chose to stay in the ACA, nothing would change. For states that chose not to, enrollees in the health insurance marketplace and the uninsured would be automatically enrolled in health savings account plans. The federal government would deposit several thousand dollars into each account, to be used to pay for premiums, deductibles and co-pays.
Q: What is a health savings account?
A: An HSA is a tax-free medical savings account that is available to those enrolled in a high-deductible health plan. The funds can be used to pay for qualified medical expenses, including deductibles.
The money in the accounts – including the taxpayer funds – would be rolled over and would thus accumulate year-over-year. Participants also can contribute to the accounts up to certain limits.
Q: Would there be a lifetime limit to health benefits under the proposed plan?
A: Collins and Cassidy have said the Patient Freedom Act, like the ACA, would not permit insurers to place lifetime limits on how much is paid out for claims, protecting people with severe illnesses from having to pay out of pocket for catastrophic medical expenses.
Q: What health services would be covered at little or no cost under the proposed plan?
A: It’s not clear exactly what health services would be covered, although Collins and Cassidy said that some versions of prescription drugs and childhood immunizations would be included.
Q: Would those enrolled in the high-deductible plan have to pay a premium?
A: Yes, but the cost of typical premiums is unclear.
Q: What would the deductible be for those insured under the high-deductible plan?
A: It’s not known yet known.
Q: Could states that don’t operate their own health insurance marketplace choose to stay with the current ACA system?
A: Yes.
Q: Could uninsured people refuse to be enrolled in the proposed plan?
A: Yes, people can opt out of enrollment, but they would be forgoing free money.
Q: Who decides whether a state would participate in the plan? Would it be the governor, the Legislature or voters?
A: Each state would set its own rules for deciding on whether it would participate.
There's also the Rep. Ryan State High Risk Pool plan too... To my knowledge it isn't a House Bill yet but he's talked about it.
The fact is the Republicans cannot put forth a uniform plan. Many want HSAs but that will not work for most Americans. If Republicans repeal and replace with an HSA plan, it will bring us back to 2009 again and kick them out of Capital Hill.
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