The BCRA draft v2 was released just as I was heading out to lunch with a colleague so I have not read the bill yet although I did look through Health Wonk Twitter as I waited for my colleague to get back to the table with a drink. Most are bewildered at the mechanical changes.
However something quite important has happened in the past couple of minutes:
That makes three nos on the current iteration: Collins, Paul, Portman. https://t.co/UD5CazWtpE
— Peter Suderman (@petersuderman) July 13, 2017
I am reading Portman as a time holding “No.” If there are no other Senators declaring “No” on the motion to proceed, I think he can be arm twisted to say he read the bill over the weekend and it is good to go. However it only took two hours to get a temporary blocking coalition in place.
So you know what to do:
CALL THE SENATE AGAIN!
Call Portman and reward good behavior!
Call Collins and reward good behabior!
Call Moran, Capito, Murkowski and ask for good behavior.
Call Heller and remind him that this is a chain saw attacking Medicaid.
Call Paul and ask him to laugh at Ted Cruz for us.
If you are a resident of a state of any of those Senators, call
Everyone keep on calling anyways!
eric
call Kasich to call Portman
TenguPhule
Rewarding blackmailers really is a shitty deal.
jacy
Read somewhere that Rand Paul is a hard no and a no on the motion to proceed — for all that’s worth.
Major Major Major Major
@TenguPhule: that’s, like, the opposite of how congress works, dude.
JPL
There’s enough money to bribe people now, since several of the taxes stay in place.
? ?? Goku (aka The Hope of the Universe) ? ?
They’re so divided by different factions they can’t seem to get anything done, combined with the Russia stuff. The GOP controls Congress and its still gridlocked. Currently a good thing, but not long term. Do the “Justice Democrats” really want to turn the Democrats into a party as divided as the GOP is?
smintheus
This bill looks to be significantly worse than the last Senate bill, which was worse than the second House bill they inherited, which was worse than the first aborted House bill.
With enough time, congressional Republicans will boil their health-care fix down to rusty nails for everyone.
japa21
Let’s face it, there is only one reason the taxes remain and that is so it can’t be called a wealthcare bill. They could pass it and two weeks from now work to get those taxes repealed with separate legislation. The only problem would be that I don’t think they could use reconciliation.
And without the tax cuts, is the House going to come close to passing this monstrosity?
TenguPhule
@Major Major Major Major: Having to give them credit for doing what normal decent people wouldn’t even have to think about is galling. And the knowledge that they can and will change their minds on a dime if McConnell offers them a big enough bribe doesn’t help.
misterpuff
If Susan Collins wants to become an American Hero, she will stay solidly a NO, bring along a couple of her WWC small state Repub senators, Moran, Capito Moore, & Murkowski , and drop an ACA bipartisan fix bill on McTurtle’s desk.
But ain’t never gonna happen.
Sab
Wow. Just called one of Portman’s local offices. Apologized profusely for calling a local office but said I had to because the national office never answered. Said I do not like the new bill and am delighted when I read that he opposes it. Local guy sighed and said yes, Sen Portman opposed both Senate versions. Not true, but I am okay with this. Ohioans, these calls are working!
TenguPhule
@smintheus:
Which will be billed to the next of kin.
Sab
@? ?? Goku (aka The Hope of the Universe) ? ?: Call Portman! Some of his local offices have live people answering the phone.
Major Major Major Major
@TenguPhule: You have correctly identified that a Republican congress is a cesspool. That doesn’t mean we shouldn’t engage in behaviors that help our cause just because they’re unsavory.
Keith P.
And if it comes up to a vote and won’t pass, isn’t there some weird rule where McConnell would want to vote Nay to preserve the ability to reintro the bill or something? That would be a funny one for Trump to tweet about.
Le Comte de Monte Cristo, fka Edmund Dantes
I’m genuinely curious over this notion of Daddy Twitler going to be “angry” if the Senate doesn’t repeal. Is he so cognitively deficient that he believes that such a ludicrous statement will have an impact, or is he using a venal calculation that the goons will rise up and force the red state “nos” to switch?
JPL
Tom Price would love to score the bill
John Thune says the Cruz amendment might not get a CBO score before the motion to proceed vote. Might just ask HHS to give their own score.
link https://twitter.com/MEPFuller/status/885550863665770496
Shalimar
@TenguPhule: I think the last few years has proven that your definition of “normal decent people” does not apply to most Americans.
Major Major Major Major
@Keith P.: There is that rule, but I don’t know how relevant it is to reconciliation bills.
Kay
Yay! Portman is a “no”!
Now I’m convinced he took my advice :)
It was good advice. I mean that sincerely.
pluky
@TenguPhule: Ever hear the line about legislating and sausage?
JMG
@Kay: Read the full answer. Portman is a “no” dying to be a “yes.” Heller was a no and now won’t say, meaning he’s a yes. Republican “moderates” always cave. Always.
jl
If I were a constituent of one of those spineless jackasses who call themselves Republican moderates, I would call up pissed and, in a polite and civil manner, give them a piece of my mind. No begging, no pleading no ‘ask’ at this point. More like
“Hey, I don’t like paying my tax dollars tor dithering cowards who are spineless flunkies for the likes of McConnell and Ted Cruz, who reward them with daily public humiliations and punkings. As usual, the mush mouthed headless nothings who call themselves Republic moderates, that is YOU, Senator X, got nothing, got shut out, got punked in favor or reactionary nutcases like Cruz, so he could destroy health insurance and get ordinary working people killed. You, Senator X need to get some balls for once on your carcass, stand behind your words with some action for once and insist on a bill that protects Medicaid, which is vital for elder care in this country, and not wreck the individual and employer insurance market. Get cracking or I will see to it that the GOP is driven from public office in this state.”
The Cruz amendment will destroy the individual insurance market, and do significant damage to the employer insurance market.
GOP moderates are disgraceful, cowardly headless nothings. Worthless. And they need to hear that now. They need to stand up for once, and be told if they don’t they will be driven from office for being politically worthless wastes of taxpayer money.
Kay
@JMG:
Oh, I know. Portman is the worst. Blatantly misrepresents himself as a moderate.
I just think it’s worthwhile opposing them because it seems to make them nervous. He should be nervous. There’s a lot of people relying on Medicaid in the conservative counties where he does best.
FDRLincoln
Just called Moran’s office. Aide said he hasn’t had time to review the most recent version of the bill that came out today, but none of the previous versions were acceptable to him because they “missed the mark for Kansas”. Aide said he was unhappy about Medicaid cuts in past version of the bill and needed to see details on the most recent one. He was also “very concerned” about proposals that would mess up the individual market.
I urged him to hold firm and vote “no” for anything that cuts Medicaid and undermines access for individuals She said she will pass the message along and asked for my zip code.
She sound harried and there were at least two other phones ringing in the background.
? ?? Goku (aka The Hope of the Universe) ? ?
@jl:
GOP moderate: “Tut, Tut. Very uncivil and unamerican of you. Worthless sacks of political shit have feelings too.”
jl
@JMG: Their constituents need to call up and tell them they are tired of the BS, and if they don’t discover some spine, they will be put of of office and their party will be driven out of the state. Tell them you are tired of their cowardly BS and lying.
Kay
Eli Lake reluctantly concedes there’s evidence of collusion:
It baffles me why they always draw this dividing line. If the Russian government wanted Trump in the general (and they obviously did) wouldn’t it make sense to also interfere in the GOP primary?
jl
@? ?? Goku (aka The Hope of the Universe) ? ?: Sorry. That is a slightly more direct, and less polite, version of how I address DiFi in my ‘concerned’ epistles to her office.
But, then, I respect DiFi enough to expect her to understand my snark.
jl
@FDRLincoln: Call back and ask why he hasn’t read the damn bill. You are paying him money and you expect some honest work out of him.
Scott
I know it is useless but I regularly call Cruz and Cornyn and let them know where I stand.
I find it fascinating that the ACA may be saved by the rural states (Kansas, South Dakota, WV, etc.) because they finally woke up and realized that rural health will be devastated by these bills.
I wonder if I should call Cruz and tell him to vote no because the bill isn’t right wing enough.
JMG
Bill passes 51-50. Collins and Paul no, every other R a yes. I’d love to be wrong. Collins is the only Re[publican Senator whose home state is within a day’s drive of my house, although I have made a few calls elsewhere noting my long history of campaign contributions to pols I support. Nobody has to know they’re not BIG contributions.
? ?? Goku (aka The Hope of the Universe) ? ?
@Kay: He admits that in the headline that the Trump Jr emails are a “tipping point” but not “treason”. At the very least it’s espionage. It’s shows an eagerness to use foreign aide to help win an election. I doubt nothing else worse is going to show up in due time.
Kay
@Scott:
I think it’s great. It’s really past time for rural residents to admit they are really dependent on federal subsidies.
It’s silly that all these people get to run around pretending they are boot-strapping individualists while their states are such benefit sucks. I mean, come on. Just admit it. Stop pointing at black and brown people when any rational look at who benefits from federal programs includes giant swathes of white conservatives.
They get it both ways. They get to bitch about all the “deadbeats” while securing a hefty share of federal subsidies. Grow up.
FDRLincoln
@jl: I did ask why he didn’t know yet and she said that Moran is having his health care staff examine each bill carefully to assess impact on Kansas and it takes a bit of time. From past experience I think that means he has his finger in the wind and is trying to thread the needle between constituent pressure, Koch pressure, and McConnell.
? ?? Goku (aka The Hope of the Universe) ? ?
@JMG: They’ll reap the whirlwind then if this thing becomes law and cuts off millions to affordable care.
Mike J
@Kay: As I’ve often said, Russia wanted to weaken the United States, and they knew the best way to do it was to get Republicans elected.
JPL
@Kay: Portman, Capito & Murkowski – key to the Medicaid issue on Senate GOP health-care bill – meeting with McConnell right now
Scott
I have no evidence but I suspect that so many people saying “Moderates always cave” is starting to sink in. And don’t forget, everybody hates Ted Cruz.
JMG
@JPL: @JPL: This is the “here are your fig leaves, I mean carrots” meeting prior to their cave.
TenguPhule
@Major Major Major Major:
I have a bad feeling that prematurely giving them credit for being decent human beings is going still going to result in 51 to 50, because McConnell can still farm it out and give cover to those he chooses to allow.
TenguPhule
@Kay:
Hasn’t happened in the last 30 years.
Still don’t see that changing any time soon.
gene108
@? ?? Goku (aka The Hope of the Universe) ? ?:
Yes.
The GOP is not really divided. They are just quibbling on whether kick 22 million people off health insurance, 23 million people or 32 million people. If they were really badly divided there would be more than 3 No votes in the Senate.
They just are finding out, after 10+ years (2007 losing Congress and 2009 losing the White House) of being in scorched Earth opposition to everything, no matter, how basic like raising the debt ceiling, that actually governing requires work, compromise and a willingness to study and understand an issue beyond Luntz-approved talking points.
The Republicans trying to govern are like an atrophied muscle, which or may not be able to build up strength, when it finally needs to be used.
jl
@FDRLincoln: Call back and tell the staff you are very very tired of his BS and aren’t buying their BS excuses. Medicaid cuts remain. That alone should be enough. Cruz amendment allows way too much slicing and dicing of the insurance market for viable health insurance policies of any kind. Only the youngest and healthiest people will get any insurance at all, and it will be crummy insurance. As soon as they have any accident or boil on their butts, they will be tossed in with the sicko losers who are either priced out of the market, or get extremely inadequate coverage that won’t provide standard of care in a middle income country a rung below Grouch Marx’s Sylvania in some underfunded state high risk pool. Tell him anyone that has bought auto insurance can figure that out just from the news.
Tell, him you are on to the game and aren’t accepting any more of his BS excuses. Is he going to do his damn job, or his going to create a constituent who will devote honor and fortune to driving the worthless GOP from his state forever? His choice.
TenguPhule
@Keith P.:
No. They’ll use the Delay tactic from the early 2000s, simply keep the vote open until enough votes to pass it are achieved. No matter how long it takes.
Calvinball, its all Calvinball now.
Major Major Major Major
@TenguPhule: I gotta say, that doesn’t make a lot of sense.
gvg
latest on WaPo is that moments before McConnell was going to brief his caucus on the Bill, 2 other Senators introducced a rival Bill to compete and see which could get the most votes. It gives lots of tax money to the states to do their own thing (tax “reform”) so it’s probably worse but the WaPo said it shows how divided the Republicans are.
jl
I am frustrated since I have to send encouraging notes to DiFi to keep up the good work on the Senate health insurance mess. Which makes me grouchy.
On the other hand, I haven’t heard news of her rabble rousing about it since Monday, so maybe I can find something to complain about, in a cheerful, civil and appreciative way, of course.
I guess I call up and tell her I expect to see her in the news doing everything possible to jam up McConnell trying to get this mess passed.
OK, I am only half grouchy now.
Roger Moore
@smintheus:
FTFY.
Major Major Major Major
@gvg: This is a move I usually associate with things that aren’t going to pass.
StringOnAStick
I called my D senator to thank him, and got to a live person immediately. I called both the local and the DC number for my (spit!) Rethuglican Senator Gardner and got message machines both times. Left a message on both and sent an email for good measure. Gardner’s offices seem to be on perpetual voice mail.
People in the last thread posted a link to Andy Slaviit’s first read of the bill. His assessment is that 22 million lose coverage, costs up 74%, 35% Medicaid cut plus the block grant and then elimination of Medicaid funding is still in there, further erosion of coverage for pre-existing conditions, they kept 2 of the taxes so they can use that as “not a tax cut for the wealthy” dodge but increases medical savings accounts which are an indirect tax cut for those rich enough to afford them, lifetime benefit caps back in place and essential benefits are gone. Plus of course Cruz’s plan allows people to buy catastrophic coverage plans that basically cover nothing, which will route people who need more coverage into a defacto high risk pool and then the death spiral that they claim would happen with the ACA WOULD ACTUALLY HAPPEN. No mandate for carrying coverage, so yeah, death spiral.
I don’t get it; the insurance industry opposes this, the medical industry opposes this, and yet they keep marching to the Obamacare Must Die orders from the Kochs, et al. They must really be sure they cheat their way into office from now on, or they have such ideological blinders and poor understanding of economics that they can’t see that this will kick the general economy so hard that recession at least is guaranteed. I hate these bastards.
SatanicPanic
@? ?? Goku (aka The Hope of the Universe) ? ?: What’s the Justice Democrats?
rikyrah
@FDRLincoln:
Obamacare supporters chased his azz all over Kansas during the break
JPL
Wow, That was quick
Portman’s office confirms he’s reviewing the bill & waiting on the CBO score before making a decision on MTP or final passage
jl
@JPL: Portman’s office needs to get some calls telling him his constituents are done with his sorry prevaricating misdirecting ass. Medicaid cuts still there. Cruz amendment a cave to reactionaries who don’t want anyone but the super rich to have adequate health care. Should take him zero damn time to figure that out.
Is he incompetent or is he a liar? That is the question he needs to answer. If any of his constituents can get his answer to that question, please post it in the comments.
If I lived in Ohio I would be very steamed at this jackass.
Roger Moore
@Keith P.:
I don’t think that would apply in this case. It’s likely to get shot down at the “motion to proceed” stage, i.e. voting on whether to take a vote. A motion to proceed is just a procedural vote, though, so the motion can be made again and again without any kind of gimmick. In practice, I don’t think McConnell is going to bring it up for a final vote without a rock solid whip count.
jl
@rikyrah: Thanks, Good to hear it.
I’ll contact DiFi and ask what her plans are to jam this crap down McConnell’s throat.
Still a little grouchy, since I’ll have to thank for her efforts first. And I guess, dammnit, I’ll need to be polite about it.
I guess I can ask her if she is shaming her ‘moderate’ GOP colleagues for being worthless punks.
Another Scott
Krugman says don’t be misled by the taxes staying in place – HSAs are a huge giveaway.
We have to keep fighting.
Cheers,
Scott.
Raven Onthill
Something that I am unclear on: does the Cruz amendment require a state waiver to operate, or is it just national?
BTW, pretty sure that if this Murdercare bill passes, the deaths won’t stop with withdrawn care. The unfit won’t be dying fast enough and will be finding ways around to get care, so the fascist bastards will have to do more to kill people.
piratedan
@Kay: its straight out of all the President’s Men… look at who they (Putin) wanted.. they control Trump, so everyone else gets fucked… GOP hopefuls like Cruz and Kasich and Bush… the Russians wanted Trump, so that’s who won…
Its just like GOP wanting McGovern, so who got sabotaged? Everybody else…
cripes, this ain’t fucking Rocket science and these guys have dots and a pencil and are confused still
TenguPhule
@jl:
Yes.
gene108
@StringOnAStick:
It’s more than the Kochs, Mercers, et. al.
This is what happens, when talking points – Obamacare is a failure, in a death spiral, destroying America*, etc. – come to life.
* They used to predict Obamacare would destroy the economy, but when that didn’t come to pass, in 2014 when all provisions of the ACA were effective, they quietly dropped that point and let it go down the memory hole.
jl
@Another Scott: Thanks for the link. Cruz is using HSAs to start a two tier employer health insurance market, good one for higher income employees, and crummy one for lower income employees.
TenguPhule
@Major Major Major Major: A longer ramble of Moderate Republicans always fall in line.
Another Scott
@JPL: TheHill has more…
They’re shameless.
Fight!!
Cheers,
Scott.
JMG
Portman, Heller, and all the rest will be yes votes. They are both liars and cowards. They are more afraid of their patrons than voters, because they know R voters will accept any swill they’re fed from their leaders. Some of those Rs will die due to lack of insurance and their final words will be “at least I lived long enough to see the end of Obamacare.:
Roger Moore
@Kay:
I agree, but I think we could do a bit more to make it palatable to them. Not throwing it in their faces as something they should feel guilty about would be a good start. We subsidize rural areas because we need the food, lumber, minerals, etc. they produce, but we aren’t willing to pay the full price of them producing it up front. Instead, we subsidize some things for rural areas, which winds up being an indirect subsidy for the urban and suburban areas when we buy goods produced in rural areas for below their true cost. Not to mention that subsidizing those rural areas is the right thing to do from a humanitarian perspective.
SatanicPanic
@JMG: Heller won’t face R voters though. He’s facing D voters. That could be a problem for him.
ruemara
@? ?? Goku (aka The Hope of the Universe) ? ?: Yes. SATSQ
jl
@Raven Onthill: Cruz amendment allows insurers to sell policies that do not meet PPACA standards, or really any well defined standard at all. So, it permits junk policies that don’t cover much of anything to split up the risk pool into micro-markets. That is, destroy ability to pool risk. Allows HSAs to pay for insurance premiums, that is Cruz’s attack on employer coverage. Medicaid cuts remain, with some inadequate and symbolic relief on budget caps in some circumstances.
That’s really all you need to know. These moderate GOPers are BSing when they say that need all this time to ‘study’ the bill. The Cruz amendment is a cave to reactionaries who want to destroy meaningful health insurance markets for anyone but rich people.
smintheus
@Roger Moore: On second thought you’re right. Rusty nails would be straightforward, inexpensive, and effective – all things Republicans are opposed to.
jl
@JMG: Then their constituents need to call them up and tell them that there will be political price for their dishonesty and cowardice.
schrodingers_cat
@jl: Thank You for being the voice of reason and logic.
Miss Bianca
@StringOnAStick: I hate these people too. Good on you for calling Gardner. I’ve been contacting thru’ email and LTTE, since between work and shitty phone service in the mountains I have a hard time calling…get depressed sometimes because I think I’m not doing enough!
JPL
@Another Scott: Thanks. I assume the democrats will get a CBO score even if the vote passes.
O. Felix Culpa
Didn’t have time to read all the comments (yet), but how do three “no” votes constitute “no’s piling up”? Only one defection and the bill passes. Please to explain, because I feel like I’m missing something. I fervently want to believe that this bill SHALL NOT PASS.
Thanks to all of you with R senators for your calls. My two D senators are firm in their opposition, so I call in my thanks every week.
ETA: Corrected for grammar. Or the lack thereof.
Miss Bianca
@Roger Moore: They still won’t get it. None so blind as those who will not see. How do I know? I live in a “frontier” area (seriously, that’s what it’s called, in demographic terms) where cows outnumber people. Overwhelmingly white. Overwhelmingly blind to their own privilege, even as they bitch about taxes and government, all while living on some sort of subsidy from the government, whether it be ag or SS or Medicare/Medicaid or state pensions.
catclub
@smintheus:
So what happened to the anthrax and tire rims I was promised?
Scott
For those who can’t get through DC or local lines, I find using http://www.faxzero.com to be useful. Has Senators and Rep fax numbers already loaded.
Major Major Major Major
@JPL: Don’t reconciliation rules require a CBO score? I remember Mitch had some plan to have the CBO score each moving part individually so they could just add up the ones they ended up using into the final score (ETA: which of course is not how economics or math works, but Republicans have never cared), but that was before the Cruz thing.
Another Scott
@Roger Moore: Not to mention that they, like the rest of us, pay taxes for these benefits.
Unlike Donnie, who thinks it’s “smart” not to pay taxes…
Cheers,
Scott.
eric
@Kay: i am not sure it is anatomically possible……..oh, you mean on the Bill
Yutsano
@Major Major Major Major: He’s trying something cagey by saying the Budget chair (Enzi) can accept the score from anyone not just the CBO. I expect a Dem challenge to that.
catclub
@StringOnAStick:
But the thing is, now the Government subsidies go to even more useless insurance, rather than paying for useful insurance.
The utterly crappy insurance will be priced to consume the entire subsidy. No wonder he Insurance companies are not coming out against this bill.
Those companies could always put out this useless insurance, but they do not get to be on the exchanges, or get the subsidies from the Federal Government.
willard
I just called Senator Portman’s local Cleveland office and thanked him for coming out against the bill. FWIW…
The Moar You Know
@Kay: Problem with that assertion is that it’s crap. When Deadbeat Donnie declared, with that beautiful speech about disease-carrying Mexicans and kicking out the Mooslims, I knew he was going to get the nom. He said everything in that one speech that the Republican voter had waited their whole lives to hear from a GOP presidential candidate.
catclub
@gene108:
In particular, they said it would kill JOBS. Facts not exactly in evidence after N consecutive months of jobs growth.
jl
@catclub:
” No wonder he Insurance companies are not coming out against this bill. ”
I heard on the morning radio news that some major insurers were coming out against it. I think BCBS companies are against it, IIRC but may have been another major. The havoc the Cruz amendment would play with benefit design and risk pooling under PPACA rules cancels the benefits of subsidies.
? Martin
I think Murkowski will be a hard sell to yes. Alaska will be destroyed by those Medicaid cuts. The permanent fund isn’t paying out much and their medical network is thin beyond all recognition to the other 49. This bill will kill a lot of Alaskans and Murkowski knows it.
catclub
@jl:
Sounds like fun, but does it change any votes?
jl
@catclub: YOLO. Express yourself!
Edit: I don’t really understand why anyone should only call their political representatives if it has a high chance of accomplishing anything. One would think, with Trump in office, we would relish the chance of freely griping to our reps while it is still legal.
And Yeebus, these people are spending time commenting on an almost top 10,000 blog! But won’t call up for the joy of giving their politicians grief? Weird. Just effing weird. Maybe they are all paid trolls?
catclub
@? Martin: You would think Murkowski would b an absolute NO until they no longer showed 60-yo Alaskans paying an extra $10k/yr ( and that is INCLUDING subsidies) for insurance.
If there is now a high risk Alaskan pool that will be $20k extra.
Roger Moore
@Yutsano:
So if a kindergardener writes in crayon that the new bill will save $1 jillion and guarantee everyone gets insurance, that’s a good enough score for them?
jl
@Roger Moore: Well, if it’s a Republican child, who won’t pump out Deep State fake news, I guess we’re all good.
rikyrah
GOP’s Senate Moderates Not Sold on McConnell Health Care Bill
by Martin Longman
July 13, 2017 12:42 PM
Mitch McConnell had some time to try to rework his health care bill and a version of his revisions has leaked out. It looks like he made the calculation that he needed to keep the Medicaid cuts to hold conservatives in line. Despite some tweaks in the new draft, that’s the bottom line, and it means that more moderate members are simply not on board.
There are several other complicating factors for McConnell, but the Medicaid issue is the most confounding because he can’t find a way to turn the dial in either direction without causing a loss of support. His attempted solution seems to be that he will cave to conservative demands and then try to convince the moderates that the Medicaid cuts will be so unpopular that they will never go into effect. In other words, much like the Doc-Fix, future congresses will perpetually write patches to prevent the law from going into effect.
McConnell could be correct about that, but it’s not something his conservative members want to hear. A similar argument was used by the House leadership to convince moderate members to support their version of Obamacare repeal. Essentially, they said that whatever the problems might be with the bill, the Senate would fix them. Better to just pass something and send it to the Senate and let Obamacare repeal be their problem for a while.
The reason this is different is that the Republicans are reaching the point where they actually need to pass something. They can’t play ping-pong, sending unacceptable versions of the bill back and forth between the House and Senate. McConnell can’t argue that the House will fix the Medicaid problem, so he insists that future congresses will do so.
? Martin
@jl: Most are against it. I think people are leaning too much toward the insurers being greedy fucks (which some are) and not recognizing that the current situation, where ACA is barely holding the whole thing together, and a market driven approach which the insurers know will blow everything up is a real existential threat to them. Because nobody right now is interested in tackling the cost of providing care, and only banging on the pipe through which those care dollars flow, the insurers are worried that this will force single payer to the fore.
The insurers are not the bad guys here. They aren’t the ones driving up real costs and for tackling that aspect they are allies of the consumer. It’s not Wellmark’s fault that they have some policyholder that they need to pay out $1M/month to treat. Wellmark didn’t set the $1M number, the hospitals/doctors/pharma/etc did. Wellmark is struggling to work out how to keep most people insured without raising premiums 50% – which is what the GOP plan is trying to address – giving the insurers the ability to just drop that $1M/month individual, or you, if you’re expensive. Now, they could do some things to address this – they could seek to pool their group and individual policies so that the $1M/mo individual policyholder was also subsidized by their group policies. So I’m not saying they are blameless or anything here, but they are pulling small levers, not big ones. We’re ignoring the big ones. And the insurers know that if the system gets more free-market, that the $1M/mo will only turn into $2M/mo and they’ll be able to drop that policy and then that teenager will make national news as how horrible is the US healthcare system and how horrible Wellmark is and states like CA that are in a position to change this may in fact do so. The first US state that goes single payer will spell the end of market-based insurance. Their calculation is whether the GOP bill brings that future closer or pushes it farther. I can assure you that most of them think it brings that future closer.
jl
@rikyrah: The reactionary GOPers need to slash Medicaid for to prep the way for their wet dream ginormous tax slashes (aka bogus ‘reform’ plans). I think that is the real reason they have to push so hard for this human rights crime masquerading as a health care bill.
If we are very lucky, McConnell is using the almost exact play book as the House used, which is dishonestly disguise a cave to the reactionaries as some sort of compromise fix, but McConnell has forced the Senate moderates to eat so many plates of heaping steaming shit in front of the whole country, that the cowards will balk until McConnell just can’t get them all on board.
As I said above, if I were in a state with a GOP senator, the time for begging and pleading is over. Time to call up and politely and civilly give them shit about being such worthless punks. A disgrace to their great state. Make them piss their pants. Do it for the satisfaction of (politically) scaring the living political crap out of them.
Why are they not too ashamed of themselves to go out in public anymore? Sad abject punks is what they are. I hope they hear that.
Edit: might be a good question to pose to a ‘moderate’ GOP senator. Why are they going out in public after McConnell is forcing them to gulp down heaping plates of steaming cat poop in public? I’d like to hear their answers.
? Martin
@Yutsano:
That might be a valid threat if they had a better score outside the CBO, but they don’t. We know this because they haven’t bothered to share one.
Villago Delenda Est
Ron Paul: “Still not cruel enough. I’m voting NO!”
Roger Moore
@The Moar You Know:
It’s also questionable because breaking in to places and stealing secrets is what intelligence agencies do. That’s why the Russians hacked the RNC as well as the DNC. The critical point is that they decided to publicize the information they got from the DNC hack while keeping the RNC data secret. They didn’t just want to sew chaos; they wanted to help elect Trump.
Yutsano
@ Martin: HHS is being tasked with the mission. So since it just got released it’s not done yet. But I’d bet money Price is already cooking books to make this work as if it’s the greatest thing since sliced bread.
jl
@jl: My prediction, and I think a safe one, is that McConnell can not and will not budge on a savage slash to Medicaid funding. Might be the first topic to use to hammer the chickenshit and worthless ‘moderate’ GOPers. No one will persuade them to do squat. But they may be scared into running around like chickens with their heads cut off long enough that McConnell can’t get a solid vote count, and he’ll have to delay until he is out of time.
People should keep calling just for the sheer joy of snarking and seeing how many ways there are to politely and civilly scare the living political crap out of these shitwad worthless GOP moderate punks.
low-tech cyclist
AFAICT, Portman was asked if he was a ‘yes’ on the MTP, and he said No to that. That just means he hasn’t committed to voting for the MTP yet, but it doesn’t mean he will vote against it. And given that he’s the one of the most cavey of the pretend moderates, I don’t think this means much.
Roger Moore
@? Martin:
The smart insurers- and they do actually have an absolute business requirement to think further ahead than the next quarter- also realize that complete breakdown of the market isn’t their only risk. They also have to worry about things getting bad enough that the Democrats can make single payer a political winner. They’re much better off with Obamacare guaranteeing them a modest but reasonably predictable profit than either party getting their way completely.
jl
@Roger Moore: Before the PPACA, individual market health insurers could see that they were having to devote more and more resources to serving a shrinking market. And they saw clear early signs that small and medium sized employer market was heading in the same direction. The actuaries and medical directors, and executives didn’t want to end up being swindlers operating out of some office in Delaware selling fake policies and bilking people.
Of course, I only met people from companies who were willing to work on research projects to make business case for better policies, so I didn’t see the whole spectrum. I am sure there are a lot of executives who would be fine with:
Monty Python – Motor Insurance sketch
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kO2R_DDZPCM
rikyrah
McConnell sells his health plan in the most cynical way possible
07/13/17 12:30 PM
By Steve Benen
As the political fight over health care continues, congressional Republicans are divided along several lines, but one of the more contentious issues is the GOP’s deep proposed cuts to Medicaid. In the Senate, several Republicans have pushed back against their leadership, insisting that the plan simply goes too far – doing too much damage to too many people.
The Washington Post reports today, however, that Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) has an argument intended to reassure his members concerned about Medicaid’s future.
In other words, the current iteration of the Republican health care legislation will include brutal cuts to Medicaid, but the GOP’s less conservative senators can vote for it anyway, confident in the idea that, in the future, policymakers will intervene to make sure this policy isn’t actually implemented.
Take a moment to consider just how cynical this is. Senators are supposed to vote, on purpose, for legislation they know would do real harm to their constituents, based on assurances from Mitch McConnell that someone, at some point, in some way, will clean up the mess they voted for.
This isn’t how responsible legislating in a mature democracy is supposed to work.
rikyrah
McConnell unveils regressive new health care plan
07/13/17 02:57 PM—UPDATED 07/13/17 03:05 PM
By Steve Benen
About a month ago, when the Senate Republican leadership unveiled its initial health care proposal, it was widely assumed that the less conservative GOP senators wouldn’t like the plan. Party leaders, however, were confident that the so-called “moderates” would succumb to pressure and toe and party line.
“Moderates always cave,” one senior GOP aide said at the time.
This was certainly true in the House, where more centrist lawmakers proved to be useless, and it appears that Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) hopes that it’s true in the upper chamber next week. The Huffington Post explained that the new GOP is “basically the same as the old one.”
The Senate Republican leadership, in other words, is still counting on the so-called “moderates” to cave. Today’s proposal is effectively a dare to the Collins/Murkowski wing of the GOP conference.
In the wake of failure in June, McConnell was presented with a daunting challenge: opposition to the original iteration of his plan was so broad among his own members, the Majority Leader needed to move his bill to the left and the right simultaneously.
To that end, as NBC News’ report documented, McConnell tweaked his original proposal in some ways to appease more centrist members: the bill now includes, for example, more money for treating the opioid epidemic and keeps the Affordable Care Act’s tax on investments, which affects the wealthy.
These are pretty modest changes, largely unrelated to the concerns raised by the bill’s less conservative opponents. At the same time, however, McConnell also moved the bill to the right in more dramatic ways, including Sen. Ted Cruz’s (R-Texas) measure about empowering insurers to sell plans that ignore the ACA’s insurance safeguards alongside plans that do.
rikyrah
Trump World has found its enemy: the Congressional Budget Office
07/13/17 10:47 AM—UPDATED 07/13/17 11:43 AM
By Steve Benen
Later today, Senate Republican leaders will unveil the latest iteration of their regressive health care plan, and we’ll take a closer look at its details once it’s released. In the meantime, however, proponents of the GOP’s approach are hard at work – trying to tear down the Congressional Budget Office’s credibility.
If all goes according to plan, the Republican bill will be unveiled today; it will receive a CBO score on Monday; and then the GOP-led Senate will vote on the proposal soon after. Of course, if that plan sounds familiar, it’s because this is identical to the schedule created a few weeks ago by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) – a schedule that was derailed when the Congressional Budget Office found that the GOP legislation would take health care benefits from 22 million Americans.
This time around, Republicans are investing more energy in trying to convince the relevant players that the CBO’s numbers are not to be trusted. The Huffington Post explained yesterday:
jl
@rikyrah: They can’t pay for Medicaid and get their tax cut money for their plans to slash taxes. McConnell can’t budge on that. And that is the first issue to bring up with the moderate GOP jackasses.
Ask them how they like being forced to eat piles of crap in front of the whole country for a liar and swindler like McConnell, who punks them over and over again in public.
They vote no or GOP is finished in their state. Sure you can’t do that by yourself, but they need to hear that people are getting really pissed off at their BS playacting.
StringOnAStick
OK, I’ve called the local and DC offices of shitweasel Gardner (R, no show), sent email and a fax. What more is there? If they can’t see that unleashing this kind of chaos on the industry that is 1/6th of US GDP won’t cause huge economic disruption, then they must be sure they can cheat their way into office from now on. I’m sure Putin will be happy to lend further assistance.
We’re going to Europe in September, I will be ashamed to even show my passport. I will do what I did when we went to Costa Rica after the election; learn how to say “I weep for my country” in all the languages we will encounter.
ETA: So, if the idea is to sell the moderates on the idea that future Congress’s will never let such drastic cuts actually happen, how does that uncertainty affect insurance costs as the insurers have to price in that uncertainty? same old, same old. Lying bastards, especially that turtle necked creep.
rikyrah
@jl:
Oh, I know…it’s a tax cut bill masquerading as a healthcare plan. That’s the reason why they are desperate for it.
TomatoQueen
The annual report of SSA’s Trustees has just been issued. Everything is fine. We haven’t had a full commissioner since Astrue left. Lift the damn cap.
jl
@rikyrah: Forgot to thank you for posting the news clips. Amazing that McConnell announced his latest con just in time to vindicate my comments. I hope people in state with GOP ‘moderates’ call up for the sheer joy, of politely and civilly, giving those jokers hell for their BS, and telling them that there will be hell to pay for the GOP in their state if their good ‘moderate’ Senators continue to act like cowardly punks and frightened gutless liars.
Edit: should tell the bogus moderates that you know that McConnell just announced to the whole country that he is demanding that they vote for a DISHONEST bill (that is, a bill that is dishonest, and conniving GOP scheme, about intentions for Medicaid funding). And you aren’t paying their salaries to be McConnell’s punks
les
@Kay:
They never will. Rural states generally, and agriculture specifically, is the original culture of dependency. Gov’t gave them the land; built the land grant colleges to do their R&D; put Dept. of Ag. extension agents in every county; built their f’n roads, brought them electricity, subsidizes their phone companies, fights their fires, insures their crops and prices, and on and on. And they fucking brag about being the real ‘Merika, self reliant and brave and noble.
God I’m tired of these assholes.
WaterGirl
@Scott: Do you attach a file or just put your note on the cover page?
Also, it didn’t appear to add the information for Dick Durbin when I started to sand my fax. Maybe I am doing it wrong.
les
@Roger Moore:
Fuck that. Get back to me when they acknowledge they’re not stalwart loners, doing it all on their own, feeding the nation by the sweat of their balls and telling us that city folk are freeloading non-Americans. Of course we subsidize them–we’re the ones who believe in society and people in it living well. And they spit in our faces and vote for Trump. They should feel guilty and ashamed.
John Fremont
@StringOnAStick: I just talked to an actual person at Gardner’s DC office for the first time in weeks and told his clerk to vote NO. I don’t know if it will do any good though.
J R in WV
David:
Every time WV Republican Senator Shelly Moore Capito is mentioned on B-J people get her name wrong. Her father was Arch A Moore, Jr, and her husband is Charles “Chuck” Capito.
So her name is NOT Capito Moore, nor is it Capito-Moore nor Moore-Capito.
She is Shelly Moore Capito. Please get the vile person’s name correct!
Thanks for your health care wonkery!!
JR
? ?? Goku (aka The Hope of the Universe) ? ?
@J R in WV: Have you tried emailing FPers?
Peale
@Kay: He must not be getting that foreign policy brilliance he’s been crowing about.
jl
I guess it shouldn’t be a surprise, but funding in new Cruz improved Senate tax cut pretending to be health care bill is a total fraud.
Good excuse to call local senators again.
Uh Oh: O’Care Repeal Bill Counts The Same Pot Of Money Multiple Times
http://talkingpointsmemo.com/dc/senate-republicans-double-dip-obamacare-repeal
Scott
@WaterGirl: I write a letter, save, and attach. I don’t bother adding anything to cover sheet. With just a change of name, I can send it to whomever.
J R in WV
@? ?? Goku (aka The Hope of the Universe) ? ?:
Yes. I’ll do it again. Not sure which poster I wrote before, probably Anne Laurie. But will write Dave too. It’s a little thing, and she is a despicable creature, but her name is her name.