Maine GOP Sen. Collins Unveils Proposal to Replace Obamacare

[BREMPRO]

This discussion thread was locked as off-topic by DonViejo (a host of the Latest Breaking News forum).

Source: Maine Public

"PORTLAND, Maine - Maine U.S. Sen. Susan Collins joined with fellow Republican Sen. Dr. Bill Cassidy of Louisiana today at a press conference in Washington to unveil their plan to replace the Affordable Care Act.

The "Patient Freedom Act of 2017" would give states the choice of whether to keep the ACA or choose a default option to cover its uninsured population, "by providing a standard plan that had a high deductible, a basic pharmaceutical coverage, some preventive care, and it would be financed through Health Savings Accounts," Collins said.

Collins said states that choose the default option would receive the amount of money they would receive under the Affordable Care Act, including money they would be eligible for under Medicaid expansion. The Patient Freedom Act would also allow states to choose no federal help."




Read more: http://mainepublic.org/post/maine-gop-sen-collins-unveils-proposal-replace-obamacare

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Important news because Collins is considered a moderate swing vote. Any legislation with the word "Freedom" in it makes me suspicious. On first blush seems blend of discredited high deductible HSA libertarian ideas and option of retaining ACA with states choice. Problem- my state ( and senator Collins) has a backward thinking trump lite tea party governor- so no ACA here.. just this crappy remix of high deductible and health saving account ideas that will bankrupt hospitals and American citizens.

[msongs]

1. "health savings accounts" - like poor people will have those how many dems senators will go along?

[Eliot Rosewater]

3. Health savings accounts is translated to no health insurance, the people who need this

wont be able to pay, they will die, which is what these filthy fuckers wanted in the first place.

[oberliner]

18. The article says that the government would fund those accounts

The federal government would help states fund these health savings accounts by providing the same amount of money they qualify for under the Affordable Care Act, including for Medicaid expansion.

[central scrutinizer]

20. Do the math

IF a person could put $100 every month into an HSA and IF it would have a 5% return, after twenty years, IF there were no withdrawals, it would be worth a little over $40,000. That might cover one month of cancer treatment or a short hospital stay.

[mopinko]

26. this. an account like this, even if funded by employers,

in whole or in part, might cover the co-pays and deductibles anybody who gets sick will have to pay.

and guess what? unless you get hit by a bus, or have your brains blown out, you are gonna spend that money, and it will be spit in the wind.
hardly a substitute for insurance.

[mercuryblues]

29. It wouldn't even cover that much

I had 2 stents, 2 days in the hospital? $66,000

[golfguru]

31. Can the HSA be used to buy insurance?

Please clear up.Thanks.

[hollowdweller]

34. Not how I understand it

The idea is you buy a really super high deductible account in case you get really sick and that is supposed to be cheap. Then you have the health savings account to pay for the deductible and co pays.

I'd be interested to know if this can actually work.

[NRaleighLiberal]

2. "Freedom" - vomit! GOP code word. will be a garbage solution.

how the hell can this be happening????

[cstanleytech]

4. Aye sounds like watered down shit meant to trick people

into thinking it will providing close to the same coverage as Obamacare but it wont even come close and the 20 million currently on Obamacare will be fucked.

[Eliot Rosewater]

6. I sure hope 3rd party voters are happy at the people who will now die because of their vote

[Cha]

41. Yeah, Orwellian.. who didn't see that coming?

[Freethinker65]

5. So if I have a pre existing condition and do not qualify for subsidies

But wish to purchase an individual traditional ACA policy through the exchange, I would have to move to a different state if my state decides it is going the high deductible HSA way?

[BREMPRO]

9. sounds like it, or maybe they can add the stale "buy insurance across state lines" scam

and make it work for you. i'm not holding my breath.. i already wrote collins about keeping the ACA. I couldn't afford DECENT insurance for my family without it.

[Tiberius]

10. Great question. In fact the most important question.

Pre-existing conditions - and the abuse thereof - were part of what prompted ACA in the first place.

Hardcore capitalists get a hard on (sorry) for contract language. "You signed a contract! Must defend the contract!" Yet, when it came to covering pre-existing conditions, there was always a way to "wiggle out" of the contract... this is fact.

If you worked for insurance companies reviewing claims, you had to a deny a certain %. Well documented.

So if that is removed, what is there? What happens to anyone who sought addiction treatment from 2011 to 2016? Is this now a "pre exisiting condition"??!?!?! Way to fuck over people trying to set their lives straight.

Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

[bucolic_frolic]

8. What good is a High Deductible plan to the uninsured who can't afford anything?

This is to cover their asses and make them feel good. It's not a serious proposal.

[manicraven]

15. Yes! It's a CYA move so they can say they offered fabulous coverage for everyone, and they even

gave states a choice, so how awesome is the GOP?

In no time, ERs will be overflowing again, people dying unnecessarily, premiums and healthcare costs skyrocketing, and Trump will be providing more alternative facts about how wonderful the new plan is working.

[oberliner]

19. The ACA has similar problems

Perhaps time to start talking medicare for all?

[golfguru]

32. Poor people will be funded by gov't

by placing $5000 in their health savings account.
Am I reading that proposal correctly?

[hollowdweller]

35. What good is a health savings account if you can't put money in it.

[Perseus]

11. Why is anyone surprised at all this?

This is exactly what republicans are good at, first they are very good at finding catchy-lying names to screw people because they understand that a catchy name stops people from trying to find out if its bull or not (Make America Great Again), and how they like to use the word "Freedom", and the other thing they are very good at is screwing people up.

So people must stop accepting their Machiavellian ways, specially those Democrats in power, but the power is with the people, exercise it and they will crumble.

[aggiesal]

12. Here's a suggestion ...

We already had Medicare Part D, and that didn't work out too well

How about Medicare Part E (E=Everyone)?
Everyone will have the option of getting Medicare E, or keep their
Cadillac Insurance Plans, or part of each.

Part of each is where Medicare E will act as a Supplemental insurance
to those that have medical insurance, but not get everything covered.

Or full Medicare E where, your complete coverage is through Medicare.

Anything with an HSA = No Insurance

[wordpix]

22. Love it --Medicare Part E for Everyone! I lived in Canada, had baby there

and the way it worked then in Nova Scotia in the '80's, Everyone paid into the province's insurance program, I think it was quarterly, based on his income. The same went for child care. If you needed child care and you were low income, you would pay an affordable amount based on you income and the rest was subsidized by the province. So easy and so fair to us newlyweds with a baby. We never saw a bill for health care, either, even when I was in the hospital having the baby.

I was visiting BC Canada more recently. I don't know about the regular payments into the program but do know they have high sales/gov't/service taxes on everything. This pays for the "free" health care, at least in part. I also think this is a fair system bc visitors pay into the system as well as residents. If guests need care while visiting, they can get it "free" and Canadians know the visitors pay into the system, too.

[obamanut2012]

13. Fuck Susan "Moderate Republican" Collins

Fuck all of these murderers.

[wordpix]

14. Sen. Collins apparently wants to empty the red states of population

as people head to blue states for ACA insurance.

[BREMPRO]

16. good point..one of the many unintended consequence of poorly thought through proposals....

[wordpix]

23. I've been waiting for my region to come back---this could be it!

I'm in a part of CT that is part rustbelt and part overdeveloped farm and forest land. CT is blue. Huge money problems, though, as people leave the state in droves due to rustbelt job issues. And it's cold here, too.

[BREMPRO]

25. if this muddle is adopted i may have to move out of Maine... love it here but 6 years of LePage has

taken the shine off..

[golfguru]

33. People with jobs usually have insurance.

So, Susan Collins wants to send poor people out of red states to blue states, which is another form of gerrymandering.

[Cha]

42. Right.

[George II]

17. "Patient Freedom Act" - meaning "freedom" from medical care, diagnostic tests....

....prescription medication, and ultimately..............................

"freedom" from life.

Very disappointed with Collins, for a long time I felt that she was one of the more rational republicans in Washington. This changes all of that.

[wordpix]

24. seems she likes being the Swing Queen who can go both ways

nuff said, I'm getting images I want to shake off

[sheshe2]

28. Wow.

It took her 6 plus years to come up with this gem. Good job...NOT.

[elmac]

21. no, no, no

that just won't do

[Cryptoad]

27. Talk abt Unicorn Farts,,,,,,,,,,,

just how every u want it,,,,, but still smoke and Mirror plan,, no details on how it works....

[drm604]

30. High deductibles with an HSA.

Also known as "screw you if you aren't wealthy and healthy".

[Blue Idaho]

36. Orwellian title means return to the bad old days.

Millions kicked off health insurance and driven to the emergency room for medical services, millions more doomed to shit policies that offer little or no real coverage, and insurance companies turning the screws on existing conditions, lifetime caps, and college kids on parents policies.

same shit - different day.

[YOHABLO]

37. Not going to happen. WE have to be all-in on the ACA or it can't work. Insurance co.s won't cover

high risks. And who will end up paying subsidy for the low income families?

[milestogo]

38. I don't understand how the HSA works for anyone who doesn't have a very high income.

Should I be saving $500 a month in case I break my ankle? What if I need a new kidney? How long will it take me to save up for a new kidney, put something away for retirement, and help a kid through college at the same time?

[dionysus]

39. A HSA might be okay for drs visits, but a single serious injury, chronic disease, or cancer

would wipe it out in a day.

Bastards... what do they expect people to do if they are ever hospitalized? Ibwas in the hospital for three days just being observed once and the bill was 10 grand!

These ppl have no souls!

[DeminPennswoods]

40. HSA experience

I inadvertently chose an HDHP plan last year during open season. I was forced to open an account at a bank of the insurer's choosing. I wasn't allowed to save in my own personal bank account. Then the bank charged a monthly service fee and "paper statement" fee against the monthly contribution. When I chose a regular FFS plan this past open season, I called to close the HSA and was told the bank wouldn't directly deposit my balance to my personal account, but instead would send a check after deducting a $25 check fee. So of my total 1k contribution, after spending none of it, I get only $953 returned. The bank made a 5% profit. But the topper was the HDHP plan telling me I could just leave the HSA account open and my money in it. Sure, so the bank could continue to collect fees from it. Now this all amounts to found money for me since I'm blessed to be healthy, but to those who need every cent in their HSAs, this is highway robbery.

[DonViejo]

43. Locking...

Duplicate of http://www.democraticunderground.com/10141675136