Obamacare replacement plan to be unveiled by Senators Susan Collins (R-ME) and Bill Cassidy (R-LA)

Senator Susan Collins of Maine and Senator Bill Cassidy of Louisiana, two very different politicians, plan to unveil their proposal for replacing Obamacare on Monday. This combination of sponsors gives hope that a compromise will be possible with Senator Charles Schumer of New York, the minority leader. This is necessary since the Democrats can filibuster any replacement plan. Budgetary reconciliation process can allow removal of Obamacare funding via a simple majority but does not allow for replacement legislation. Replacement legislation is required to remove the negative impact for Republicans and to the 13 million users of the federal exchanges resulting from defunding alone.

Susan Collins is a moderately liberal Republican who has crossed the aisle to work with Democrats on many social issues. She has spent most of her adult life in government positions. She has relations with more conservative Democrats as a result. She has proven to be a smart politician who has been re-elected by wide margins. She did not vote for Obamacare. Most importantly, she did not support Trump for the presidency, despite being the senior Republican senator from a New England state.

Bill Cassidy, a conservative Republican, was a practicing physician who worked in a state hospital. He is a strong opponent of Obamacare who has concerns about the long-term financial stability of the medical system. He was elected in 2014, defeating Mary Landrieu (D), who had supported Obamacare. He brings an understanding of medicine and political acumen. He can help unify the slightly different plans within the Senate, hopefully gaining Rand Paul’s support. Paul, a libertarian Republican, seeks a plan that will allow more personal choices while controlling costs. Certainly any compromises will require the support of the medical community within the political world.

Some details:

The early thinking for this plan may include

1. the ability for states to choose to continue with Obamacare but with funds limited by block granting.

2. The same will occur in the health care system for the poor, Medicaid, according to Kellyanne Conway.

3. Block grants limit the federal costs and allow states to innovate.

4. empowers enough states to create alternative delivery systems.

No. If this is the official bill and not just Collins alone, this is a disaster. We need leadership from Cotton, Cruz, Lee, etc - even those that were strongly opposed to Trump to put together a conservative bill. Pronto.

If it contains freedom for interstate policies, no restrictions on coverage ala ‘basic plans’ that cover designer complaints like blanked abortion coverage, etc., and leaves it to an ala carte option for individual needs, then costs will go down.

This looks smart.

The feds are not “taking away” anything. But, if universal healthcare is, you know, financially unsustainable, then each of the 50 states can independently come to that conclusion and let their residents know. And, of course, if one of the states works a miracle and finds a magic solution, then all the other states can follow suit.

Let people know: a government solution, at any level, is not likely to work.

So turn it over to the free market. The states will be the loud voices demanding this.

Sounds absolutely worthless to me.

Sounds like more divide and conquer influence by K street.

Without moving insurance purchase across state lines making competition available across the nation this is a near worthless effort.

Lol.. are you *seriuosly* surprised? And trump says we will have to work something out on the dreamers.. amnesty and didn’t he say everyone will be covered? Big govt libs never die, but they will lie. Printing that trillion in stimulus that Japan is demanding yet?

Some info from interview with Cassidy.

Judge Nap refers to Trump’s executive order from Sunday and calls it “revolutionary”

Judge Nap appears at 5:25 min mark

Lawmakers To Introduce Patient Freedom Act - America’s Newsroom

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y1iRwKI8QAs

I saw someone who looked like Susan Collins making her way out after the ceremonies at the inauguration - she stopped to move out of the walkway to greet someone and whoever it was appeared to be badly crippled with arthritis or whatever. Could that have been her? The camera was on her a couple of different times and it sure looked like her and if it was, I had no idea she had trouble walking. I know she has trouble talking - LOL....it’s painful to listen to her.

Hope it starts with eliminating the 400 page section written by lobbyists that mandate inclusions of conditions.

This made 160 million policy holders unable to afford to use health care because it made it too expensive. The deductibles are too damned high.

So you cut the funding,then blame schmucky for blocking the replacement.
As for Collins not voting for Obama are,true,but she did vote to move the bill forward,when she could have killed it in the debate stage,she gave a BS excuse,we have to debate the bill.
So she is just another phony Rino

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