Posted on 09/25/2017 8:38:39 AM PDT by GIdget2004
Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) is outlining a list of demands to win his support for the GOP's latest ObamaCare replacement bill that would require major changes to the legislation.
Paul's primary demand, according to his office, is to substantially reduce the central component of the bill sponsored by GOP Sens. Lindsey Graham (S.C.) and Bill Cassidy (La.): block grants to states with money to spend on health care.
"Graham/Cassidy keeps and redistributes/spends over a trillion dollars," Paul says in a document provided by his office.
"My promise to the voters was to repeal Obamacare - not block grant and keep Obamacare," he adds. "If Obamacare were truly repealed, this entire trillion dollars would not be spent. This is the primary obstacle to my support, and only a significant reassessment of this trillion-dollar spending regime would get my support."
A "significant reassessment" of the spending, though, is likely to cost the GOP other votes, most notably Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), who is already focused on whether the bill does enough to help people afford coverage.
Finding some way to win Paul's vote, however unlikely, is crucial for GOP leaders, given that they can only lose two votes. Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) is also against the bill, and Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) said Sunday that it's "very difficult" for her to imagine supporting the measure.
(Excerpt) Read more at thehill.com ...
Insurance company bailout.. not just no!
Insurers went UP, as did other healthcare stocks, after McCain’s vote announcement last week.
I hope their suffering will someday end. /sarc. How many billions to ‘administer’ Medicare.
There is no repeal on the table.
Obamacare is like a bus controlled by 100 drivers (senators) that is headed, full speed, towards a thick concrete wall - and they are all arguing over how we should apply the brakes.
They will not agree. They will NEVER agree.
We will finally come to a stop when the bus actually hits the wall. The good news is that the bus will be stopped. We can assess the damage and move on after that.
Any red state Democrats looking to change their minds?
Insurance is about 10% of healthcare costs in this country. Even if you eliminated it entirely (not possible, obviously), healthcare would still be insanely expensive. While there are definitely issues with insurance, there are far larger issues.
We need tort reform.
That would help too, but again, very minor to the overall cost.
FU Rue Paul.
You are on the same side as McCain.
Why should Paul vote to create another permanent funding entitlement? The question should be why is the rest of the GOP caucus signing onto this travesty when they promised to kill Obamacare?
The perfect may be the enemy of the good, but the Grahamnesty bill is not good in any sense of the word.
Paul is cut from the same cloth as McConnell. Kentucky needs to get his hand out of their collective pockets.
I’ve been reading from several sources that they’re pretty sure they can get Cruz to a yes.
As I understand it, the federal government is going to put Medicaid off on the states. It is changing it’s method of payments to block grants to the states rather than paying the funds directly to medical facilities.
Folks, this isn’t a big pay-day for insurance companies. It is merely a shift in the way things are done.
The intent is to make states more responsible about how they administer their Medicaid programs.
This makes states the stakeholders of the programs. If they can administer the funds better than they have, they win. If they don’t, they have to fork over more state funds to augment the federal grant money.
This is an effort to reign in Medicaid costs. It’s one of the things we wanted Trump to do.
Medicaid is one of the toughest things to get the government out of. We’re talking about poor people who don’t get medical care unless the government covers it. It’s the only part of Obamacare that is almost impossible to eliminate, and in fact was being paid out before Obamacare.
Any tactics to get states more responsible, to cut Medicaid or administer it better, is a big big big big win.
Please don’t get lost in the “oh this is another payday for insurers nonsense”.
Some states like California bastardized MediCaid with their Medi-Cal program, giving it out to as many citizens as they could, trying to be the big Mother State, a gift from the Leftist’s paradise.
This new method of doing things, makes this kind of thing, a thing of the past. When states have to start forking over funds, they’ll be more judicious.
What in the sam hell is wrong with that?
This is a crap bill & signing on to this is ObamaCare lite. In passing this the (R)s will own it & it will wreak havoc on them.
No deals get passed in D.C. unless everyone gets a slice of the pie.
I couldn’t care less about block grants. I have heard ALL of the reform efforts talking about medicaid block grants. That won’t help regular people who BUY insurance. It won’t do ANYTHING about the doubled and tripled premiums.
Paul is right. Repeal it and let the free market take it over.
What part of the votes are not there for repeal do u not get?
So we are left with Obamacare or something 30% better.
30% better is better than 100% bad.
And it would be a start.
Rue Paul’s no vote will guarantee Obamacare stays.
Okay, you win.
100% Obamacare wins again also.
My this is quite an accomplishment.
/s
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