Posted on 10/10/2018 10:21:46 AM PDT by yesthatjallen
The Senate on Wednesday defeated a Democratic measure to overrule President Trumps expansion of non-ObamaCare insurance plans as Democrats seek to highlight health care ahead of the midterm elections.
The Democratic measure would have overruled Trumps expansion of short-term health insurance plans, which do not have to cover people with pre-existing conditions or cover a range of health services like mental health or prescription drugs.
It was defeated on an extremely narrow, mostly party line 50-50 vote, with Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) voting with Democrats in favor of overturning the short-term plans. Republicans argue the short-term plans simply provide a cheaper option alongside more comprehensive ObamaCare plans.
Democrats forced the vote ahead of the midterms in an attempt to put health care front and center in the campaign. Democrats said Republicans voting to keep in place these junk insurance plans that do not have to cover pre-existing conditions was another example they can use to paint the GOP as wrong on health care.
In a few short weeks the American people will head to the polls where they can vote for another two years of Republican attempts to gut our health-care system, or they can vote for Democratic candidates who will safeguard the protections now in place and work to make health care more affordable, Senate Democratic Leader Charles Schumer (N.Y.) said on the Senate floor Wednesday.
Sen. Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.), the chairman of the Senate Health Committee, forcefully pushed back, saying short-term plans provide a cheaper option than ObamaCare and if people want full ObamaCare plans with all the protections, they can still have them.
With short-term plans, Alexander said the message is you can pay less with less coverage and at least you will have some insurance.
But our Democratic friends will say, Oh no, we don't want to do anything that will lower the cost of insurance, Alexander added.
Health-care experts say the short-term plans pose a risk of siphoning healthy people away from ObamaCare plans, leading to an increase in premiums for those remaining in the ObamaCare plans.
The rule threatens to split and weaken the individual insurance market, which has provided millions of previously uninsured people with access to quality coverage since the health care law went into effect, a range of patient groups, including the American Cancer Society and American Heart Association, said in a joint statement this week opposing the Trump administration's short-term plans rule.
The rules that Democrats seek to overturn, which the Trump administration finalized in August, lifted a three-month restriction on short-term plans, allowing them to last up to a year. Critics say this makes the plans not really short-term at all.
Our constituents deserve more options, not fewer, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said Wednesday. The last thing we should do is destroy one of the options thats still actually working for American families.
Bump!
Last I heard in the “Trump Hating Media” was that recent Trump changes, via EO are the reason that insurance premiums are expected to GO DOWN next year.
Go ahead, Dems. Run on Health Care and the red herring “pre-existing conditions” BS.
Well there's you are! Thanks Suzy for your Kavanaugh vote. But I see now it's back to business as usual. Shame, shame, shame!
Obama:”If you like your insurance and doctor you can keep them, ACA Grandfather clause protects them...”
Sure, you could keep them if you pay for all your expenses out of pocket..and pay the fine..
Non-Obamacare plans really stick it to the disappearing Obamacare legacy.
The Democrat Thug Party can go to Hell.
The Democrat thugs have practically #d the Country beyond repair.
One oh sh, er, oh shoot wipes out 10 attagirls. And her attagirls are in short supply.
so once again the pro-choice party voted against giving people a choice...sounds about right...
-—Our constituents deserve more options, not fewer, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said Wednesday.-—
Eyes likes your thinkin’, Senator!
Don’t want to count our chickens, but it does seem like we’re finally gaining some positive momentum on a number of fronts.
Get out there and vote. And engage!
Since I have no pre-existing conditions does that mean I get a lower rate?
Ha! Good catch.
So, Senator Collins is already back to her old leftist tricks
so soon, too
how very very sad for Maine (and the rest of the country)
she definitely needs to be replaced ASAP
Next!!! Who says the Senate is useless?
Winning! Crush the seditionist DIMs and traitorous LIBs...crush them to dust.
Here you see the worst of the democrats and rinos in action. These plans are lower cost options for people who don’t need certain coverages. There is no reason on God’s Earth to deny people The Choice of buying those plans.
Yes.
Obamacare caused my son's health insurance premiums to increase four-fold. That is not "more affordable" in my book. Previously, his health-care plan covered him but excluded his pre-existing condition. Now, it nominally covers everything--but the deductible is so high that we are still paying for the pre-existing condition treatment. In fact, it has covered nothing, but at four times the price. And he cannot go for a cheaper option, because they tell him that they won't cover him at all because of the pre-existing condition. What happened to just being able to buy insurance that covers emergencies, minus coverage of pre-existing conditions? That is an option that no longer exists because of Obamacare... the insurance that was supposed to make insurance more affordable but didn't.
I wish Schumer would remember that he is supposed to represent the people, not himself and his rich cronies.
Of course you get a lower rate and why would you buy pre existing condition coverage when you don’t have a pre existing condition?
Exactly what is the point of making every person cover their check ups or the most minor illnesses or injuries that might cost a few 100 bucks at most to treat?
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