Thursday, December 08, 2016

Republicans announces that repealing Obamacare is their first order of business in 2017.

You elected our presidential candidate, so no health insurance for you.
Courtesy of Yahoo News:  

Repealing Obamacare will be the first order of business in the U.S. Senate in January, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, a Republican, said on Tuesday. 

Republicans will replace President Barack Obama's signature health insurance program that provides coverage to millions of Americans "step by step," said Senator John Thune, another member of the Republican leadership. 

McConnell did not say when the repeal of the Affordable Care Act, as it is officially known, would go into effect. Senator John Barrasso said it might be effective in two or three years, and that the timeframe was still being debated.

I think a lot of folks believed that the Republicans would simply leave Obamacare in place until they had something to replace it, but if they are planning to repeal it right away that is clearly not the case.

Which is really bad news as there are now estimates as to how many people could die directly as a result of the repeal of Obamacare.

Courtesy of Think Progress:

Nearly 36,000 people could die every year, year after year, if the incoming president signs legislation repealing the Affordable Care Act. 

This figure is based on new data from the Urban Institute examining how many people will become uninsured if the law is repealed, as well as a study of mortality rates both before and after the state of Massachusetts enacted health reforms similar to Obamacare. 

In fairness, 36,000 is a high estimate of the number of deaths that will result if Obamacare is repealed, as there is some uncertainty about how congressional Republicans will repeal the law. Even in the best case scenario, however, a wholesale repeal of Obamacare may cause about 27,000 people to die every year who otherwise would have lived.

36,000 or 27,000 no matter which is correct that is far too many thousands dying.

The thing is that a large number of Republicans are among those 25 million newly insured Americans, and are certainly among the thousands that will die. Which kind of makes you wonder how the GOP will spin this to lay the blame on Obama?

It is also worth noting that the Affordable Care Act was modeled after Mitt Romney's plan in Massachusetts, which of course borrowed heavily from the conservatives 1989 plan.

So if President Obama essentially used their playbook for his own health insurance program, and they rejected it, just what do they have left to replace it with?

42 comments:

  1. Paul in Minnesota4:09 AM

    I'm not sure they'll replace Obamacare, yet I'm sure they'll rush through a Supreme Court justice to help defeat Roe vs Wade.

    Gosh only knows the GOP has to protect those fetuses so they can grow to full term to be born and die from lack of healthcare as babies, children, teens or as adults. It's the GOP/tea 'Murikan way.

    Oh, also no prenatal healthcare either!
    Those fetuses don't need it.
    Let them pull themselves up by their own bootstraps. /s

    ReplyDelete
  2. Connie4:18 AM

    Republicans, in my opinion, are the evil they preach against. By the way, the projected death toll is a feature, not a bug.

    We Americans, disabled, poor, or elderly are in their WAY and it's time for us to disappear.

    Oh, they don't have the courage of their convictions actually kill us directly. That's too hands on, too direct. We will die from preventable diseases or hunger, our bodies wracked with agony because our pain makes them giggle with sadistic joy.

    When my late husband died from cancer I learned there are worse things than death. My wish is what these heartless excuses for humans dish out to be returned to them, their families, and friends times seven.

    Seems fair.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous5:18 AM

      Are you saying that voodoo dolls and such should be used to prevent evil doers from destroying the world?

      Delete
    2. Anonymous8:25 AM

      How much would be saved if taxpayers were released from funding health care for all these worthless politicians and their "aides"? Time to cut them loose, let them fend for themselves. McConnell is useless. His state of Kentucky is full of poor people, meth addicts and people on SSI. Why do they keep voting him in? He is a waste of space.

      Delete
    3. Connie9:09 AM

      I'm on SSI. Thank you for your bigotry.

      Delete
  3. ...the nightmare continues. Electoral College members, are you paying attention?

    Here is that petition again: have you signed it?

    https://www.change.org/p/electoral-college-make-hillary-clinton-president-on-december-19-4a78160a-023c-4ff0-9069-53cee2a095a8

    ReplyDelete
  4. What is with these raised thumbs? Proudly showing off the size of their brains?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous5:47 AM

      Proud of the successful rigged election

      Delete
  5. Anonymous4:30 AM

    American hospitals are not happy about this turn of events. But I'm willing to bet that a lot of their management people and most doctors voted for Donald Trump and for other Republican candidates. I want to see Mitch McConnell lose all of his benefits in the coming months. What a bastard. He's become a very wealthy man - what with money from the medical insurance industry, the coal industry, the NRA and just about any lobby that has ill-served the American people.

    Where I live a new GOP congressman was elected in November, a retired military man who campaigned to end Obamacare, Medicare and Social Security. He'll always have lots of benefits but a large portion of the people who voted for him (obviously no one in this household) rely on those benefits to survive. For most people Northern Michigan is not a wealthy part of the country. Bergman, our new representative, will get along well with Ryan and McConnell but he'll ruin a lot of lives in the process.
    Beaglemom

    ReplyDelete
  6. Anonymous4:31 AM

    That number is only the beginning of their killing of people, and not only their constituents and fellow citizens of the US. Just think how many more will die when they finish dismantling the all the agencies fighting to keep us healthy and safe. With no laws against environmental harm, and the loosening of all the restrictions currently in place, just imagine how dirty our air, water, and food will be and how many will suffer. But, some of them will get rich! or richer! Way to go Republicans and Trump supporters. Hillary was absolutely correct in calling them out for being deplorable.

    ReplyDelete
  7. Anonymous4:34 AM

    And, they had 8 years to come up with a plan that would work and they would like. How telling that they wasted those years totally on just fighting everything Obama wanted to do. Nothing at all constructive or helpful in the works to replace this. Do you suppose that could be because they will NEVER do anything to provide broad affordable workable health care coverage to our citizens? Nothing that might cut into the profits the health care industry wants to have?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous6:58 AM

      I completely agree. The GOP Congress is not interested in providing any kind of health care to the American people. Just so long as they have superior coverage, nothing else matters.
      Beaglemom

      Delete
    2. Anonymous8:31 AM

      It is time for us to lobby against paying their healthcare premiums. Let them do what they want the rest of us to do, search for affordable rates. Why ARE taxpayers saddled with paying for them and their aides, to be covered by a Gold plan? They are all multimillionaires shortly after taking office, and taking bribes, so why are we stuck paying the freight for them? REVOLT.

      Delete
  8. Anonymous5:19 AM

    Enough fudge to spin the electoral. yep.

    ReplyDelete
  9. Anonymous5:20 AM

    Hello Is there anybody out there?

    ReplyDelete
  10. Anonymous5:31 AM

    guess they could hire bob dole to fix it since the idea was his in the first place

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous8:35 AM

      That relic should have retired long ago, greedy bastard still screwing up this country. He spent 6 weeks in the hospital, courtesy of the taxpayers. He is a multimillionaire, along with his wife so he could afford to pay private insurance. Liddy was paid $250,000 a year to run the Red Cross, did a horrible job by all accountr. Rich bitches and bastards do not believe in voluntering, they want to be paid very well, even for part time work.

      Delete
  11. Anonymous5:46 AM

    What they'd really like is a plan that will only kill Democrats.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous8:35 AM

      Vlad Putin is glad to help in any way he can also, too!!

      Delete
  12. Anonymous5:48 AM

    Republicans are the Pro Death Party.

    ReplyDelete
  13. Anonymous5:59 AM

    Mr Trump said the election was rigged. America believes him. Look into mitch mcconnells lying eyes. I see a cold human. The man is owned and serves somebody. Who? He is enslaved. Evil doers as bush said.

    ReplyDelete
  14. linda6:15 AM

    This is called culling the herd. Duterte is doing it in the Philippines in a more direct fashion. If all countries, worldwide, can put someone in charge of this our population growth problems will be solved in short order.

    ReplyDelete
  15. Anonymous6:50 AM

    So I think the correct title should be:

    President Death Panel Trump

    ReplyDelete
  16. Anonymous7:16 AM

    They say they are going to repeal Obamacare, but in reality they don’t know what in the hell they are doing. Midterm elections are coming up in two years, they are more worried about that than Obamacare. Now they are arguing how long to take to repeal it anywhere from a few months to three years. What a bunch of bozos and of course they have nothing to replace it.

    By the way Michael Moore was on Seth Meyers last night. He said the Democrats need to stop thinking we lost; Hillary won the popular vote and little fingers donnie only got 46% of vote. Hillary plus Johnson plus Stein equals about 56% of the vote.

    His latest prediction is there is still 6 week until traitor trump is sworn in, until then he is NOT president and after all the strange things that went on this election, something might happen. It is not over yet.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous8:44 AM

      I hope you're right.

      Delete
  17. These craven, party-driven, asshats won't repeal the ACA until after the 2018 election cycle, so they don't have to run as the party that killed healthcare; it'll be hard enough to overcome their support of the treasonous weasel in the White House. #Trumpisatraitor

    ReplyDelete
  18. Anonymous7:28 AM

    5:31 AM - remember Dole's wife was head of the Red Cross and refused to allow their blood donations to be checked for HIV before transfusing someone with it. Children with hemophilia died with AIDs due to Dole's worship of the almighty dollar she refused to spend on testing Red Cross blood until ordered by a judge to do so!!!!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous8:38 AM

      Yes, and she made $250,000 a year while working part time.

      Delete
    2. Anonymous10:19 AM

      Sp true, read the book Cry Bloody Murder if interested in how the hemophilia community was decimated by HIV and how it was allowed to happen.
      Revolting.
      Written by a mother of two kids with hemophilia.

      Delete
  19. Anonymous7:38 AM

    That weenie Paul Ryan wants to phase out Medicare.

    The Republican death panels.

    ReplyDelete
  20. Anonymous7:47 AM

    Waiting now for them to release some plague to further cull the herd.
    Let me be at ground zero.
    This place just isn't worth it.
    Ive had a good run.
    Ready to leave this mess to the people who voted for it.

    ReplyDelete
  21. Anonymous7:51 AM

    They say they are going to repeal Obamacare, but in reality they don’t know what in the hell they are doing and we all know the reason they want to get rid of it.

    Midterm elections are coming up in two years, they are more worried about that than Obamacare.

    Now they are arguing how long to take to repeal it anywhere from a few months to three years. What a bunch of bozos and of course they have nothing to replace it.
    The insurance companies are going to be up in arms if they try to repeal this, too much money lost.

    By the way Michael Moore was on Seth Meyers last night. He said the Democrats need to stop thinking we lost; Hillary won the popular vote and little fingers donnie only got 46% of vote. Hillary plus Johnson plus Stein equals about 56% of the vote.

    His latest prediction is there is still 6 week until traitor trump is sworn in, until then he is NOT president and after all the strange things that went on this election, something might happen. It is not over yet.

    I am not a huge fan of Michael Moore, but he is right, we did not lose the election. The Democrats need to start using the republican play book: obstruction, obstruction, obstruction.

    ReplyDelete
  22. Randall8:30 AM

    Look... the current Republican Party is NOT the party of Eisenhower, not the party of Lincoln, hell, it's not even the party of Nixon anymore.
    Today's Republican Party's motto could just as well be: "FUCK 'em"

    No, seriously - hear me out...
    IF you keep asking a Republican questions, that's what they'll eventually end up saying.
    For example, on Medicare vouchers:
    What happens if the voucher doesn't cover the entire cost?
    Then the recipient has to pay the balance.
    But what if they can't afford it?
    Then they'll go into debt.
    But how will they get by - you're cutting food stamps and TANF? They'll starve to death!
    Well then ...fuck 'em.

    Republican: we have to cut Social Security in order to save it.
    You: but what happens to the seniors that depend on Soc Sec?
    Republican: they'll just have to dip into their savings.
    You: but what if they don't HAVE any savings?
    Republican: then FUCK 'em.

    What about all the people who are going to lose their health insurance when you repeal Obamacare?

    (you know their answer)

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. That is about the long and short of it.

      Delete
  23. Anonymous8:31 AM

    I can't stand to look at Mitch McConnells face. He reminds me of the ugly of the dark side. He is an evil man through and through. I lived near Kentucky and some of the articles that came out about coal miners and how badly they were treated show the true side of coal mining. Always the profit motive. Fraud all over the place.

    Mitch is a big part of the DC Swamp.

    10 cats

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Anonymous10:24 AM

      I agree! His look is as evil as it gets. That face belongs in the swamp of deplorables with Kellieanne and all the other Trump asswipes.

      Delete
    2. Anonymous6:32 PM

      Mr. Magoo.

      Delete
  24. Anonymous10:32 AM

    Peckerwood Nest:
    http://www.salon.com/2016/12/08/tom-cotton-and-trey-gowdy-vow-vigilance-over-trump-administration-no-seriously-stop-laughing/

    ReplyDelete
  25. I hope the Electors are paying attention.

    There are 10 days left before they decide the fate of our nation.

    We know that with Trump what you see is what you're getting. He's not making any secret of it. Just look at his cabinet. Just listen to what he says.

    Only the electors can save us now.

    I caught Michael Moore on Seth Meyers last night. Worth watching. Michael Moore not only predicted that Pennsylvania, Ohio, Michigan and Wisconsin would vote for Trump but exactly WHY they did,

    They discussed the electoral college. While Seth thinks only the one elector in Texas is going to vote for someone else, Moore thinks more will. I think he's optimistic to think enough will to save us. But I do believe more than one will defect. My guess is something in the neighborhood of 5-6. Enough to make it clear Trump not only didn't win the popular vote, 54% of those that voted didn't want him but even the electoral college wasn't a "landslide".

    The Electors need to really consider the impact of their decision. Are they for the party or the country? If they claim they're fulfilling the will of the voters, did Trump win the majority in their district or just the state? How many will die when he repeals Obamacare? Medicare? How many will suffer when their Social Security is cut or eliminated?

    http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/trump-has-already-betrayed-the-working-class_us_5849aab3e4b08283d6b50b48?section=us_politics

    "Some have tried to argue that the switch didn’t really have to do with economics but the numbers say otherwise. According to CNN exit polling, voters earning under $30K shifted towards Trump by 16 percent. Trump won 79 percent of those who said the economy was poor. Even Trump’s embrace of white nationalism is after all a form of economic protectionism. If you feel there’s a limited pie, then you’ve got a better shot at your slice if you don’t have to compete against those “other” people. With his pick for Labor Secretary though Trump revealed exactly what kind of President he’s going to be for those who had any doubts. Trump is not going to save the working class, he’s going to destroy it.

    Meet your next Labor Secretary Andrew Puzder. He is the CEO of Hardee’s and Carl’s Jr. He thinks to Make America Great Again, we need to pay workers less or ideally, give their jobs to robots. I’m not kidding. In an interview with Business Insider, Puzder explained that he thought getting the workers out of the restaurant biz would be a great thing because robots are: “…always polite, they always upsell, they never take a vacation, they never show up late, there’s never a slip-and-fall, or an age, sex, or race discrimination case.”

    Oh human beings and their unreasonable desire to earn enough to live AND not be discriminated against. It’s all so inconvenient for corporate CEO’s like Puzder. We should just relegate these service jobs to the dustbin of history the way we already did with so called “old economy” jobs. You know, the kind that actually allowed you to eat, buy a house, and pay the bills all at the same time.

    By choosing Puzder for Labor Secretary, Trump has thrown his lot in with those who view workers as commodities to be used and discarded when they are inconvenient"

    Oh, and Pudzer is also a misogynist.

    http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/andy-puzder-women_us_5849b59ce4b04002fa80660c?j0wg4dseuf4dkj4i

    "In Puzder’s world, the Women’s Bureau is the name of a “breastaurant” that serves high-end burgers.

    His Carl’s Jr. has been running TV commercials showing super-attractive women eating burgers for more than a decade, beginning with a soft-porn spot featuring Paris Hilton nearly naked, washing a Bentley in heels and eating a burger. More recently, a young Kate Upton has taken on the mantle.

    In these spots, women don’t just eat the food. They basically have sex with the food. "

    ReplyDelete
  26. Anonymous6:31 PM

    Love that picture of Mr. Magoo. Keep using it!

    ReplyDelete
  27. Once again, it's the Democrats that will step in and defend the Deplorables (and everyone else) from the Republicans.

    Do the Democrats ever get any credit, praise or even thanks for it? No.

    These brain dead illiterati will vote against their own best interests and reelect the very Republicans that are making war on them. They'll still do it in 2018 and 2020 because the Republicans will convince them it's all the Democrats fault, despite the fact the Republicans own the White House and both houses of Congress and the Supreme Court by that time and the stupid mouth breathers will buy it.

    I think the Democrats should filibuster and obstruct all they can. En masse. Every single appointment. Every single bill. NO MATTER WHAT. So exactly what was done to Obama for the entire time the Republicans hold the White House and Congress. NO MATTER WHAT IT IS. Give them a good taste of their own medicine. Stop being polite. Stop being politically correct. Stop cooperating and being "nice" in the "spirit of bipartisanship." For once give them what they gave. RETALIATE! Be vengeful and vindictive. Just grow a pair for once.

    And they should remind all of the Deplorables YOU voted for this. We tried to warn you but you wouldn't listen. Remember who is taking your healthcare and your retirement away. Remember who is raising your taxes to lower theirs. Remember who is polluting your water, your air, your food. Remember who has been promising you jobs since 2008 and STILL hasn't delivered.

    It's the REPUBLICANS you stupid fucks keep voting for.

    Well, sucks to be you. We can't protect you any more.

    If you're angry then vote for the Democrats across the board come 2018 and 2020 at the State and Federal level and we'll do our best to fix the mess YOU VOTED INTO OFFICE.

    If you keep voting against your own best interests and keep putting the same Republicans back in power, we can't help you. You're asking to be screwed.

    (Dumb fucks)

    ReplyDelete

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