Healthcare Action Daily: Ryan Repubadems to let 20,000 die

After reading BigAl's healthcare related essay yesterday did a little digging as this is a big issue for me. We have had to pay out around $15,000-20,000 out of savings in the last 5 years as opposed to over $120,000 had we had no coverage. Jakkalbessie and I both had big hospital events and extended treatment since we retired 12 years ago, and would have been bankrupt by now without our shitty teacher retirement healthcare that now has it's funding in question at the state level. Since we turned 65 two years ago both are covered by regular Medicare with teacher retirement coverage as secondary.

Give Up On Healthcare ?

It would be easy to just give up fighting for single payer given the election results and outcomes in CO and CA, and with Ryan's gloating announcements about plans to replace Medicare with a private system and Trump, who in the election said he would protect Medicare but repeal ACA, now talking about health savings account fail.

To those of here at Caucus99 who are looking to get a little more positive outlook back and who are ready to take action on Healthcare suggest reading this:

Posted on: Saturday, November 12, 2016
The Lancet interviews Dr. David Himmelstein on the U.S. election results
http://www.pnhp.org/news/2016/november/the-lancet-interviews-dr-david-hi...

Dr. Himmelstein is a co-founder of Physicians for A National Health Plan, whose members along with National Nurses United have been the leaders among health care professionals advocating for single payer Medicare for All type change.

PNHP has been a constant critic of ACA Obamacare and advocate for replacing it with Medicare for All. Check out their proposal and bill, here: http://pnhp.org/ .

In the interview the doc discusses what is known about Republican Plans but also gives his take on how millions will quickly have increased suffering so advocacy debate for single payer will go forward even with the recent election results.

Paul Ryan and Trump to Cause 20,000 Americans To Die?
Dr. Himmelstein points out

DH: We have no sense yet of whom Trump will choose for Health and Human Services secretary. But surely there will be intense advocacy efforts in the in the months ahead. We know from past research that something like a thousand people die each year for every million people who are uninsured. So uninsurance remains one of our major causes of death. And if they do indeed throw 20 million people out of coverage, we expect about 20,000 additional deaths each year. That is a public health emergency that we can scarcely ignore. And I think advocates at all levels will surely join joint efforts in a very vigorous way to try and move our health care system forward. We at this point may not be able to move back to the ACA, but we’re hopeful that we could move forward to something even better. I mean we’ve already seen on the streets of cities around the country the deep concerns of Americans who didn’t vote for Trump. And frankly among the many people who did vote for Trump, we’re likely to see very grave concerns arise as the reality of a Trump administration emerges. We know that among white middle-aged people of lower income, who were largely Trump voters, their death rates are rising in this country and many of them can’t get the care they need. We know that medical bankruptcy is extraordinarily common among people with insurance, and those problems are likely to get worse, not better. And I think that provides a very strong basis for advocacy for change. We may see a few months of hiatus in real debate, but it will emerge again.


Lying Ryan Called Out Today, Pass it On

Ryan has been going on Fox and other outlets saying Medicare going broke because of ACA, hoping to tie peoples' dislike for ACA to get them to swallow the lie that Medicare is broke. Glad that today he was fact checked in WaPo, which I quickly shared on Facebook and hope you will, too if you have an account. If not doing Facebook, how about a letter to the editor or sharing however you can would be appreciated.


Action Now

IMO we should act now to offset the lies of the think tanks, bipartisan committees, and Paul Ryan and do everything we can to keep them from replacing Medicare single payer with a for profit fail.

TPM has a great article on need for action

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/edblog/ryan-plans-to-phase-out-medicare-in-...

Ryan says current beneficiaries will be allowed to keep their Medicare. Says. But after the cord is cut between current and future beneficiaries, everything is fair game. For those entering the system, Ryan proposes phasing out Medicare and replacing it private insurance with subsidies to help seniors afford the private insurance. That is unquestionably what it means because that is what Ryan says. So if you're nearing retirement and looking forward to going on Medicare, good luck. You're going to get private insurance but you'll get some subsidies from the government to pay the bill.

Through all the gobbledygook and bamboozlement, you'll find this line on Ryan's page: "For younger workers, when they become eligible, Medicare will provide a premium-support payment and a list of guaranteed coverage options – including a traditional fee-for-service option – from which recipients can choose a plan that best suits their needs."

This means, if you haven't gone on Medicare yet, when you do, you won't get Medicare. You'll get a "premium-support payment" - i.e., a check that will allow you to buy insurance from private insurers. The "support" in the phrase means it won't cover the whole amount. And in any case, rather than Medicare you'll have insurance from an insurance company, which everybody should love because haven't you heard from your parents and grandparents how bummed they were when they had to give up their private insurance for Medicare?

You'll hear lots of people calling this "reform" and other catchwords. But Medicare is a single payer, universal health care system. Replacing it with private insurance means getting rid of it. Even calling it "privatization" masks what is really afoot.

Every Democrat should be focused and talking about it volubly both as a matter of policy and politics. There isn't much time.

Josh Marshall is editor and publisher of TalkingPointsMemo.com.

Josh says 'Every Democrat, which doesn't apply to most of us here, but I say all of us should do what he suggests to Dems.

What Action Then?

Calls to Congress, letters to editor, emails to cable talk hosts, spread the word on Twitter and FB?

Other suggestions?

Stop any Bipartisan Fail !

Edited for typos etc.

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divineorder's picture

Read where AARP had given Paul Ryan some kind of recognition for supporting Social Security. WTF?

Guess I need to write a letter to the editor of their mag as well.

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A truth of the nuclear age/climate change: we can no longer have endless war and survive on this planet. Oh sh*t.

TheOtherMaven's picture

They're nothing but shills for the insurance companies now. In fact I think they ARE an insurance company.

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There is no justice. There can be no peace.

Lily O Lady's picture

interest, which makes them an interest group fail.

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"The object of persecution is persecution. The object of torture is torture. The object of power is power. Now do you begin to understand me?" ~Orwell, "1984"

divineorder's picture

used to work for seniors interests. But they compromised on Medicare drug benefit was added under W and then was when I began to doubt them.

FWIW Big Insurance companies have been trying to get people to believe they are dropping out due to not being profitable, but that's BS.

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A truth of the nuclear age/climate change: we can no longer have endless war and survive on this planet. Oh sh*t.

thanatokephaloides's picture

They're nothing but shills for the insurance companies now. In fact I think they ARE an insurance company.

You were right the first time, in your first sentence. They're literally shills.

They allow any insurance company to use their name to market to the elderly in exchange for money payment. Look at the disclaimers in any ad for "AARP" insurance coverage -- that's exactly what they all say.

Grrrr.

Diablo

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"US govt/military = bad. Russian govt/military = bad. Any politician wanting power = bad. Anyone wielding power = bad." --Shahryar

"All power corrupts absolutely!" -- thanatokephaloides

divineorder's picture

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A truth of the nuclear age/climate change: we can no longer have endless war and survive on this planet. Oh sh*t.

Lily O Lady's picture

Jan. 1, 2017. Figures!

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"The object of persecution is persecution. The object of torture is torture. The object of power is power. Now do you begin to understand me?" ~Orwell, "1984"

divineorder's picture

let them know how you feel?

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Lily O Lady's picture

also a Republican, because our local Democratic Party is waiting for enough POC to move into the county to turn it blue. However, POC are running as Republicans since this is a red county.

I'm trying to figure out who I should contact about this since John Lewis said Democrats don't want "free stuff."

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"The object of persecution is persecution. The object of torture is torture. The object of power is power. Now do you begin to understand me?" ~Orwell, "1984"

Big Al's picture

This looks serious to me unless I'm reading it wrong. Someone suggested as such the other day, that it's all bluster. Doesn't appear that way to me.
If so, this is big, We the Serfs need an organized, coordinated, and sustained effort to happen ASAP.

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divineorder's picture

There are a couple indisputable givens.

First, that the so-called Affordable Care Act is toast. Republicans
in control of Congress over the years have already held upteen votes
to repeal it, and their new president elect is sworn to sign such a
measure.

We've heard from a number of people who expressed fear of losing
their personal health care. You are not alone. There are many people
right now scared about a lot of stuff, which is precisely why Trump
got elected in the first place.

But the ACA cannot be saved, no matter what we do.

And second, as we observed last time, if the Democrats now try to
impede its repeal by filibuster, they will lose so many more Senate
seats in 2018 that they will no longer be able to filibuster at all,
and the ACA still goes down in the end. Trying to defend the ACA is
precisely why the Democrats have lost the seats they have in the last
6 years.

Trump in interviews this week (Leslie Stahl) is promising a smooth,
gapless transition to a better system that will deliver better health
care for less money.

There is only one such system . . . single payer.

And don't you think it's about time that we fought for it a little
harder?

Replace The ACA With Single Payer Action Page:
https://www.utalk.us/?a=single_payer

The above link is the mobile optimized action page, which should also
work for most desktops. Otherwise here is an alternate page which
will work for you.

http://www.peaceteam.net/single_payer.php

Our job now is not to cling to a bad system that is already
collapsing under its own corrupt weight. We must make our voices
heard as never before to demand that the ACA be replaced WITH single
payer.

If the Republicans do anything else, like institute some kind of
happy meal style voucher system, it will be an even more miserable
failure than the ACA, and we win back Congress and the White House
behind that.

If we do anything else, as we have already pointed out, there will be
nothing but more anger from the American people TOWARDS us and the
political situation will get even worse, if such a thing were
possible.

Trump now says he wants to listen to the American people.

We say the first obligation is on us to call his bluff, and the only
way to do that is to speak out in numbers as never before.

For if we do not, the shame is on us, not him.

This is our LAST chance.

Demand single payer now and single payer only, like your life
depended on it. It does.

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A truth of the nuclear age/climate change: we can no longer have endless war and survive on this planet. Oh sh*t.

Big Al's picture

Wish I had more time right now, I'll focus more on this later. Didn't they get 2 million signatures pretty quickly to try to overturn Trump's election? We need like ten million or more on this.

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divineorder's picture

and more signatures on that.

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A truth of the nuclear age/climate change: we can no longer have endless war and survive on this planet. Oh sh*t.

the Community Featured list is determined by the number of recs an essay gets.

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divineorder's picture

things out here.

Thanks, just hope to get more people involved in putting forth healthcare for all and fighting back on Ryan's lies.

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A truth of the nuclear age/climate change: we can no longer have endless war and survive on this planet. Oh sh*t.

thanatokephaloides's picture

Trying to defend the ACA is precisely why the Democrats have lost the [US Senate] seats they have in the last 6 years.

AND the House.

AND the State Governors and Legislatures.

AND it was a major contribution towards the Dems' loss of the Presidency, too. (Most voters on the street don't know the downsides of Her Heinous like we here at c99 do, but the stigma of the ACA is a major reason that the only candidate the Dems could have fielded who could possibly have won was Bernie Sanders.)

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"US govt/military = bad. Russian govt/military = bad. Any politician wanting power = bad. Anyone wielding power = bad." --Shahryar

"All power corrupts absolutely!" -- thanatokephaloides

divineorder's picture

get their attention somehow to stop the fail

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elenacarlena's picture

I signed and commented.

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divineorder's picture

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A truth of the nuclear age/climate change: we can no longer have endless war and survive on this planet. Oh sh*t.

divineorder's picture

Dr. David U. Himmelstein in the interview quoted above:

And if they do indeed throw 20 million people out of coverage, we expect about 20,000 additional deaths each year. That is a public health emergency that we can scarcely ignore. And I think advocates at all levels will surely join joint efforts in a very vigorous way to try and move our health care system forward.

He also talked about the thousands out demonstrating. How can we let folks know about this so that they can join in?

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A truth of the nuclear age/climate change: we can no longer have endless war and survive on this planet. Oh sh*t.

Big Al's picture

think tank proposal on health care reform, Medicare is just part of what they want to do.
It's simple, we want single payer and expanded medicare and social security. They want total corporate control over our health care and the profits to go with it.
This looks like an opportunity to not only stop them from their plans but to demand what is right.
I'm think that there should be an APB put out to as many blogs, political websites,, etc., as possible to start a coordinated effort. Join in with those already acting. Twitter is every useful in organizing, a Twitter health care revolution. Get them off their Trump kick and into this real issue.
We need people power on this.

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divineorder's picture

about this earlier today. https://brandnewcongress.org/home @BrandNew535 are the youngs spinoff from Bernies Campaign. Love to see them take this on as well.

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A truth of the nuclear age/climate change: we can no longer have endless war and survive on this planet. Oh sh*t.

mhagle's picture

Since my premium is set to triple, I was looking for other policies. Nothing anywhere under $200/month . . . nothing under $300/month . . .

I have been paying $165/mo. That's the limit and even a hardship.

Guess I am going back to natural treatments for everything. Try not to break any bones. I'm 59 and my husband can't add me, but couldn't afford to add me anyway. ($600+/month)

Greed and the profit motive screws it all up.

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Marilyn

"Make dirt, not war." eyo

divineorder's picture

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A truth of the nuclear age/climate change: we can no longer have endless war and survive on this planet. Oh sh*t.

To replace Medicare. Private insurance plus inadequate subsidies.

Will the response be peaceful?

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Sure, they've militarized the cops and given them "tanks," but if they keep this up, they're going to need full-blown armor like they use on the brown people overseas along with some airpower.

The Bombing of MOVE

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divineorder's picture

Found this similar one just posted on Twitter

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A truth of the nuclear age/climate change: we can no longer have endless war and survive on this planet. Oh sh*t.

divineorder's picture

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A truth of the nuclear age/climate change: we can no longer have endless war and survive on this planet. Oh sh*t.

Lenzabi's picture

AARP is close knit with United Healthcare, so yeah, they have reasons to be all weird with Medicare and health outlets.

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So long, and thanks for all the fish

divineorder's picture

reckoned with but looks like they need some guiding, that like PBS/NPR the 1% has worked to subvert them.

They have been getting push back from progressives....

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/aarp-pushes-back-social-security_us_...

But the fact that AARP responded does not mean it provided an effective rebuttal of its critics.

“I hope that AARP is concerned about the adequacy of Social Security benefits,” said Alex Lawson, executive director of Social Security Works. “Unfortunately, giving Paul Ryan a ‘champion’ award, a man who is literally the architect of dismantling Social Security and Medicare, makes it look like they support a plan to cut benefits.”

“I want AARP to ‘take a stand’ and make it clear they are not supporting politicians who would cut Social Security benefits like Paul Ryan,” he added.

In addition, no one is claiming that failing to address Social Security’s shortfall, which begins in 2034, would not cause enormous pain. Progressives simply maintain that there is little to gain in invoking the worst-case scenario since the gap can be closed relatively easily without cutting benefits.

In fact, liberal activists are willing to wait before reforming Social Security, because that way it will be harder for politicians to close the funding gap by cutting benefits. Lawmakers will be hesitant to enact cuts so soon before the shortfall date, the thinking goes, because it can deprive people of the time needed to plan accordingly.

Jenkins’ blog post also suggests there has been silence on the topic from major candidates. She claims “we’re seemingly ignoring [Social Security’s financial challenges] in the hope they will go away.”

Are we though?

Hillary Clinton has a relatively detailed plan for reforming Social Security, calling for wealthier Americans to pay more into the program in order to finance benefit increases and close the funding gap. Nearly every Democrat in Congress has come out in favor of similar proposals to expand the program, specifically by lifting the cap on earnings taxed for Social Security. (In 2017, Americans will not have to pay into Social Security on earnings above $126,000.)

Donald Trump has offered fewer specifics, but claims he would avoid cutting the program by rooting out fraud. (Overpayments are extremely rare, so cracking down on them would likely yield little money.)

He has said in the past, however, that he backs cutting the program but believes politicians should not discuss their plans to do so if they want to win elections.
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k9disc's picture

Ryan proposes phasing out Medicare and replacing it private insurance with subsidies to help seniors afford the private insurance. That is unquestionably what it means because that is what Ryan says. So if you're nearing retirement and looking forward to going on Medicare, good luck. You're going to get private insurance but you'll get some subsidies from the government to pay the bill.

Yup, that's what it sounds like.

What a fucking joke.

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“Tactics without strategy is the noise before defeat.” ~ Sun Tzu

Unabashed Liberal's picture

thanks for posting this essay. We're traveling this week, so I'll be in 'lurk status' a bit more than usual. However, I'm doing my best to try to see what I can find on this topic.

Hey, this is as serious as it gets, IMO. Frankly, I'm concerned that a good deal, if not all, of his (Ryan's) proposed reforms may be rammed through the Lame Duck. There are probably enough conservadems to help him pass a reform bill.

And, I'm not 100 percent certain, but I'm thinking that some of this can be done in the budget reconciliation process--requiring 50 votes, instead of 60. Does anyone know for certain?

Hey, have a good one. And thanks for following up on Al's essay.

Mollie


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divineorder's picture

We'll be traveling around Thanksgiving so hope Caucus99ers will keep passing the baton on this and getting the word out for action.

Have a save trip!

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divineorder's picture

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A truth of the nuclear age/climate change: we can no longer have endless war and survive on this planet. Oh sh*t.

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