42 Senators Warn House: Stripping O'Care Benefits Will Doom Bill

[DonViejo]

Source: Talking Points Memo


By MATT SHUHAM Published MARCH 23, 2017, 11:50 AM EDT

Forty-two senators, all Democrats and Independents, sent a letter to House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-WI) Wednesday threatening to hold up any effort to eliminate Obamacare’s Essential Health Benefits (EHBs), which Republican leaders in the House promised members would be added to the Senate’s version of the bill. Obamacare’s EHBs require that insurance plans cover, among other things, pregnancy and maternity care, prescription drugs and pediatric services.

Republicans had previously speculated that benefits currently mandated by Obamacare, like birth control coverage, could be changed in the second or third “phases” of health care reform – that is, regulatory changes overseen by Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price, and additional legislation to be introduced in the future, respectively.

The senators, led by Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), said in a statement accompanying their letter that they had the votes to block any threat to Obamacare’s EHBs, in the current House reconciliation bill or legislation in the future.

“This letter clearly shows that there are enough votes to sustain a point of order on repealing essential health benefits if this provision is included in the House reconciliation bill, and to block a vote if this is considered as separate legislation,” they wrote.

Read more: http://talkingpointsmemo.com/livewire/42-senators-letter-essential-health-benefits

[yallerdawg]

1. The House Republicans are being told in no uncertain terms...

whatever "deals" the White House and their leadership are making are nothing more than lies!

These "deals" will never appear on the Senate floor for consideration - only the original 'clean' bill can get to the Senate and pass by simple majority.

They are being hoodwinked and bamboozled by the Liar-in-Chief who doesn't know or care what is in the bill!

[Ms. Toad]

4. And Trump will never be elected . . .

Oh, wait. He was.

I don't think it is safe to predict what will appear or pass in either forum, and suggesting that the changes they are reported to be making have no chance of passing encourages a complacency we can't afford.

[yallerdawg]

6. That's a freakin' leap in logic!

And if you think I'm complacent, you damn sure don't know me!

Wait - - you don't know me!

[Ms. Toad]

10. Way too many people around here are making assertions about things that will, or won't happen

- just as they did during the election cycle (accompanied by shutting down anyone who questioned the assertions-stated-as-fact as a concern troll). I believe that attitude (here and elsewhere) contributed to getting Trump elected. I personally know people who voted for Trump to send a message to President Clinton - taking it for granted that Trump would lose, because everyone said he would.

So, whether you, personally, are complacent - blanket assertions that evil won't come to pass (presumably because there are enough non-evil people to stop it) encourages complacency in those non-evil people we're counting on. With past as prelude, it should be clear that we can't afford to take it for granted that:

These "deals" will never appear on the Senate floor for consideration - only the original 'clean' bill can get to the Senate and pass by simple majority.

Or we might end up with an even more evil AHCA, the same way we ended up with Trump.

[ffr]

2. I'm just wondering why Ryan and Klan don't just resubmit a new bill

and keep doing it, like their repeal votes during PBO's term. Keep doing it until it passes.

[Kittycow]

3. I glanced at ABC broadcast news morning program.

Whatever it is. I avoid this shit. All they said was that the House worked overnight to lower the premiums! !! That was it!!!!

Maybe they'll discuss it later but that's what non-cable folks heard during their busy morning before they headed out the door. They'll probably wonder why the Democrats are trying to block lower premiums!

[mopinko]

8. saw some teabagger screaming about lowering the premiums.

it was the talking point yesterday. dude kept hitting that when asked why he didnt support the bill.

to which i say- just how exactly is the house regulating premiums? unless we are talking medicare for all, i dont see that they have shit power to set premiums. aca sure didnt.

[Kittycow]

11. They claim stripping out the Title 1 requirements will lower premiums.

I think that's what it's called. It's the list of what insurance companies are required to cover such as hospitalization, prescriptions, chronic disease care, mental health and addiction issues, pregnancy, care of children, ER visits, and some other stuff that I don't remember off the top of my head.

It basically strips away what people use the most. Therefore it will supposedly lower premiums since insurance companies won't have to pay for anything. Although I'm pretty sure insurance will find a way to not pay and keep premiums up.

[BumRushDaShow]

5. Missing 4 names

Schumer (understandable I suppose as "Minority Leader&quot , Manchin, McCaskill, & Tester.

[OnDoutside]

7. I'm surprised at McCaskill.

[BumRushDaShow]

9. She's up for re-election in 2018.

and probably figured being a "non-signatory" would provide cover since they have enough identified to keep it from passing anyway.