Alekzander
Alekzander's JournalState data shows ACA helped hospitals save on charity care and bad debt spending in 2015
There have been many articles that show the importance of the ACA & show all the good it does for millions of people but right here is another really good article on it. The difference with this one I believe is important as well. Think about how it was the rural white voter that went for Trump & the republicans. Well, another case of the same people voting against their own self-interests & as this shows which really includes a lot of rural hospitals, the ACA is very important in them keeping their doors open.
There will be many rural hospitals that cannot afford to stay open if the republicans keep screwing & actually repeal the ACA. For me it really is hard to understand their callousness toward so many who need a hand-up. That is what we are supposed to do & these are the same ones who go to their churches on a Sunday but in reality are the same cruel, callousness people so indifferent to those in need.
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For the first time in a decade, Pennsylvania’s 170 general acute care hospitals in 2015 saw a drop in charity care spending, saving the average hospital about $200,000 over 2014, according to state data obtained by the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette.
Coupled with a nearly $300,000 drop in bad debt at the typical hospital, hospitals saved about $500,000 on uncompensated care in 2015, according to data from the Pennsylvania Health Care Cost Containment Council.
The state hospital association and patient advocates alike believe the drop in spending on charity care and bad debt is due to the impact of the Affordable Care Act, which is what experts said they believed caused a similar drop for the 24 states that adopted the ACA in 2014, as reported in the Post-Gazette series, Counting Charity Care, last year.
Pennsylvania fully adopted the ACA in 2015 by expanding Medicaid to cover nearly 700,000 more people, in addition to helping nearly 500,000 people obtain insurance through the federal Health Insurance Marketplace.
Though about 600,000 more adults remain uninsured, the state’s uninsured rate dropped from 13.8 percent before the ACA, to a historic low of 5.2 percent this past year, according to the Pennsylvania Health Access Network.
The data on charity care and bad debt has both the Hospital and Healthsystem Association of Pennsylvania and patient advocates concerned even more about the future of the ACA, which Presiden president-elect Donald Trump has threatened to — at a minimum — greatly rewrite the law.
“What we’re concerned about, and the value of these numbers show, is the danger of repealing” the ACA, said Antoinette Kraus, director of PHAN, a patient advocacy organization.
http://www.post-gazette.com/news/state/2016/12/31/State-data-shows-ACA-helped-hospitals-save-on-charity-care-and-bad-debt-spending-in-2015/stories/201612310120
Jeff Sessions Omits Decades Of Records For His AG Confirmation Hearing
WASHINGTON ― President-elect Donald Trump’s pick for attorney general, Jeff Sessions, is withholding decades’ worth of records from his career ahead of his Senate confirmation hearings early next month, according to an exhaustive report issued Friday by progressive advocacy groups.
The groups, which include Alliance for Justice and People for the American Way, reviewed the questionnaire that Sessions filled out for the Senate Judiciary Committee ― it requires complete documentation of employment history, published writings, interviews and speeches, among other things ― and found “astonishingly deficient” responses. He left out major details from his years as U.S. attorney for the Southern District of Alabama, from 1981 to 1993; as attorney general of Alabama, from 1995 to 1997; and as a first-term U.S. senator, from 1997 to 2002.
The gaps encompass the time, for example, when Sessions was nominated to be a federal judge in 1986 ― and then rejected after being deemed too racist .
He also omitted dozens of recent interviews, some of which included controversial statements he made. An October interview in which Sessions gave Trump a pass for making sexist comments, because “everybody knows that Trump likes women” and “uses this kind of talk,” was not cited in his questionnaire. A December 2015 interview in which Sessions says “the predictions aren’t coming true” about climate change having disastrous effects is also not mentioned.
A Trump transition team spokesperson did not respond to a request for comment, nor did a Senate spokesman for Sessions.
Ironically, Sessions, who is currently a U.S. senator from Alabama and a member of the Judiciary Committee, has chided previous nominees for failing to provide the committee with a full account of their backgrounds.
Entire Article: http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/jeff-sessions-omits-decades-of-records-for-his-ag-confirmation-hearing/ar-BBxJP47?li=BBnb7Kz
North Carolina Judge Temporarily Blocks Law That Strips Incoming Democratic Governors Power
A North Carolina judge has temporarily blocked a law prohibiting Governor-elect Roy Cooper (D) from making appointments to the state election board.
Cooper filed a lawsuit Friday asking Wake County judge Donald Stephens to stop the law from taking effect on Sunday, when Cooper will be sworn in. The governor-elect argued that it violates separation of powers in the state constitution by transferring power from the governor to the legislature.
The lawsuit targets SB 4, a law the Republican-controlled state legislature passed at the last minute that strips the governor’s influence on election boards.
Article: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/roy-cooper-appointment-power_us_5866c363e4b0eb586489603a
Trump was silent on new U.S. sanctions against Russia, but he praises Putin's response
After President Obama on Thursday announced retaliatory measures against the Russian government for what the U.S. has concluded were efforts to interfere in the election, President-elect Donald Trump's response was terse and dismissive, saying it was time to "move on to bigger and better things."
But after Russian President Vladimir Putin said Friday that he would not respond in kind to the U.S. actions — preferring to wait until the new administration takes office — Trump weighed in with high praise.
Trump's tweet did not appear to be off the cuff. As if to underscore his sentiment, Trump affixed the tweet to the top of his Twitter feed. And he posted an Instagram photo shortly after, quoting himself.
Trump's effusive words were particularly striking given the bipartisan view of Putin as more adversary than ally.
House Speaker Paul D. Ryan (R-Wis.) and Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) said they supported the Obama administration's move to expel Russian diplomats and block access to two properties owned by its government.
Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman John McCain (R-Ariz.) is expected to call a hearing on Russia's cyber activities when the new Congress convenes next week.
A Trump transition spokesman was asked earlier Friday whether Trump had spoken or planned to speak with Putin before his inauguration.
"The priority right now is for the president[-elect] to get an update next week from the intelligence community," Sean Spicer said.
Trump's praise did get tacit approval from some quarters. The Russian embassy in Washington retweeted it.
http://www.latimes.com/nation/politics/trailguide/la-na-trailguide-updates-trump-silent-on-new-u-s-sanctions-1483128643-htmlstory.html
College in Canada? After Trump's win, more in US consider it Read more here: http://www.kansascity.
For some college-bound students distressed by the election of Donald Trump, Canada is calling.
Colleges from Quebec to British Columbia say applications and website traffic from the United States have been surging since Trump’s victory Nov. 8. Although many Canadian schools had also ramped up recruiting in the U.S. recently, some say dismay over the presidential election has fueled a spike in interest beyond their expectations.
Lara Godoff, a 17-year-old from Napa, California, said she scrapped any notion of staying in the U.S. the day after the election. Among other concerns, Godoff, a Democrat, said she fears Trump’s administration will ease enforcement of federal rules against sexual assault, making campuses less safe for women.
Read more here: http://www.kansascity.com/news/nation-world/national/article123809129.html#storylink=cpy
ROBERT REICH: SEVEN THINGS OBAMA SHOULD DO BEFORE HE LEAVES OFFICE
. Name Merrick Garland to the Supreme Court
Article II, Section 2 of the Constitution gives the president power to fill any vacancy during the recess of the Senate. The Supreme Court is no exception: Justice William Brennan began his court tenure with a recess appointment in 1956.
Any appointments made this way expire at the end of the next Senate session. So if Obama appointed Garland on January 3, the appointment would last until December 2017, the end of the first session of the 115th Congress.
Related: Robert Reich: Rallies and lies. This is how tyranny begins
2. Use his pardoning authority to forgive “Dreamers”
With a flick of his pen, Obama could forgive the past and future civil immigration offenses of the nearly 750,000 young people granted legal status under the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program. Without an immigration offense on their records, they could more easily apply for legal status.
rest of the list: http://www.newsweek.com/robert-reich-seven-things-obama-should-do-he-leaves-office-536804
NPR just offered a shocking and disgusting example of balanced reporting
This is the problem we really do have (the alt-right-right-wing republicans, not so much) Even NPR has been attacked & beaten down to the point they are afraid of looking like they are not balanced. In all of that process including the regular news media, they too constantly report to where it is unbalanced & it is biased but to the right's advantage because of their cowardly way.
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Tump campaign official Carl Paladino recently made headlines for being a disgustingly racist pig of a human being. The former GOP gubernatorial candidate, who managed to get himself elected to the Buffalo, New York, school board, responded to a survey about his New Year’s wishes by attacking the Obamas in the most baldly ugly and racist way imaginable, including wishing for Michelle Obama to be “let loose” in Africa so she could live with apes. He also repeated the racist alt-right meme of her being a man, and said he hoped President Obama “catches mad cow disease” and then “dies before his trial and is buried in a cow pasture next to Valerie Jarret, who died weeks prior, after being convicted of sedition and treason, when a Jihady cell mate mistook her for being a nice person and decapitated her.”
So vile were Paladino’s emailed responses to this questionnaire that even the Trump campaign and Paladino’s own son denounced his comments, and it takes a lot for these people to disavow a racist. For his part, Paladino has made a variety of non-apologies, saying he should not have pushed “send” or that he did so in “error,” and of course the classic, “I’m not a racist,” (despite the fact that I spew racist bile in what I thought was private) absurd claim. He also mentioned not being “politically correct,” the new badge of honor in the Trump era. Not being politically correct as we understand it is calling a grown woman a girl. Wishing someone death by decapitation, or comparing a grown woman to an animal, is in an altogether different category.
Entire Article @ Link: http://www.rawstory.com/2016/12/npr-just-offered-a-shocking-and-disgusting-example-of-balanced-reporting/
Members' views: 'Trevor Noah's take was really thought-provoking'
Guardian Members Corey Sutch and Isy Mead attended a discussion with the South African comedian, writer and current host of The Daily Show, Trevor Noah
‘His book is an amazing tribute to his mother’
Isy: In Noah’s new book, Born a Crime, he recalls growing up in a township in apartheid-era South Africa. It was fascinating to hear about the people who have played a part in his life and how he rose to fame.
Corey: His mother survived being shot in the head by her abusive partner, but refused to leave her home. She seems to have taught him a lot about pushing back against those who try to victimise you, and I think he’s drawn a lot of strength from her.
Isabella Mead
Isy Mead Photograph: Supplied
‘When he started out, he was scared of how people would perceive him’
Isy: He’s had an amazing rise to fame, considering he grew up in such a hostile environment. He said he has encountered racism from both white and black people, and once was even mistaken for a Mexican!
Corey: The struggle he has encountered as a mixed-race man was especially interesting to me, as someone who grew up in Northern Ireland and is in an inter-racial relationship. It’s amazing to think that he was the product of a union that was not only taboo, but illegal. I don’t think the issues of race and colonisation are discussed as openly as they ought to be.
Corey Sutch
Corey Sutch Photograph: Supplied
‘Noah’s voice is particularly important in the current climate’
Isy: His story shows the extremity of what can happen when corruption takes over society. It was a really interesting perspective. He described apartheid as “the most perfect racism” because it had an impact at so many different levels. He had an interesting perspective on recent events in America, and made a point of emphasising that we actually don’t know what’s going to happen.
Corey: His take on left-wing reactions to race was really thought-provoking. He said people can sometimes be almost accidentally offensive, and gave an example of a football game during which a banana was thrown on to the pitch and one of the team’s representatives immediately apologised for the “racist” act. But it wasn’t necessarily.
‘He did a great job of identifying how American humour differs from British humour’
Corey: He spoke about his visit to the Edinburgh Fringe and London’s Comedy Store when he was younger, and how those experiences had shaped him as a performer and helped refine his humour. He vividly remembered seeing Eddie Izzard – he had no idea who he was but he taught him a lot!
Isy: He said, quite succinctly, that Australians are more honest in their humour, British people are more awkward, and Americans are all about performance. His own style has probably been influenced by all three in some way. And I think possibly his own comedy is so well-honed because of what he’s had to overcome. He told this brilliant story about how, when he was little, if the car broke down on the way to church, his mother would interpret it as a sign of the struggle they needed to overcome in order to find God, and he just thought it was a sign they should go home!
Corey is 22, lives in London, and works for an Aids charity, the Staying Alive Foundation. Isy is 33 and works in Oxford as head of learning at The Story Museum.
This event took place on 26 November at Central Hall Westminster in London.
Tom Arnold Challenges Gamers to Hack Into Databases to Get Trumps Taxes and Apprentice Footage
Sooner or later somebody will accomplish this & can't wait. So deserving of it Hackers do love a challenge.
Comedian and actor Tom Arnold has inserted himself into the news lately over his claims that he is in possession of embarrassing Apprentice outtakes of President-elect Donald Trump in which Trump uses racial slurs and other offensive language.
Since then, he’s said that Trump’s team has threatened him with lawsuits and that “Watergate level journalists” are currently on the case reviewing the footage.
Well, tonight, Arnold once again brought attention to himself regarding Trump.
First, the True Lies star called on “gamers” to access a WordPress portal to get a hold of Trump tax returns, which Trump has refused to release.
Tom Arnold ✔ @TomArnold
Hey gamers here's a challenge. Trumps taxes are behind this door. Let's Make America Great Again
8:06 PM - 29 Dec 2016
132 132 Retweets 256 256 likes
He then provided a database address that he claimed held 14 years of Apprentice footage. And he said he was doing it for America.
Follow
Tom Arnold ✔ @TomArnold
Gamers. One more challenge. Behind here is 14 years of Trump Apprentice footage. Gonna do this the hard way. For America.#unlocked
8:30 PM - 29 Dec 2016
590 590 Retweets 769 769 likes
Later on, Arnold stated that he figures everything is fine as long as it shows the truth.
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Tom Arnold ✔ @TomArnold
From what I gather from Trump & his supporters hacking (like Russia did to DNC & Podesta) is cool as long as it reveals the truth. Agreed?
8:52 PM - 29 Dec 2016
66 66 Retweets 260 260 likes
It appears that Arnold is referring to comments and statements made by Republicans like Rep. Trent Franks (R-AZ), who said that if Russia obtained accurate info from hacked emails, it was doing what the media should have.
http://bit.ly/2hCbUBR
Donald Trump Is Unpopular, and So Is the GOPs Agenda So We Need To Capitalize On It
When you win, you look strong, and right now, Donald Trump looks strong. He has the White House, and his allies in the Republican Party hold both chambers of Congress. The House is set to pass a sweeping agenda that would gut the safety net, and the Senate is set to confirm hard-right jurists to the federal bench, including to the Supreme Court.
If Democrats held a majority of governorships or state legislatures, the picture would look a little different. But they don’t. Over the eight years of Barack Obama’s presidency, the party has suffered historic losses at the state and local levels. Some of this was the result of poor party leadership from Obama and other figures in Washington; some was demographic, as the Democratic Party relies more on a young, diverse, and less consistent electorate; and some was the final leg of the South’s transition to an almost solid wall of red. Either way, Democrats are in dire straits, fighting a defensive battle against a newly invigorated Republican Party.
But we shouldn’t exaggerate the state of play. Neither Trump nor congressional Republicans are as strong as they appear. Both enter the field with severe disadvantages, and both risk overplaying the hands that they have. Democrats are on the defensive, but the conditions are there for pushback and resurgence.
Rest of Article @: http://slate.me/2ifjxxh
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