SC experts say GOP health care bill likely to affect you

On May 4, 2017, the U.S. House of Representatives voted by a margin of 217 yeas - 213 nays to pass the mis-named American Health Care Act, H.R. 1628, which repeals the Affordable Care Act (a.k.a. "ACA" or "Obamacare"); eliminates all federal funding for Planned Parenthood Clinics throughout the U.S.; reduces special education services in schools; and cuts federal spending on Medicaid by over $800 billion, or nearly 25% less than under current law. As the Republicans reached a majority for the bill, Democrats on the House floor began chanting, "Na, na, na, na ... "Trumpcare" is just a breathtakingly irresponsible piece of legislation that would endanger the health of tens of millions of Americans and break the bank for millions more", said Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (D-N.Y.). He said he cast that vote because he was denied the opportunity to ask questions of the bill's sponsor.

Trump signed the bill even as lawmakers left out many of his top priorities in the funding bill, including money for the proposed U.S. -Mexico border wall and a provision stripping federal dollars from "sanctuary cities" that resist federal immigration laws. Look back to 1993 and '94 when Hillary Clinton was in charge of developing Bill Clinton's health care plan.

That brought a strong rebuke from the powerful AARP, which was an outspoken ACA supporter.

And she says the fact that so many people would no longer have health insurance means people who do have it will see their premiums go up.

Meanwhile, Sen. Bob Corker, R-Chattanooga, told MSNBC on Thursday that the House version of the bill has "zero" chance of passing the Senate in its current form. They worry that the tax credits amount to a new entitlement.

'Why is it that the Fake News rarely reports Ocare is on its last legs and that insurance companies are fleeing for their lives?

No Democratic House members voted for the bill. "And I'm just not in favor of taxpayer money going to insurance companies".

Other conditions that could allow insurers to charge women more include "preexisting conditions" such as high-risk pregnancy, Cesarean delivery, breast cancer, menstrual irregularities and endometriosis. If all that cash went to the pools, the health care consulting firm Alavere has estimated it would be enough to cover 600,000 people nationally. Numerous 31 states that accepted Obama's expansion of that program are led by GOP governors, and senators have no interest in cutting their states' funds and taking coverage away from voters.

"This is not a Democratic issue; it's not a Republican issue", said Cassidy, a physician. It will be up to the Senate parliamentarian, a Republican appointee, to make those determinations.

Women, and men for that matter, who are victims of domestic violence and allowed their coverage to lapse might be charged more for insurance if states are allowed to charge higher premiums based on health status.

Ryan noted that, under the bill, prices can not be hiked for those with continuous coverage and people with pre-existing conditions can not be denied coverage.

"It could be argued that any budgetary effects of the waiver are 'merely incidental, '" said the Committee for a Responsible Federal Budget in a blog post. Among the vulnerable: two-term Rep. Tom MacArthur, R-N.J., who helped revive the bill by authoring a key amendment on pre-existing conditions. For example: one easy trick could pay you as much as $16,122 more. each year! 'We are going to get this passed through the Senate.

The House bill, passed 217-213, would end the health care law's fines on people who don't buy policies and erase its taxes on health industry businesses and higher-earning people. The Kaiser Family Foundation has reported that the top 5 percent most-expensive people in the health care market account for half of the nation's health spending - with the top 1 percent taking up almost a quarter.