Lem*ing (noun): lemming: 1. a short-tailed, thick-set rodent related to voles, found in Arctic tundra; 2. a person who unthinkingly joins a mass movement, especially a headlong rush to destruction.
The old, familiar saying, “don’t
throw out the baby with the bath water”, seems appropriate right now. Or, as depicted above, Trump and McConnell,
after the collapse of the Senate Repeal and Replace bill, are planning to call
for a vote to just OUTRIGHT REPEAL THE ACA – WITH NO REPLACEMENT! If adopted, the measure to repeal only would throw 44 million
Americans off of their current health coverage, dramatically increase insurance
premiums by 25%-50% in the first year, eliminate Expanded Medicaid and the
millions covered, blow up the “exchanges”, take young adults off of their parent’s
policies, eliminate the requirement to cover pre-existing conditions and,
again, permit lifetime caps. Can you
spell…. D I S A S T E R??? These are not
some liberal talking points – these are the numbers generated by the
Congressional Budget Office during the early efforts to repeal the ACA. According to the CBO, by year two of the
repeal some 55 million Americans will be left adrift in an uncertain sea of
emergency room healthcare – including those presently covered by Medicaid, and
many who would be priced out of the individual insurance markets. The result
would be a massive contraction of healthcare availability as hospitals drown in
red ink by treating the uninsured – charity care. This would be especially true
of rural communities where deficit hospital finance simply does not work. McConnell announced that the vote to "proceed will take place next week." And, in NY State – courtesy of John Faso –
the devastation would be even worse.
Under the ACA, the NY insurance
enrollment increased from 136,000 (2013) to more than 1 million (2017)!
9,000,000 young New Yorkers benefited by being carried on their parent’s
policies until 26, 142,000 folks received tax credits to off-set insurance premium
costs, 665,000 working class New Yorkers got Medicaid coverage for the first
time, those with pre-existing conditions could not be denied coverage, lifetime
caps were eliminated, and “essential services” were required for the first time.
Current estimates are that all of these improvements will disappear if the ACA
is repealed, leaving many of our residents abandoned, afraid, and alone. Worse,
hospital service expansions that took place after the ACA was implemented, will
shrivel up and die, including clinics, emergi-centers, and non-profit rural
providers.
·
NY will lose $7 Billion or more over
the next 2 years impacting 6 million residents.
·
High-risk Pool New Yorkers with
pre-existing conditions would pay an estimated. $32,000 in annual insurance
premiums – essentially making coverage unaffordable.
·
665,000 will lose their coverage
under Expanded Medicaid.
·
In Faso’s own district, some 66,000
residents will lose coverage altogether.
Virtually every advocacy group and
medical association is OPPOSING these awful proposals (AMA, AARP, American
Hospital Association, American Cancer Society, American Psychological
Association, National Nurses Association, and many others). And, even The American Health Insurers and
the Blue Cross-Blue Shield Association oppose the bill. In fact, only 14% of Americans think that
the measure it a good idea. 60+% of the public opposes the bill. So, obviously Faso VOTES FOR THE BILL!
Huh?
And, then there is the Faso
Amendment….. Of course, county property
tax payers would like some relief and that is the stated goal of the
amendment. However, NY State’s Medicaid
funding formula is a shared funding 50-50 between the state and the counties in
match dollars for the federal program. The Faso amendment would shift $2.3
billion to the state in addition to $4.6 billion in cuts under Trumpcare - a
state budget disaster by any definition - forcing a choice between a massive
state tax increase or reductions in health services. As a former member of the NY State
Legislature, Faso knows that the state budget, already stressed, cannot adopt
tax increases high enough or quickly enough to sustain the program. The result is, fewer federal dollars coming
to NY State for lack of a match. So, who do we cut/shut out? Those with CP? MS?
Down syndrome? Traumatic brain injury?
Shut down treatment for opioid abuse? Nursing Home care (70% of Nursing
Home residents are supported by Medicaid)?
ALERT! Aside from just an outright repeal of the
ACA, keep in mind that the House ACA bill would be good news for wealthy donors
like the Mercer family who gave $500,000 to the Faso Campaign or hedge fund
manager, Paul Singer, who donated $600,000 to Faso. So, the question is: “Just who are you for, John Faso”? Right-wing Republicans like Paul Ryan? Your fat-cat donors? Or, the constituents
that you took an oath to represent and to protect? Will you follow the right-wing crowd right
over the cliff? March into yet another vote for Trumpcare - because he says so? Or, stand up for the people that you represent? The choice is
yours.
lemming: noun: 1. a small, short-tailed, thickset rodent related to the voles, found in the Arctic tundra; 2. a person who unthinkingly joins a
mass movement, especially a headlong rush to destruction.
CONGRESSMAN FASO: Vote with Trump..... and we will see you in the Tundra...........
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