Health Insurance - Winners and Losers

This has 3 articles shared. One, from Politico cites Anthem, a major health insurer that backs TrumpCare. Are we really surprised? Huff Po cites: "According to that analysis, which the Joint Committee on Taxation prepared this week and which the New York Times obtained, shows households with incomes of more than $1 million will get tax cuts that, over the next decade, would add up to roughly $157 billion." And finally, WaPo has an article on the poor in W. VA and how the loss of ACA will hurt them. Sadly, many in W. VA want coal jobs that won't come back. It is sad. 

We should be appalled by this. 

Here are the articles:

Politco Major Health Insurers Back Plan

Huff Po Millionaires Will get $157 Million Tax Cut

Wa Po Poor and Sick and Voted for Trump

Trump's Conflicts of Interest

NYT Sue While the Conflicts are Hot

Regrettably, the Republicans who control Congress have decided they have no obligation to hold presidents of their own party accountable. Despite repeated requests by Democrats, they have shown little interest in investigating Mr. Trump’s business interests when there are compelling reasons to do so. 

Sexist ads and Trump's Sexist comments

Trumps comments re-imagined with sexist ads Huff Po

This would be funny if it wasn't true. So disgusting.

IPhone or Health Insurance? How is this a choice?

NYT Having No Insurance is Hard; Having no Phone is impossible

So how can they communicate with work? I can't believe Chaffetz made this assumption.

Ted Cruz - and he supports women? Yeah, sure.....

HuffPo Ted Cruz Brings Daughters to the White House - and has dinner with the same man who insulted their mother. I am glad my husband would never do that.

Republican Healthcare =FAILURE - several links

Brookings Expect the CBO to estimate large coverage losses

Wow. Just Wow. And how is this better. I find this so repulsive.

For another piece of coverage

American Healthcare Act Debate - Austin Channel 7

HuffPo Paul Ryan's Wonk Stick - Yeah, Paul Ryan is a creep

HuffPo HHS Tom Price says "nobody will be financially worse off"  Um, sure Tom. Whatever you say. *eye roll*

Is Free Press Really Free?

WaPo What's a Legitimate News Outlet?

On one hand, this makes me wonder if Free Press is under attack, and then on the other hand the notion of all agencies having a bias matters. Perhaps the issue isn't the News Outlet but the readers?

Can Trump Handle a Crisis?

WaPo - Will Trump Make a Crisis Worse

This is an important question. And I have no answer.

Democrats: Sad but True

Why the Democratic Party is failing. 

I think this points out quite a bit. I do worry that this adds to polarization but the definition of insanity is to keep doing what you have always done and expect different results.

HR 899 Eliminate the Dept of Education

A Texas Representative co sponsored the bill to eliminate the DoE

Lovely. Do they even understand what they are doing? I agree that there problems with the heavy handed oversight but there are valuable pieces to the Department. This is dismantling everything. At the very list, we will be shortening the list of people who can be designated survivors!

https://www.congress.gov/bill/115th-congress/house-bill/899/cosponsors?pageSort=lastToFirst

Should Men Pay for Maternity Care?

Should men pay for maternity care?

I actually get the logic of the argument but it points to the fact that we as a society must decide what we value. Don't claim to value unborn life and then object prenatal care. So much hypocrisy.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/powerpost/wp/2017/03/09/is-that-not-correct-male-gop-lawmaker-asks-why-men-should-pay-for-prenatal-coverage/?utm_term=.521a8c4a80e1&wpisrc=nl_most&wpmm=1

Is Satire a Good Thing Anymore?

Is satire a good thing anymore?

What a strange world that fake news has become acceptable but satire is not, or should come with a warning label? *eye roll*

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/arts-and-entertainment/wp/2017/03/10/chinese-media-fooled-by-borowitz-report-is-this-kind-of-satire-okay-in-a-fake-news-era/?utm_term=.e840150bc5c6&wpisrc=nl_evening&wpmm=1

New FDA Head

New FDA Head

This might be good since he will advocate for drug competition. Gotlieb's ties to big pharma might be an issue and hopefully we don't have a thalidomide problem but it is worth a shot. Now if they will just legalize marijuana and loosen opiod restrictions in order to help people who are moving on to heroin.....

https://www.forbes.com/sites/patrickcox/2016/12/14/trumps-fda-chief-may-implement-progressive-approval-for-drugs/#88bf616a7b8f

Job Growth in Real Terms

Jobs in February 2017
Real Metrics of Feb 2017 Jobs

First, economic and jobs do not respond that quickly. I am glad the job growth is good but Trump can't take credit. The braggadocio that will ensue is going to be frustrating because it doesn't look at the whole picture.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/politics/wp/2017/03/10/how-president-trumps-first-jobs-report-looks-on-the-real-metrics-he-touted-in-2016/?utm_term=.917d66d5a0e4&wpisrc=nl_evening&wpmm=1

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2017/03/10/u-s-added-235000-jobs-in-february-unemployment-rate-drops-to-4-7-percent/?utm_term=.17d307739016

You can have guns, but you can't have a place to sleep or treatment services.

Dropping Addiction Services with the Republican Healthcare
Dallas and Collin County lack of Homeless Shelters

Wow. Guns but not mental healthcare. Druggies but not treatment. What kind of world are they creating???  And locally Dallas doesn't have enough emergency housing. Note that most are minorities and have drug issues or mental illness. This is so sad.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2017/03/09/gop-health-care-bill-would-drop-mental-health-coverage-mandate-covering-1-3-million-americans/?utm_term=.c1b566e6ffb5&wpisrc=nl_rainbow&wpmm=1

http://www.dallasnews.com/news/social-justice-1/2017/03/09/number-homeless-people-living-streets-dallas-collin-counties-drastically-increased-year

Debt Ceiling Hypocrisy

Debt ceiling hyposcrisy

I don't disagree with raising the debt ceiling nor with anything Mnuchin is suggesting but the hypocrisy here is startling. Ugh. Republican Congress.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/wonk/wp/2017/03/09/treasury-calls-on-congress-to-raise-debt-limit-begins-steps-to-delay-default/?utm_term=.988e4eb28ea8&wpisrc=nl_rainbow&wpmm=1

Wow - EPA and Climate Change

The EPA and Climate Change

Pruitt really thinks that this is up for debate????? Wow, just wow.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/energy-environment/wp/2017/03/09/on-climate-change-scott-pruitt-contradicts-the-epas-own-website/?utm_term=.5f6cb589cb80&wpisrc=nl_rainbow&wpmm=1