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Conservative state lawmakers working to gut federal health care reform
Conservative state lawmakers working to gut federal health care reform
The President’s reform plan hasn’t even passed yet, but right-wing state lawmakers are already trying to strip out key elements of the plan at the state level.
They’ve only managed to pass their bills in a few states like Arizona and Utah, but they’ve filed new legislation to obstruct federal health care reform in 35 states. And if reform supporters win the final showdown in Congress this week, we can expect this trend to continue.
But the stakes are just as high at the state level as they are in Congress. If Democrats fail to protect health care reform from state-level obstruction, millions of Americans who are counting on health care reform to improve -- or potentially save -- their lives will be left out in the cold:
But the $28 billion in Medicaid money is not the whole picture. These reforms will extend Medicaid coverage to nearly 8 million individuals in these states, while millions more will qualify for premium subsidies to help purchase private coverage through health insurance exchanges. This will reduce costs for employers, state governments, and insured individuals, because as these uninsured individuals and families gain coverage, the cost-shift of uncompensated care will diminish. It will also help states out because these new Medicaid eligibility levels will absorb those under 133 percent of the poverty level in state insurance programs, with full federal support for the first several years of the program.
We spend a great deal of time on this blog talking about what states are doing to reform health care. A number of states have made us proud during the last legislative session, and we expect them to continue pushing the envelope for reform, no matter what Congress decides to do.
But if we win the vote this week for health care reform, this won’t be over. The fight will just move to the state legislatures, and we predict it will be every bit as ferocious as the fight to pass the President’s health care plan in Congress.
Here at the DLCC, we’re determined to be ready.
The term "Conservative" has been so grossly redefined as to make its core meaning valueless. In today's scheme of the world of politics, the term has been used interchangeably to mean "Right-Wing" (Wrong-Wing) Teabaggers. This is truly a sad state of affairs. When we have a segment of our society that is so obsessed with contolling every aspect of the lives of others under the guise of freedom as declared in the constitution that we must fear that our basic human rights are in jeopardy.
Trying to tie up health care in the courts just indicates the depravity of their cause. What is the best interest of the citizens is not even a consideration; it is only what is in the best interests of the few who wish to control the simple minds of their followers (and every other person in this country by default). How far they get in the court system will also give us a measure of just how tainted the Bush years were on our entire system. How fair are the courts? How will they respond?
How can anyone be against ensuring that insurers cannot eliminate persons from coverage simply because they became ill? How can anyone be against making sure that people are getting the coverage that they signed up for and not being dumped when it becomes inconvenient or when the company has to pay a claim?
Who are these people who want to stop our country from competing in the World health care community. Why does our system have to ensure that so many more will die than other countries with fewer resources? Why is our health care, in this country, so embroiled in creating profits that it could care less if it actually takes care of people. Health insurance is getting as bad as car insurance--you can't use it unless you can afford for your premiums, deductibles and co-pays to increase substantially.
I am appalled that there are so many that want to do so much harm. I am ashamed to be part of a population providing such substandard care to its masses. I am afraid for the future of our children and their children...