I am sure most of you recognized that I never wrote one word about the GOP health plan concept. There were several reasons.
First of all, I doubted it would pass. Not because the plan sucked (which it did), but because the GOP did not seem like it could come together well enough to pass the plan.
Secondly, it was not a health care plan. It was a tax reduction plan for the rich. And, a tax increase for the poor. Moreover, it was a giveaway for the health insurance industry, who were being provided ridiculous financial incentives to continue covering 26 year olds on their parents’ plans and to not prejudice pre-existing conditions. (Oh, yeah. They were also allowed to charge 5X as much for those over the age of 50 compared to the younger folks.)
It also provided a method to destroy Medicaid. We all think Medicaid (health care for the less financially able) is the baby brother (or sister) to Medicare, the healthcare program for seniors. Except, Medicaid provides for the health care for one in every five of us. In 2015, a survey found that 2/3 of us were either covered by Medicaid or had a family member or friend under its shield.
Medicaid is involved in 16% of national health care spending- and it consists of 9% of our domestic budget. Which is why the GOP wanted to kill it. (Yes, I know they “officially” planned to shift the costs to the states. But, that just means it takes five years for it to wither- because when the money stops, so does the program.) Hurting the poor was probably just a bonus, since most of our elected folks from that aisle are always positive the poor are simply lazy and of a certain ethnic or racial character. (Just so you know- Medicaid is critical for Kentucky and West Virginia, among other white bastions.)
Finally, one of the big elements behind the plan was to screw Planned Parenthood. Now, I believe that abortions should be available for those who want them. But, I don’t believe they should be the birth control of choice. (Of course, since the GOP includes birth control pills, IUD’s, and diaphragms on the “disallowed” list, it’s not surprising that there are so many abortions. All the other choices have already been blocked.)
And, this dislike of Planned Parenthood has no basis in fact. Those claims that Planned Parenthood profits from fetal-tissue donation? Federal judges have repeatedly found that there is not “even a scintilla of evidence” that Planned Parenthood is involved in such wrong-doing.
As have 13 states, GOP witch hunts, Texas grand juries. Still the claims persist. Lying groups such as Susan B. Anthony- which cherry picks data and avoids adhering to facts.
This baloney-mongering just follows the methods of Donald Trump or KelleyAnne Conway, who have empowered so many people to simply invent facts, rather than stick to what is true.
What does the Susan B. Anthony group say? They state that Planned Parenthood has faced federal investigations for selling baby body parts. Sure, that’s exactly what the GOP witch hunts have done- and never once found anything to report. Or, that there has never been 1 instance where their claims that Planned Parenthood use federal funds for abortions been found to be true.
The concept that federal dollars (read as Medicaid dollars) should go to “real health-care centers for women”? That’s exactly what Planned Parenthood provides. With no required brain-washing, as happens when folks (mistakenly) visit the Wrong Wing centers. The 2.5 million (mostly poor) women who currently are serviced by Planned Parenthood deserve adequate health care.
I know you will say that means Susan B. Anthony isn’t lying. But, any cognizant being recognizes that falsehood.
And, it’s way past time that this obfuscatory effort ceases.
Getting ready to do your taxes yourself? This will inform you of what has changed for this year’s filing season. (Of course, you can contact us- we’ll ensure that you pay the lowest amount of taxes required by law. 🙂 )
Thanks for the explanation, Roy! There were a few things that I was unsure of which you explained nicely!
Do you think there is a solution that could work across the board?
Thanks
I think a single payer solution is to what we will eventually resort. But, we also need to make it clear that we have limited resources- and we need to carefully evaluate what modes, medicines, and therapies will benefit the largest number of our population. And, if folks want something that is NOT on the “list”, they are free to so employ them- at their own expense (or with additional insurance, should that be available).
To tell the truth, I find the US health system not only confusing, but rampant with price gouging. During my cancer treatment, under Australian PBS system, I got three PET injections for less than $10 each. In the US, they cost between $3000 and $7000 depending on your insurance cover. Sorry to say, I cannot fathom your health system at all.
Absolutely true, Lesley. And, that’s also a real problem in that most of your medical advances were developed here, in the States, but they proffer those same technologies to you (and other citizens of other countries) for a fraction of what they will accept here.
I think that single payer is the way to go. It doesn’t make sense to create an unaffordable health care system. People would be afraid of going to get medical care because of the expense. People with contagious diseases not going to the doctor for fear of the expense… oooh, not good. As for planned parenthood, I don’t have enough information; hence, no opinion.
I, too, am sure that single payer is the way to go. And, we’ll get there soon enough. But, right now, we need to make sure that healthcare is available to as many folks as possible!
50% of hospital births in the USA are paid for by Medicaid. Defunding Medicaid is the opposite of Pro-life .
I had no idea about that statistic. Thanks for the terribly important lesson!
Health insurance can be so confusing. The one thing about Medicaid, when my son-in-law was battling cancer, his insurance ran out and Medicaid stepped in. But I also see many people abusing the system. Hopefully everyone will be able to afford a good medical plan.
Martha, there are some folks who abuse every system. They take two newspapers from a kiosk, when they paid for one. And, there are Presidents who ensure they make profits from their private business that should be held in trust, so that questions about bribery are not rampant.
But, there’s no ideal world- yet.