So what we have here is Rob McKenna participating in the multi-state lawsuit, now fully aware that the goal of the lawsuit is to strike down the entire law.
If McKenna is successful, Washington state gets credit for the downfall of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. Ouch! Like that sooooooo represents our state. But that’s nuttin’.
Just for shits and giggles, I decided to look up the immediate effects should the lawsuit succeed in killing the law—the things that would affect hundreds of thousands, if not millions, of Washingtonians.
Here’s what I found:
- Strips small businesses of the 35% tax credit (50% beginning in 2014) provided to make employee coverage more affordable.
- Eliminate for early retirees the temporary re-insurance program (pending the full development of insurance exchanges).
- Eliminate consumer protections and the external review process for appealing insurance company coverage determinations or claims.
- End the prohibition on recissions—that is, insurance companies will, once again, be allowed to drop sick people from coverage.
- End the prohibition on insurance companies denying coverage to children (and, in 2014, everyone) with pre-existing conditions
- Eliminate caps—once again allow insurance companies to place lifetime caps on coverage.
- End prohibition of certain annual coverage limits—some are in effect right now but all such restrictions will be eliminated by 2014.
- Re-open the Medicare part D “donut hole” by eliminating the 50% discount on brand name drugs for those in the donut hole, and put a halt to the gradual elimination of the donut hole by 2020.
- Reinstate co-payments for preventive care and, under medicare, once again allow preventive care to be included in deductibles.
- Eliminate funding for state consumer assistance programs that help folks navigating the health care insurance process.
- Eliminate funding for resources and new screening procedures that reduce fraud and waste in Medicare, Medicaid, and CHIP.
- Eliminate the option for young adults to remain on their parents’ insurance plan until they turn 26.
That is a selection of the tangible benefits that have already fully or partially kicked in under the law.
It will be painful…particularly to our state’s youngest and oldest citizens.
There are many more benefits to come. Some are extremely important, like getting insurance for the estimated 50 million uninsured Americans.
And then there is the fiscal effects, to the tune of quashing the $210 billion in deficit reduction over the next 10 years, and an estimated $1 trillion over the next 20 years.
Shit…with gubernatorial wannabes like McKenna…who needs al Qaeda?
Great post! We’re going to need a whole bunch more posts like this between now and November 2012!
This, like so many other things (e.g., George W. Bush’s entire eight years in the White House) puts the lie to Republicans claiming to care about deficit reduction. They just want to make sure government money goes to their friends (energy companies, military contractors, and, in this case, insurance companies and Big Pharma), not the other guy’s friends.
We saw Republicans’ true colors the other night when a GOP audience shouted “Yeah!” in response to a question of whether we should let people who don’t have insurance — that’s 50 million of our fellow citizens — die. Of course, we’ve known for a long time that Republicans have no respect for human life. See, e.g., Bush’s recreational war in Iraq.
I love that – I propose a contest!
Fill in the blank:
Shit…with gubernatorial wannabes like McKenna…who needs _____________?
I’ll start!
…genital warts
…puddy
…comedy!
@3
If our team’s leaders had a spine, the booing of that soldier (who appeared at the Republican debate and mystified little Ricky Santorum from 11000 miles away) (and who was incidentally gay) would have been on auto-loop nonstop, and the righteous indignation and apoplexy from our side would have been relentless until the ‘thugs cowered and apologized and had sustained meaningful political injury.
I’d love to have the local media push him on this in a one-on-one interview, but that’s not going to happen. Local media doesn’t have the cajones to press the A.G. for a real answer to a question on an issue which really matters.
If they even co bring up the subject, he will give a canned answer, to wit:
“I wasn’t against health care insurance reform, and that’s not why I joined the lawsuit. I believe the individual mandate is unconstitutional, and it was my duty as attorney general to protec the rights of Washington citizens by challenging that aspect of the law. If the court chooses to overturn the entire law, then that wasn’t my intention.”
If the reporter tries to read off the effects of overturning the law, he will just keep repeating the same statement, over and over again.
Which is why the local TV, radio, and print media is becoming so irrelevant these days.
(Continuation)
The local media doesn’t have a problem with going after a repeated drunk driver, who’s already locked away in jail, or having a reporter ambush a small contractor in front of cameras who ran out of money before he could finish a project for a consumer. But take on the A.G.???? I seriously doubt that.
What I have noticed about the Republican party as of late, and apparently McKenna is include, is a general sense of glee at heartlessness. They salivate at people losing jobs, losing health care, losing dignity, losing freedom. They are all about letting as many people as possible rot. It is a significant change from a platform of simply being for the rich. These guys are anti-human. Their constituencies are not everyday people–even the mindless dumb asses that serve as their minion apologists.Their constituencies see the dumb ass minions as cannon fodder to shoot at the rest of us pesky types seeking accountability and explanation for the Republican hatefulness.
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Republicans are always saying that governmently run health care is unconsitutional. On the other hand the the bill of rights say we have the right of the pursute of happiness. Have you ever tried to be happy when you are to sick or elderly to work, have no money and doctor bills up the ying-yang?! Since when has the consitution trumped the bill of rights?
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Lauramae,
Wouldn’t you think that all of us would want the rest of us to be healthy? Or, at least get good health care? That would be the Christian point of view. I’m pretty sure about that. I’m pretty sure also that Jesus Christ would not applaud someone dying, regardless of circumstances. And, as part of the triune God who created gay people, I’m pretty sure he would not applaud those who hate gays. But, what do I know–the Rs are certain about everything, so they must be right.