The Healthcare Mash

[Chris]

One more time...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TaC1lk7KVzI#t=101

[waltky]

Republicans come out with their version of healthcare...
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House Republicans unveil healthcare alternative to Obamacare
Wed Jun 22, 2016 | WASHINGTON - Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives unveiled an alternative plan to overhaul the nation's healthcare system on Wednesday, slamming Obamacare even as they aimed to keep some of its more popular provisions.


Their proposal, part of broader effort by House Speaker Paul Ryan to offer a Republican agenda ahead of the Nov. 8 elections, is conservatives' latest bid to "repeal and replace" the 2010 law. Ryan, the country's highest-ranking elected Republican, is offering the proposal as the party seeks to maintain control of both the House and the Senate and take over the White House. Other proposals cover tax reform, address poverty as well as national security. Republicans have challenged President Barack Obama's signature Affordable Care Act since it was enacted and have voted repeatedly to repeal it. Obama, a Democrat, has said it has helped some 20 million Americans get health care coverage.

Ryan acknowledged his agenda was unlikely to displace current law anytime soon. "We're not going to repeal Obamacare when the current president of the United States is a guy named Obama," he told reporters. “What we are laying out today is a first-time-in-six-years consensus by the Republicans in the House on what we replace Obamacare with.” In their plan, which is not formal legislation, House Republicans blasted Obamacare for limiting patients' choices, increasing consumer costs, and burying employers and health care providers under new regulations. Ryan's proposal would keep some popular pieces, including not allowing people with pre-existing conditions to be denied coverage and permitting children to stay on their parents' coverage until age 26.

It would also allow states that have already expanded the number of people eligible for Medicaid under the law to maintain the additional coverage, although it would prevent any new states from doing so. For people without insurance through their jobs, the Republicans would establish a refundable tax credit. Obamacare also provides subsidies for people to buy insurance if they do not qualify for Medicaid. It also includes long-held Republican proposals such as allowing consumers to buy health insurance across state lines, expanding health savings accounts, reforming medical liability rules and giving block grants to states to run Medicaid programs for the poor. Democrats, who have said they are open to tweaking Obamacare, dismissed Ryan's proposals as little more than warmed-over ideas that have long been in the Republican playbook. House Republican would gradually raise the Medicare eligibility age, now 65, to match that of the Social Security pension plan, which is 67 for people born in 1960 or later.

Like Obamacare's so-called Cadillac tax on expensive healthcare plans offered by employers, which goes into effect in 2018, the Republican proposal would cap the tax deductibility of employer-based plans. Industry groups struck a bipartisan tone in their reaction ahead of the election, as it remains to be seen who ultimately wins control of Congress and the White House. "We stand ready to work with both parties on market-based solutions that improve access and affordability for consumers," said Marilyn Tavenner, president of America’s Health Insurance Plans.

http://www.reuters.com/article/us-usa-election-healthcare-ryan-idUSKCN0Z80AQ

[waltky]

IRS goin' after Obamacare uninsured...
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Personalized IRS letters nudge uninsured to get coverage
January 13, 2017 | WASHINGTON (AP) — If you haven't signed up for health insurance, you may soon be getting a not-too-subtle nudge from the taxman.


The IRS is sending personalized letters to millions of taxpayers who might be uninsured, reminding them that they could be on the hook for hundreds of dollars in fines under the federal health care law if they don't sign up soon through HealthCare.gov. It's an unusual role for a revenue-collection agency. Fines are one of the most unpopular parts of the 2010 health overhaul, and there's a high likelihood they'll get repealed by Republicans, even if other parts of "Obamacare" survive. The administration is counting on IRS reminders to help sign up as many people as possible before open enrollment ends Jan. 31. That's soon after officials hand off President Barack Obama's signature program to a Trump administration committed to "repeal and replace."

Letters bearing the IRS logo will be sent to an estimated 7.5 million people who either claimed an exemption from the law's requirement that most Americans carry health insurance, or who paid a penalty for being uninsured during the 2015 tax year. The coverage requirement was included in the law as a way to get healthy people into the insurance pool, helping to keep premiums in check. The penalty for this year could be $2,085 or more, depending on family size and income, says one draft version of the IRS letter. Another draft takes a somewhat different approach, leaving a blank space for the IRS to provide an individualized estimate of what the particular uninsured taxpayer might owe.


https://www.yahoo.com/sy/ny/api/res/1.2/vy0h46.HdSpWXL20epzbWw--/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjtzbT0xO3c9ODAwO2lsPXBsYW5l/http://media.zenfs.com/en_us/News/ap_webfeeds/4f616b78f8c849a0ada4213e5fb92263.jpg
Tax form 8962 is seen in Washington. If you haven’t signed up for health insurance this year, you may be getting a nudge from the taxman. The IRS is sending personalized letters to millions of uninsured taxpayers that they’re potentially on the hook for hundreds of dollars in fines.

The drafts were obtained by The Associated Press. Although the administration has made no secret of the IRS role in open enrollment this year, officials have not responded to requests for copies of the actual letters. Republicans say the whole thing is a waste of money. The campaign will cost about $4 million, say congressional aides. "People receiving these letters have already made up their minds about Obamacare when they applied for an exemption or paid a penalty," said House Ways and Means Chairman Kevin Brady, R-Texas. "They don't want stock letters. They want better health care choices and lower costs."

Supporters of the health care law say research has shown that many people who remain uninsured are still unaware that they can go to HealthCare.gov and qualify for government subsidies to help pay their premiums. Those subsidies were designed as tax credits, bringing the IRS into the picture. The IRS letters make the pitch: "Most people who enroll in a plan through HealthCare.gov can find plans for $75 a month or less after financial help," the letters say. "At HealthCare.gov, you can compare plans to find one that meets your needs and budget."

MORE (https://www.yahoo.com/news/personalized-irs-letters-nudge-uninsured-192537967.html?ref=gs)