All purpose news and politics thread part v: The quickening

[numberthirty]

I could afford a hamburger -- what I couldn't afford was health care.

That changed under the ACA.

I have no idea why you waste so much time arguing against progress just because everything doesn't magically transform to your liking overnight.

Progress takes time and hard work -- not dreams and ideals based on believing the majority of Americans will choose to pay more for better health care.

I don't need "Overnight..."

What I do need is for the following not to be the reality years after "Progress..." has kicked off.

https://www.nbcnews.com/health/diabe...-study-n961296

U.S. insulin costs per patient nearly doubled from 2012 to 2016, study finds

[aja_christopher]

I don't need "Overnight..."

What I do need is for the following not to be the reality years after "Progress..." has kicked off.

https://www.nbcnews.com/health/diabe...-study-n961296

Then you should have done your best to make sure Democrats remained in power so they could expand the benefits of the ACA to other aspects of health care.

Instead of choosing not to "vote against" Trump and letting the Republicans not only attempt to repeal affordable health care but also refuse to even take a vote on legislation that would reduce drug costs.

You're your own worst enemy -- not "moderate" Democrats.

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"McConnell warns Pelosi's drug-pricing plan is DOA"

https://www.politico.com/story/2019/...n-plan-1504496

[Tendrin]

Then you should have done your best to make sure Democrats remained in power so they could expand the benefits of the ACA to other aspects of health care.

Instead of choosing not to "vote against" Trump and let the Republicans attempt to repeal affordable health care while simultaneously refusing to even take a vote on legislation to reduce drug costs.

We might be talking about prescription drug plans vastly reducing costs to the average American alongside a 5-4 liberal supreme court right now if we hadn't, you know, let the fascist get elected.

But, hey, at least the 'corporate dems' got owned, right?

[numberthirty]

We might be talking about prescription drug plans vastly reducing costs to the average American alongside a 5-4 liberal supreme court right now if we hadn't, you know, let the fascist get elected.

But, hey, at least the 'corporate dems' got owned, right?

Considering that the above increase happened while "The Fascist..." was not in office, I'm gonna have to doubt that.

[aja_christopher]

Considering that the above increase happened while "The Fascist..." was not in office, I'm gonna have to doubt that.

Of course you will since it allows you to continue to complain about "corporate" Democrats while taking no responsibility for your actions -- or lack thereof.

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"The legislation from Pelosi, D-Calif., would authorize Medicare to negotiate prices for the costliest drugs — including insulin — using lower prices paid in other economically advanced countries as the reference point. The budget office says that could result in price cuts of 40% to 55% for pharmacy drugs subject to negotiations. The bill would allow private insurance plans to also get Medicare’s price."

https://apnews.com/be8aa337304c4fe58ef3cc5e053c619e

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"The Clinton health care plan was a 1993 healthcare reform package proposed by the administration of President Bill Clinton and closely associated with the chair of the task force devising the plan, First Lady of the United States Hillary Rodham Clinton.

The president had campaigned heavily on health care in the 1992 presidential election. The task force was created in January 1993, but its own processes were somewhat controversial and drew litigation. Its goal was to come up with a comprehensive plan to provide universal health care for all Americans, which was to be a cornerstone of the administration's first-term agenda.

The president delivered a major health care speech to the US Congress in September 1993. During his speech he proposed an enforced mandate for employers to provide health insurance coverage to all of their employees.

Opposition to the plan was heavy from conservatives, libertarians, and the health insurance industry. The industry produced a highly effective television ad, "Harry and Louise", in an effort to rally public support against the plan."

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clinto...e_plan_of_1993

[Tendrin]

Of course you will since it allows you to continue to complain about "corporate" Democrats while taking no responsibility for your actions -- or lack thereof.

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"The legislation from Pelosi, D-Calif., would authorize Medicare to negotiate prices for the costliest drugs — including insulin — using lower prices paid in other economically advanced countries as the reference point. The budget office says that could result in price cuts of 40% to 55% for pharmacy drugs subject to negotiations. The bill would allow private insurance plans to also get Medicare’s price."

https://apnews.com/be8aa337304c4fe58ef3cc5e053c619e

Exactly. As usual, the republicans are the problem,, not the 'corporate' Democrats. Refusing to keep them from power in 2010 and onwards is why we're here, why hundreds of judgeships are now in the hands of people who will block every single liberal priority over the most minor of technicalities they can find. We're this close to seeing the entire ACA ruled unconstitutional, all the while folks like 30 sit and cluck their tongues while being incredibly useless.

[numberthirty]

Of course you will since it allows you to continue to complain about "corporate" Democrats while taking no responsibility for your actions -- or lack thereof.

------
"The legislation from Pelosi, D-Calif., would authorize Medicare to negotiate prices for the costliest drugs — including insulin — using lower prices paid in other economically advanced countries as the reference point. The budget office says that could result in price cuts of 40% to 55% for pharmacy drugs subject to negotiations. The bill would allow private insurance plans to also get Medicare’s price."

https://apnews.com/be8aa337304c4fe58ef3cc5e053c619e

Except for that they are dragging their sneakers about facing reality, it ain't really about them.

Barring some sort of a "For The Record Books..." heel turn, for-profit insurance is never going to be a part of putting Americans in a better position to be able to get decent healthcare than is anything like "Affordable..."

The piece that you are linking to and quoting from is finally accepting that reality.

[aja_christopher]

Exactly. As usual, the republicans are the problem,, not the 'corporate' Democrats. Refusing to keep them from power in 2010 and onwards is why we're here, why hundreds of judgeships are now in the hands of people who will block every single liberal priority over the most minor of technicalities they can find. We're this close to seeing the entire ACA ruled unconstitutional, all the while folks like 30 sit and cluck their tongues while being incredibly useless.

"As a candidate, Barack Obama promised to repeal a prohibition on Medicare negotiating directly with drug companies over prices for Medicare recipients. But it's widely viewed as unlikely to before the end of the current Obama administration.

"It's hard to tell you that anything will happen prior to the election this year. It's going to be a difficult year to get any kind of legislation passed," said David Certner, legislative policy director for AARP.

"It has not happened and isn't likely to happen," said Gail Wilensky, who directed the Medicare and Medicaid programs from 1990 to 1992 under President George H.W. Bush.

"The Obama administration only has so much control over that, but I doubt Congress is going to pass it," said Lee Goldberg, vice president of health policy for the non partisan National Academy of Social Insurance.

Sen. Al Franken, D-Minn., has introduced a bill that would repeal the ban on negotiations, but it is stalled in the Senate Finance Committee.

The administration included as part of its fiscal year 2013 budget a narrower proposal allowing Medicare to negotiate prescription drug prices in the same manner as the Department of Veterans Affairs. It would allow Medicare beneficiaries who are also covered by the income-based Medicaid to receive the same rebates that Medicaid receives for brand name and generic drugs.

But this, too, seems unlikely to happen given the near-gridlock in Congress.

It's always possible that the landscape may shift as we near the end of the year. But for now, with no real prospect in sight of repealing the ban, we're calling this promise Broken."

https://www.politifact.com/truth-o-m...er-drug-price/

https://www.thefiscaltimes.com/2016/...re-Drug-Prices

[Tendrin]

Except for that they are dragging their sneakers about facing reality, it ain't really about them.

Barring some sort of a "For The Record Books..." heel turn, for-profit insurance is never going to be a part of putting Americans in a better position to be able to get decent healthcare than is anything like "Affordable..."

The piece that you are linking to and quoting from is finally accepting that reality.

Cluck cluck cluck cluck

[aja_christopher]

Except for that they are dragging their sneakers about facing reality, it ain't really about them.

If I ever create a character based on you, I will name him Mr. Irony.

Democracy ends when the people no longer have the wisdom to elect a good leader.

[InformationGeek]

Meanwhile, with other assholes, Marsha Blackburn.

Adam Schiff is hailing Alexander Vindman as an American patriot.

How patriotic is it to badmouth and ridicule our great nation in front of Russia, America’s greatest enemy?

[Tendrin]

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — Governor Bill Lee has proposed a sweeping overhaul of Tennessee abortion law, including a new bill that would ban abortion when a fetal heartbeat is detected.
Lee made the announcement Thursday morning surrounded by several lawmakers.
The abortion overhaul would force a woman to have an ultrasound prior to an abortion. It would go a step further and ban physicians from performing abortions if the mother’s motivation for aborting the child is the sex, race or disability of the baby, and if a fetal heartbeat is detected.

https://www.newschannel5.com/news/go...at-is-detected

[Tami]

Meanwhile, with other assholes, Marsha Blackburn.

I don't get this.

Okay, now I'm getting the whole picture: Republican senator attacks National Security Council aide who testified in impeachment probe

[WestPhillyPunisher]

https://www.newschannel5.com/news/go...at-is-detected

As George Carlin famously said: "If you're preborn, you're fine, if you're preschool, you're fucked". Isn't it just lovely how Republicans care more for fetuses than actual, real life children? Pathetic!

[WestPhillyPunisher]

I don't get this.

Okay, now I'm getting the whole picture: Republican senator attacks National Security Council aide who testified in impeachment probe

Because Vindman had the utter gall, the absolute audacity to testify against Dear Leader Trump. It's just that simple.