Massie still has not held a single town hall or will speak to his constituents wanting an audience with him. He only speaks to Republican groups often slipping in back doors to avoid constituents outside who would like to have a word with him.
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Let’s not lose sight of the realities, folks. EVERY R member of Congress (House and Senate) wants to repeal and replace Obamacare for political ends. The ones now opposed to this “replace” bill are the ones who know the political penalty for voting for this or anything ultimately becoming law is worse than the political penalty for NOT voting for it.
The R “replace” plan fails as policy because it ignores basic actuarial principles such as moral risk and known risk allocation. Insurance policies are like bets on the roulette table. Carriers will NEVER assume the risk for bets placed after the result is known or at least nearly certain. They will accept the risk if the policy purchaser will “lay” a wager against a likely future outcome, provided the price is right and there’s no immediate moral risk.
Attack Obamacare all you want, but at least it had sound actuarial theory behind it, except the penalties for NOT purchasing at least the “lay” wager policies was not high enough to force freeloading healthy young people to pay toward the days when they aren’t so young and healthy. So government funds underwrote the moral risk of preexisting conditions, since the public liked that and felt healthcare was a right. Obamacare taxed the wealthy to raise those funds, which the public also liked since it subsidized their healthcare.
As policy, the R plan is actuarial nonsense, highlighted by the notion of state-sponsored, federally supplemented “high risk pools”, which aren’t high risk at all. They are CERTAIN risk and just make the rest of us pay more in taxes to cover it instead of the wealthy paying more. And it’s just an invitation for freeloaders to wait until they need care and either try to get in a high-risk pool, get charity care, or stiff providers. Or get sick and die.
The Rs want to lower premiums, and they might achieve that, but only by reducing payouts for benefits. They don’t talk about that and won’t talk about it, just changing the subject to how Obamacare is a disaster as kind of a “we have no choice” excuse.
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Got no use for him, and it’s obvious he’s hearing from a lot of Trump voters who suddenly realized their Medicaid expansion is in peril, but I have to admit that the way he said it was so Kentucky, my heart glowed a little. Especially the "changed my vote from “no” to “hell no” part. Pure Kentucky.
I do miss the profanity and cursing sometimes. It just isn’t the same here down where the Bible thumping is untempered by awareness that liquor and gambling are major parts of your state’s economy.
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Calling to check this afternoon after seeing the ‘Freedumb Caucus all in’ reports, I was told he’s still a no vote and that’s he’s never been a Caucus member. Surprised, I replied that I’ve read countless reports saying he was a member. No, the young man replied, it’s one of the office’s biggest jobs correcting that incorrect media impression.
I persisted, even after all the years I’ve watched him supporting Senator Cruz?
The Congressman’s very conservative but he’s not a member, he said.
Perhaps someone could check the TPM archives?
The AHCA is like a kidney stone- the House doesn’t care what happens to it, as long as they can pass it.
That’s a really funny remark. Few Republicans are that witty, and most of them will vote “no” on this bill. But the witless GOP majority will all vote “yes.”
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“Like” enough kidney stones to kill 35 to 40 thousand Americans every year.
Do people in KY all grow squirrels on their heads? Is it something in the water?
GOP Rep. Says Revised Obamacare Repeal Bill Is ‘Like A Kidney Stone’
The irony here, Mr. Massie, is that Obamacare would cover that kidney stone…
Kidney stone is nothing compared to the pain those who lose their insurance will face.
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I’m getting queasy looking at that thing…
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I did not and would not compare a kidney stone (or kidney sand) to childbirth. They’re utterly different although there is that moment where I said "geeze…that came outta me??!!
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