Tuesday, July 13, 2010

Americans Already Being Forced Out of their Health Plan Because of ObamaCare

Troubling Trend Emerges Mere Months After Passage

President Obama and Democrats repeatedly told Americans that if they liked the health plan they have, they can keep it. Sounds good. Too bad it’s not true.

As a result of the Democrats’ health care law, residents in Virginia have already lost access to one health care plan and now many residents in Maine could lose theirs as well. If this trend continues, millions of Americans will lose their health plan – something non-partisan experts repeatedly warned would happen under the law and that the Obama Administration itself has since confirmed.

Regulations Threaten Coverage for Maine Residents: Maine’s Superintendent of Insurance has written HHS Secretary Sebelius requesting a waiver from Medical Loss Ratio (MLR) requirements on the basis that complying with the Democrats’ new health law, “may disrupt our individual health insurance market.”

What does “disrupt” mean?

It means that one of the two private insurers in Maine’s individual market, for those who do not receive health insurance from their employer, will no longer offer coverage if forced to comply with the new law.

It means the new MLR requirements could eliminate the current coverage of one-third of all privately insured Maine residents who purchase health insurance on their own. For Maine residents, the fallout of the new law will leave only one private insurer and one government insurer in the individual market. So much for giving Americans more choices and power over their health care.

Elimination of Plan in Virginia Already Announced: Recently, Virginia-based nHealth announced it was shutting down its operations in response to the Democrats’ health law. A letter from the company announcing its exit from the market stated, “As I’m sure you are aware, the new federal healthcare legislation has created considerable uncertainties in the market for health insurance.” nHealth provided affordable health insurance primarily to small employers.

Becky Pollard, President of Business Solutions, an insurance broker, explained the impact on affected employers. “This is a tremendous hit to people financially. My groups are just absolutely devastated. They’re not upset with nHealth. [They’re] [u]pset with the fact that we’ve lost a choice of a health care carrier in Virginia; and one with very competitive rates.”

Employers and employees that relied on nHealth for insurance are now confronting difficult realities as a result of the Democrats’ law. One such company, Acorn Sign Graphics, had been paying a 100 percent of their 37 employees’ health premiums from nHealth. However, the company is now preparing for cost increases, as they are being forced to switch to a more expensive insurance company.

Congressional Democrats were warned about this outcome by the American Academy of Actuaries in January. In a letter to Speaker Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Reid, the Academy, commenting on the proposed MLR requirements in health legislation warned, “Imposing such requirements could result in individual market insurers exiting the market.”

In another letter to the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC), the Academy explained the fallout for the 18 million Americans caught up in the Democrats’ ill-advised health scheme, “If some companies do exit the individual market, then those companies’ former policyholders may find themselves unable to find new coverage in the individual market for a period of years…”

So, despite the Democrats’ rhetoric, the reality is:
  • Even the Departments of Health and Human Services, Treasury and Labor now concede you can’t keep the insurance you have and like if you receive insurance from your employer.
  • You can’t keep the insurance you have and like if you are a senior.
  • And now we learn, you can’t keep the insurance you have and like even if you purchased it on your own.

Thursday, March 26, 2009

Last push for Jim Tedisco

I'd like to ask everyone who reads my humble blog to support Jim Tedisco in New York. I know you may not live in New York, but this is a huge race and could be one of the biggest measuring stick of how the current administration is doing. I saw on our Read My Lipstick Network blog that the President is involved now in trying to get the Democratic candidate elected. Imagine what would happen if the Republican won!

Go here to donate anything, any amount, nothing is too small: https://www.icontribute.us/jimtedisco/initiative/lipstick

Wednesday, February 4, 2009

JMac Politics Blog: Isakson undecided on stimulus vote

Senate Unanimously Approves Isakson Amendment to Stimulate Housing Market
Note: The most important statement in this release is the very last one (in bold, my emphasis). We need to burn up the phone lines, keep the fax machines in full gear and keep those emails zipping into his inbox. Please join in the effort to kill this bill. - jmd

The U.S. Senate today unanimously approved an amendment by U.S. Senator Johnny Isakson, R-Ga., to stimulate the nation’s declining housing market by offering a $15,000 tax credit to individuals who purchase a home in the next year.

Wednesday, January 28, 2009

The Right Commentary: The Fallacy of Deficit Stimulus

The current hypothesis about how to end the economic crisis is almost beyond comprehension - the route to economic prosperity and wealth can only be achieved through massive federal spending measures. The Federal Government has been pumping trillions of dollars into the US economy (about 9 trillion by my count) in response to the recession - banks, businesses, even taxpayers, have all received large sums of money. All of this activity is based on a simple premise followed initially by President Bush, later articulated by then President-Elect Obama, “Only government can break the vicious cycles that are crippling our economy…” Put bluntly, this proposition is completely backwards, misunderstands the nature of economic activity, and will ultimately put the country at significant risk of even greater financial difficulties, if not possibly financial collapse.
http://www.rightcommentary.com/2009/01/25/the-fallacy-of-deficit-stimulus/

Stop the kill-America "stimulus" bill. Go to www.nostimulus.com and sign the petition or click the button on the right on the site to find contact information for your legislators. Call and tell them to vote NO.

Friday, January 23, 2009

Fighting for life

The issue of abortion is a huge divider. There isn't a middle ground. Either you believe life should be protected from the moment it sparks or you don't.

I know there are disagreements as to when life actually begins, which simply seem like semantics to justify actions to me: It's OK to abort at one month but not two, at three but not five, etc., etc.

It's an issue that isn't going to be resolved in our lifetimes no matter who passes what law.

No matter how a person feels about it, abortions are not something that tax dollars should buy. I especially do not want a nickel of MY tax dollars going to support abortion.

I'll be including some info on here at times as to what's happening on the abortion front, and where it looks like we're headed.

Obama’s Pro-Abortion Views Fuel Pro-Life Defiance in March for Life
(CNSNews.com) - The 36th annual March for Life on Thursday drew pro-life activists from around the country to a rally on the Mall and a massive march down Constitution Avenue to the Supreme Court. But this year’s event differed from those in the past as speakers and banners sent a message to President Obama -- and a signal that his election has energized the pro-life movement.

Obama to Reverse Abortion Policy on Friday
Washington (AP) - Officials say President Barack Obama will sign an executive order on Friday ending the ban on federal funds for international groups that promote or perform abortion. Pro-life groups are dismayed at the reversal of the Bush administration’s pro-life policy.

Obama Intends to Lift Family-Planning 'Gag Rule'
Wall Street Journal - USAWade
By LAURA MECKLER WASHINGTON -- President Barack Obama will issue an order restoring US funding for international family-planning groups involved with ...

Lutherans Join Pro-Life Activists, Urge President Obama to Protect the Unborn
(CNSNews.com) – Pro-life activists from around the country – gathering Thursday on the National Mall for the 36th annual March for Life – say they are worried about President Barack Obama’s pro-abortion stance.