Many of us are thrilled to see the outcome of

[mcmurtry66]

this election. I am concerned about the pubs taking the house on a couple of issues. Most importantly healthcare. It would actually provide an opportunity to dump Obamacare. As sope has found out and many of us who have considerable experience in the healthcare system know it’s a broken mess. At every level. From the cost of insurance to care.

One godsend in this boondoggle has been coverage for pre-existing conditions. I would hate to see us go back to pre Obamacare days and put that worry on so many.

We’ll see

 

[dr.jb]

I'm truly sorry but I can't resist.........too funny

 

[Stuffshot]

this election. I am concerned about the pubs taking the house on a couple of issues. Most importantly healthcare. It would actually provide an opportunity to dump Obamacare. As sope has found out and many of us who have considerable experience in the healthcare system know it’s a broken mess. At every level. From the cost of insurance to care.

One godsend in this boondoggle has been coverage for pre-existing conditions. I would hate to see us go back to pre Obamacare days and put that worry on so many.

We’ll see

A big problem that must be improved by the Republicans in the next two years is the requirement that providers must belong to certain "networks" for treatment to be covered under Medicare, particularly under the Advantage plans.

In rural areas (apparently Republican strongholds), there are fewer providers altogether, and thus more regions where Medicare patients covered by Advantage plans cannot find an eligible provider anywhere within a reasonable travel distance.

This is one of many problems that won't be improved merely by repealing Obamacare without an alternate proposal to offer.

 

[Baller23Boogie]

The only way I'd be okay with him repealing Obamacare is if there's an alternative ready in its stead.

I'm not hopeful, but I'll wait the two weeks for his plan to come out.

 

[Stuffshot]

The only way I'd be okay with him repealing Obamacare is if there's an alternative ready in its stead.

I'm not hopeful, but I'll wait the two weeks for his plan to come out.

Both immigration and healthcare are incredibly difficult issues. Those are now exclusively Republican problems to solve as a result of the election.

As to those two (and maybe some others) the Republicans may end up like the proverbial dog that chased a car, caught it and then didn't know what to do with it.

 

[Baller23Boogie]

Both immigration and healthcare are incredibly difficult issues. Those are now exclusively Republican problems to solve as a result of the election.

As to those two (and maybe some others) the Republicans may end up like the proverbial dog that chased a car, caught it and then didn't know what to do with it.

I genuinely hope they do get it figured out, for the good of the country.

 

[Victorbmyboy]

This one hits home. There was a lot of unexpected outcomes in the net positive with Obamacare. One is early retirement insurance affordability. I tell you after 10 years of navigating different health systems it’s been taxing. One thing that would greatly help is standardized records, billing and information systems. Use the same systems and let them talk. You have one patient number from birth.

 

[mcmurtry66]

I genuinely hope they do get it figured out, for the good of the country.

They will make the border much better. I have little doubt. Plus perception will thwart many people from attempting now. They’d think Harris was soft. She would have been a disaster.

I don’t think they will do anything worthwhile that’s beyond superficial on healthcare. It’s too hard

 

[Ohio Guy]

Both immigration and healthcare are incredibly difficult issues. Those are now exclusively Republican problems to solve as a result of the election.

As to those two (and maybe some others) the Republicans may end up like the proverbial dog that chased a car, caught it and then didn't know what to do with it.

Are you suggesting a guy who has had over 9 years to develop an alternative to the ACA and as of a month or so ago only had 'concepts of a plan' might not know what to do to reform healthcare?

 

[Aloha Hoosier]

The only way I'd be okay with him repealing Obamacare is if there's an alternative ready in its stead.

I'm not hopeful, but I'll wait the two weeks for his plan to come out.

No worries, Trump said he had a “concept” of a plan during the debate.

 

[snarlcakes]

this election. I am concerned about the pubs taking the house on a couple of issues. Most importantly healthcare. It would actually provide an opportunity to dump Obamacare. As sope has found out and many of us who have considerable experience in the healthcare system know it’s a broken mess. At every level. From the cost of insurance to care.

One godsend in this boondoggle has been coverage for pre-existing conditions. I would hate to see us go back to pre Obamacare days and put that worry on so many.

We’ll see

I hope they repeal it and don't replace it with anything. It would lower healthcare costs for a lot of middle class and working class people. However, I don't think you should be concerned, they're not repealing it. Unfortunately, like almost all government programs, they don't go away once they get passed.

 

[mcmurtry66]

I hope they repeal it and don't replace it with anything. It would lower healthcare costs for a lot of middle class and working class people. I don't think you should be concerned, they're not repealing it. Unfortunately, like almost all government programs, they don't go away once they get passed.

Repealing it and not replacing it puts all the power back in the hands of insurers and you’re stuck with exclusions etc

 

[Ohio Guy]

No worries, Trump said he had a “concept” of a plan during the debate.

If Trump and the Republicans actually enact a replacement for the ACA, how are they going to bitch about Obamacare mucking things up during the '26 midterms?

A more serious comment along those same lines: healthcare reform is a gargantuan task and I have little faith that Trump and the MAGA Republicans would be able to roll something out that wouldn't be a total cluster and an albatross around Republicans' running for election/reelection in '26 and '28.

As they've proven, it's much better to run on bitching about problems than it is to run on a record of actually trying to fix problems.

 

[snarlcakes]

Repealing it and not replacing it puts all the power back in the hands of insurers and you’re stuck with exclusions etc

 

[Ohio Guy]

Repealing it and not replacing it puts all the power back in the hands of insurers and you’re stuck with exclusions etc

If the ACA gets repealed without a gapstop for covering pre-existing conditions, that alone would kill Republicans running in '26.

 

[TommyCracker]

this election. I am concerned about the pubs taking the house on a couple of issues. Most importantly healthcare. It would actually provide an opportunity to dump Obamacare. As sope has found out and many of us who have considerable experience in the healthcare system know it’s a broken mess. At every level. From the cost of insurance to care.

One godsend in this boondoggle has been coverage for pre-existing conditions. I would hate to see us go back to pre Obamacare days and put that worry on so many.

We’ll see

Really good post Murt. I of course agree and appreciate the consideration for those who could be really hurt.

My reaction to the election is more about being disappointed in my Gen X generation. We're the children of the group that fought so hard for the civil rights movements in the 60's and we were supposed to be the generation in my mind to not just progress further but at a minimum not allow the opposing mindset, particularly the evangelical ideology mindset, to take the lead legislatively much less executive power.

We were supposed to be stronger guardians, not on my watch generation. Cobain is disgusted with us but, what, whatever, nevermind, it is what it is. Lol

That being said, I'm personally more than fine and will likely be fine financially. I'm absolutely benefitting with this post election market jump so...again yay! What, whatever, nevermind. Lol

So now politically I'm actually hoping Trump wins the house. Only because again, I'm not an any major danger unless the markets crash so my political motives are more about how to win back my deceased mother's disappointment in me and my generation (she was heavily involved in the civil rights movements in the 60's and probably is why I'm more a shitlib as an insignificant old ass now even though I grew up in Bedford).

Trump has proven that he's a master at blaming others and making excuses for any failures so having a Dem house would give him that option for any future crisis. Having complete control doesn't. That then makes the 26 races more significant and then 28 as another chance to develop a better campaign if the next two years of Maga control are awful.

So that's what I'm now pulling for. Accountability. Having complete control better provides that accountability IMO.

Just don't crash the markets please. Lol

 

[dbmhoosier]

I'm truly sorry but I can't resist.........too funny

View embedded media

View embedded media

 

[dr.jb]

View embedded media

so outrageous

it's difficult to know which are staged and which are real

 

[dbmhoosier]

so outrageous

it's difficult to know which are staged and which are real

 

[mcmurtry66]

View embedded media

Like Larry David

 

[bailey777]

I'm truly sorry but I can't resist.........too funny

View embedded media

View embedded media

Remember when they were all convinced trump was going to prison and losing all his assets. Talk about naive

 

[Noodle]

this election. I am concerned about the pubs taking the house on a couple of issues. Most importantly healthcare. It would actually provide an opportunity to dump Obamacare. As sope has found out and many of us who have considerable experience in the healthcare system know it’s a broken mess. At every level. From the cost of insurance to care.

One godsend in this boondoggle has been coverage for pre-existing conditions. I would hate to see us go back to pre Obamacare days and put that worry on so many.

We’ll see

My wife is not very political, and (like me) leans Republican most of the time. But she has her hot-button issues on which she is passionate. A couple weeks ago she went into an expletive-laden rant about Republicans not supporting a requirement that health insurers cover pre-existing conditions. I believe it was largely driven by self-employed friends having to deal with health insurance and major medical issues. Pre-Obamacare, someone with a serious pre-existing condition (or if their spouse of child had one) often could not realistically be self-employed. They could only find coverage as an employee. We dealt with this very issue when I opened up my own practice for a couple years. No health insurer would cover our son who has Down syndrome even though his medical expenses at the time were minimal. They covered me, even though I had basal cell carcinoma the previous year. Couldn't even get barebones coverage for our son. Thankfully he had a Medicaid waiver that gave him health care coverage.

 

[mcmurtry66]

My wife is not very political, and (like me) leans Republican most of the time. But she has her hot-button issues on which she is passionate. A couple weeks ago she went into an expletive-laden rant about Republicans not supporting a requirement that health insurers cover pre-existing conditions. I believe it was largely driven by self-employed friends having to deal with health insurance and major medical issues. Pre-Obamacare, someone with a serious pre-existing condition (or if their spouse of child had one) often could not realistically be self-employed. They could only find coverage as an employee. We dealt with this very issue when I opened up my own practice for a couple years. No health insurer would cover our son who has Down syndrome even though his medical expenses at the time were minimal. They covered me, even though I had basal cell carcinoma the previous year. Couldn't even get barebones coverage for our son. Thankfully he had a Medicaid waiver that gave him health care coverage.

nightmare. absolute nightmare. and the group plan fix back then was tricky as well. you couldn't just get a private plan if you were self-employed bc of the pre-existing exclusion, you'd have to get ees and meet those requirements to have a group plan. awful times

 

[Stuffshot]

Are you suggesting a guy who has had over 9 years to develop an alternative to the ACA and as of a month or so ago only had 'concepts of a plan' might not know what to do to reform healthcare?

Trump grew up in Jamaica Estates and had a trust account of several hundred thousand dollars from his father when he was a child. So, no, I'm guessing he has no feel for what faces people who depend on programs like Medicare to get medical treatment (unless he has done a lot of reading).

Then, if Trump takes an interest and actually tries to fix healthcare, he is dependent on 535 members of Congress who already have their own, generous healthcare at taxpayer expense and thus have no incentive at all to improve healthcare for everyone else.

I hope Republicans don't try to repeal Obamacare without proposing a replacement, just to generate no-votes from Democrats as a campaign issue.

 

[Stuffshot]

My wife is not very political, and (like me) leans Republican most of the time. But she has her hot-button issues on which she is passionate. A couple weeks ago she went into an expletive-laden rant about Republicans not supporting a requirement that health insurers cover pre-existing conditions. I believe it was largely driven by self-employed friends having to deal with health insurance and major medical issues. Pre-Obamacare, someone with a serious pre-existing condition (or if their spouse of child had one) often could not realistically be self-employed. They could only find coverage as an employee. We dealt with this very issue when I opened up my own practice for a couple years. No health insurer would cover our son who has Down syndrome even though his medical expenses at the time were minimal. They covered me, even though I had basal cell carcinoma the previous year. Couldn't even get barebones coverage for our son. Thankfully he had a Medicaid waiver that gave him health care coverage.

Exclusions and waiting periods for pre-existing conditions also have drastic impacts on coverage under the Medicare Backup plans.

I know someone that was covered by a backup plan for a couple years but then had a heart attack. He said he then found it virtually impossible to switch to a more favorable backup plan due to prohibitive costs or outright exclusions of coverage. He was stuck with his original plan (selected when he had no heart
problems) which didn't cover very much.

Navigating Medicare, the backup plans and the Part D drug plans is so difficult that I'd guess 80-90% of the adult population can't do it effectively. You really can't predict the coverages and benefits until you actually have a specific injury and claim. Not many of us are Medicare experts.