Trump MAGAthread VI

[Internationalist Bastard]

Source: http://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-china- ... KKBN18A02C

Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Sunday that protectionism is a threat to the global economy.

I see double standards in my opinion.

Oh who else but Putin?
Oh yeah

[Saiwania]

The US healthcare system has taken yet another blow as of late. Aetna has announced that it is exiting from the ACA's exchanges in Nebraska, Delaware, and Virginia starting in 2018. Aetna expects to lose $200 million this year and it has already lost $700 million between 2014 to 2016. Aetna has exited from at least 11 other states this year.

The sole remaining insurer on the ACA exchange for Nebraska is Medicaid while for Delaware, only Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield remains.

Humana has decided to completely give up on the individual market for health insurance starting in 2018. UnitedHealthcare has exited from Virginia and Wellmark Blue Cross Blue Shield isn't going to sell individual policies in Iowa anymore effective 2018.

The long awaited death spiral of Obamacare is perhaps beginning and soon. The trend of insurers losing massive amounts of money and exiting from the exchanges is only becoming truer with each passing year.

[Vassenor]

The US healthcare system has taken yet another blow as of late. Aetna has announced that it is exiting from the ACA's exchanges in Nebraska, Delaware, and Virginia starting in 2018. Aetna expects to lose $200 million this year and it has already lost $700 million between 2014 to 2016. Aetna has exited from at least 11 other states this year.

The sole remaining insurer on the ACA exchange for Nebraska is Medicaid while for Delaware, only Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield remains.

Humana has decided to completely give up on the individual market for health insurance starting in 2018. UnitedHealthcare has exited from Virginia and Wellmark Blue Cross Blue Shield isn't going to sell individual policies in Iowa anymore effective 2018.

The long awaited death spiral of Obamacare is perhaps beginning and soon. The trend of insurers losing massive amounts of money and exiting from the exchanges is only becoming truer with each passing year.

So why is making it harder for people to get healthcare a good thing?

[The Alma Mater]

The US healthcare system has taken yet another blow as of late. Aetna has announced that it is exiting from the ACA's exchanges in Nebraska, Delaware, and Virginia starting in 2018. Aetna expects to lose $200 million this year and it has already lost $700 million between 2014 to 2016. Aetna has exited from at least 11 other states this year.

The sole remaining insurer on the ACA exchange for Nebraska is Medicaid while for Delaware, only Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield remains.

Humana has decided to completely give up on the individual market for health insurance starting in 2018. UnitedHealthcare has exited from Virginia and Wellmark Blue Cross Blue Shield isn't going to sell individual policies in Iowa anymore effective 2018.

The long awaited death spiral of Obamacare is perhaps beginning and soon. The trend of insurers losing massive amounts of money and exiting from the exchanges is only becoming truer with each passing year.

So why is making it harder for people to get healthcare a good thing?

Trump needs more corpses to build his wall.

[Maineiacs]

The US healthcare system has taken yet another blow as of late. Aetna has announced that it is exiting from the ACA's exchanges in Nebraska, Delaware, and Virginia starting in 2018. Aetna expects to lose $200 million this year and it has already lost $700 million between 2014 to 2016. Aetna has exited from at least 11 other states this year.

The sole remaining insurer on the ACA exchange for Nebraska is Medicaid while for Delaware, only Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield remains.

Humana has decided to completely give up on the individual market for health insurance starting in 2018. UnitedHealthcare has exited from Virginia and Wellmark Blue Cross Blue Shield isn't going to sell individual policies in Iowa anymore effective 2018.

The long awaited death spiral of Obamacare is perhaps beginning and soon. The trend of insurers losing massive amounts of money and exiting from the exchanges is only becoming truer with each passing year.

So why is making it harder for people to get healthcare a good thing?

Because soon all the Welfare cheats will die off, leaving more for good, decent, hard-working whi-- er, I mean Real Americans®

[AiliailiA]

Any announcements made by insurers that they're pulling out of particular state markets, should be divided into those who announced before the election of Trump, and those who announced after.

Those before, can fairly be labelled "death spiral of Obamacare" because at that time, a reasonable expectation of the future was a Clinton Presidency and more Obamacare. If not improved, the ACA would at least remain in place. A closure then (announced before the election) shows that the insurer doesn't expect to profit and cover previous losses any time in the next four years.

Everything since the election though, has to be seen as expectations of the repeal of Obamacare. Trump promised to repeal Obamacare, the Congressional Republicans did too from back before Trump was even seriously a candidate. Since the election, Trump has talked much more about keeping key aspects of Obamacare, and he's dragged the Congressional Republicans into it (otherwise they'd surely have repealed first, promising a replacement later which would turn out to be never).

The business expectations of what government will do have changed in the months since November, but the insurers surely expect in future less Obamacare. Less regulation of the premiums they can charge and services they must cover, but also less subsidy to their customers and thus fewer new contracts signed.

Businesses react to regulatory uncertainty by waiting. Investment is put on hold. Borderline decisions to expand in areas which are breaking even or turning small profits, are biased towards not expanding. Borderline decisions to continue or close operations which are breaking even or making small losses, are biased more towards closing them down. I think that is what's happening, and it can't be blamed on Obamacare itself. Nor can it be blamed on the future replacement policy, it comes only from uncertainty about what the future government policy will be.

[Ashmoria]

Don't you think that the hundreds of billions of dollars put into welfare would be better spent on job investment or public infrastructure?

Hmm.

That's a tough one. The answer is probably "not totally" but "more" might be appropriate. It doesn't have to be all or nothing.

since most people on public assistance are unable to work I think its a pretty bad idea.

[Grinning Dragon]

Hmm.

That's a tough one. The answer is probably "not totally" but "more" might be appropriate. It doesn't have to be all or nothing.

since most people on public assistance are unable to work I think its a pretty bad idea.

I would have to agree with ND. Maintaining infrastructure and a job investment environment should have a more top billing vs welfare, as a damaged or failing infrastructure and a stagnant job investment environment is going to have a snowball effect which could very well be detrimental to those on public assistance.

[Ashmoria]

since most people on public assistance are unable to work I think its a pretty bad idea.

I would have to agree with ND. Maintaining infrastructure and a job investment environment should have a more top billing vs welfare, as a damaged or failing infrastructure and a stagnant job investment environment is going to have a snowball effect which could very well be detrimental to those on public assistance.

we can and should do both

but I would have to think that letting the disabled, elderly and small children die in order that Atlanta get money for that bridge is inhumane.

[Minoa]

Source: http://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-china- ... KKBN18A02C


I see double standards in my opinion.

Oh who else but Putin?
Oh yeah

Damn it, now you remind me of that Quagmire ‘giggity’ intro thing.

[Northern Davincia]

I would have to agree with ND. Maintaining infrastructure and a job investment environment should have a more top billing vs welfare, as a damaged or failing infrastructure and a stagnant job investment environment is going to have a snowball effect which could very well be detrimental to those on public assistance.

we can and should do both

but I would have to think that letting the disabled, elderly and small children die in order that Atlanta get money for that bridge is inhumane.

Numerically, how many people on welfare are genuinely unable to work compared to those who can?

[Neutraligon]

we can and should do both

but I would have to think that letting the disabled, elderly and small children die in order that Atlanta get money for that bridge is inhumane.

Numerically, how many people on welfare are genuinely unable to work compared to those who can?

Depends what you mean. For instance those under 18 where the largest group to get benefits (39.2% of children) You also have to remember that many of the benefits are short term, lasting from 1-12 months with people no needing assistance after that.

[The Derpy Democratic Republic Of Herp]

Senate suggests tax credits for health insurance should be based on income, not age.

Why not both?

The US healthcare system has taken yet another blow as of late. Aetna has announced that it is exiting from the ACA's exchanges in Nebraska, Delaware, and Virginia starting in 2018. Aetna expects to lose $200 million this year and it has already lost $700 million between 2014 to 2016. Aetna has exited from at least 11 other states this year.

The sole remaining insurer on the ACA exchange for Nebraska is Medicaid while for Delaware, only Highmark Blue Cross Blue Shield remains.

Humana has decided to completely give up on the individual market for health insurance starting in 2018. UnitedHealthcare has exited from Virginia and Wellmark Blue Cross Blue Shield isn't going to sell individual policies in Iowa anymore effective 2018.

The long awaited death spiral of Obamacare is perhaps beginning and soon. The trend of insurers losing massive amounts of money and exiting from the exchanges is only becoming truer with each passing year.

I don't see what the good thing is here.

[Washington Resistance Army]

I don't see what the good thing is here.

In his defense I don't think he said it was good. Just that the ACA is continuing it's downward spiral.

[The Derpy Democratic Republic Of Herp]

I don't see what the good thing is here.

In his defense I don't think he said it was good. Just that the ACA is continuing it's downward spiral.

The long awaited death spiral of Obamacare is perhaps beginning and soon.

I think 'long awaited' in this context means that Saiwania was waiting for it.

[Thermodolia]

I would have to agree with ND. Maintaining infrastructure and a job investment environment should have a more top billing vs welfare, as a damaged or failing infrastructure and a stagnant job investment environment is going to have a snowball effect which could very well be detrimental to those on public assistance.

we can and should do both

but I would have to think that letting the disabled, elderly and small children die in order that Atlanta get money for that bridge is inhumane.

Well we would have more money for that bridge if we didn't pay for two new stadiums

[Thermodolia]

The Former DNI James Clapper has some words about Trump

[Ashmoria]

we can and should do both

but I would have to think that letting the disabled, elderly and small children die in order that Atlanta get money for that bridge is inhumane.

Numerically, how many people on welfare are genuinely unable to work compared to those who can?

I don't know. all I know is that there are millions of children, millions of disabled, and millions of elderly who depend on public assistance.

[Senkaku]

The Former DNI James Clapper has some words about Trump

Every time I see James Clapper, he looks like he's aged twenty years since the last time I saw him.

[Thermodolia]

The Former DNI James Clapper has some words about Trump

Every time I see James Clapper, he looks like he's aged twenty years since the last time I saw him.

No kidding

[Saiwania]

I'll admit as much that I can't wait for Obamacare to fail and it collapsing is exactly what I want. Even better would be if the Republican AHCA becomes law. I anticipate that the AHCA will prove so disastrous that the Democrats will sweep congress in 2018 and 2020 and we'll be getting a single payer system.

There might be a ton of suffering and maybe some death in the interim but it is necessary and it will all be worth it if my long game scenario plays out with clockwork precision. What we absolutely can't have, is the ACA surviving long enough to never go away and the US will be stuck with a private insurer system for decades if not indefinitely.

[Genivaria]

I'll admit as much that I can't wait for Obamacare to fail and it collapsing is exactly what I want. Even better would be if the Republican AHCA becomes law. I anticipate that the AHCA will prove so disastrous that the Democrats will sweep congress in 2018 and 2020 and we'll be getting a single payer system.

There might be a ton of suffering and maybe some death in the interim but it is necessary and it will all be worth it if my long game scenario plays out with clockwork precision. What we absolutely can't have, is the ACA surviving long enough to never go away and the US will be stuck with a private insurer system for decades if not indefinitely.

The one where rape and pregnancies are now pre-existing conditions?
That one?

[Proctopeo]

I'll admit as much that I can't wait for Obamacare to fail and it collapsing is exactly what I want. Even better would be if the Republican AHCA becomes law. I anticipate that the AHCA will prove so disastrous that the Democrats will sweep congress in 2018 and 2020 and we'll be getting a single payer system.

There might be a ton of suffering and maybe some death in the interim but it is necessary and it will all be worth it if my long game scenario plays out with clockwork precision. What we absolutely can't have, is the ACA surviving long enough to never go away and the US will be stuck with a private insurer system for decades if not indefinitely.

The one where rape and pregnancies are now pre-existing conditions?
That one?

Judging from context, I think they meant that it would be better, as it would lead to a single-payer system in the future?

[Corrian]

I'll admit as much that I can't wait for Obamacare to fail and it collapsing is exactly what I want. Even better would be if the Republican AHCA becomes law. I anticipate that the AHCA will prove so disastrous that the Democrats will sweep congress in 2018 and 2020 and we'll be getting a single payer system.

There might be a ton of suffering and maybe some death in the interim but it is necessary and it will all be worth it if my long game scenario plays out with clockwork precision. What we absolutely can't have, is the ACA surviving long enough to never go away and the US will be stuck with a private insurer system for decades if not indefinitely.

I saw a conservative economist (I think?) pretty much say that single payer is pretty much inevitable over the next decade.

[Saiwania]

The one where rape and pregnancies are now pre-existing conditions? That one?

The US Senate will probably take that provision out but if not- oh well.

When you think about it, absolutely anything which costs insurers money can be considered to be a "preexisting condition" if someone fails to disclose that when becoming insured. If the negative event in question happened only after someone is insured, then it doesn't meet that criteria.

The purpose of insurance is to be covered for whatever is unexpected, but the US system instead incentivizes nearly everyone to only ever become insured if they already have a preexisting condition that needs to get paid for but they can't cover it themselves out of pocket. The reason simply put, is that health insurance is too expensive for most Americans even with the ACA.

Most US jobs don't pay very well (unless you're rich) and it only makes sense to willingly avoid paying for coverage if you're young and healthy, if it means you can pay for food or rent but you couldn't if you got health insurance.

Honestly, the stupidity of neo-liberal and corporatist Washington pundits and politicians; they act surprised that American consumers don't buy anything and don't artificially grow the economy, when the US minimum wage is at least half or less of what it should be and most wealth in the US is going towards the rich whilst the middle and lower classes get next to nothing.