Senator Marion Michael Rounds is hosting not one but two public meetings next week—Chamberlain Wednesday, August 16, 3:30 p.m. Central; Deadwood Thursday, August 17, 3:30 p.m. Mountain.
Instead of razzing Rounds for his craven cowardice before Il Duce, perhaps we should all thank him for changing course—maybe not 180°, but at least 90°—on the Affordable Care Act. Back in 2014 (when there was no chance it would actually happen), Rounds campaigned on his repeatedly promised to repeal ObamaCare. Now that his party controls the White House and Congress (though “control” exaggerates whatever Donald Trump thinks he’s doing in the Executive Branch, and the failure of three ACA repeals in one week in the Senate shows Republican control is more mathematical than effective), Rounds is promising constituents that he’ll protect huge components of ObamaCare, including the indestructible Tomi Lahren clause:
During these ongoing discussions, I will continue to advocate for the guaranteed renewal of coverage, portability of coverage, no lifetime limits, the permanent reauthorization of the Indian Health Care Improvement Act, no exclusions on pre-existing conditions if you are currently insured and the ability for children to remain on their families’ health care plans until the age of 26 [Senator M. Michael Rounds, e-mail to constituent, 2017.08.09].
Ah, we knew all along that Mike Rounds loves ObamaCare, right, Stace?
Right after Rounds’s failed, apparently for-show votes to repeal the Affordable Care Act last month, a Reuters/Ipsos poll found 64% of Americans want to keep ObamaCare in place, either in total (11%) or with fixes to “problem parts” (53%). That’s up from the 54% in January. The same poll found over 70% support for nine key provisions of the ACA. The only polled ACA provision with majority opposition is the requirement that everyone buy health insurance (57% against).
Thank you, Senator Rounds, for recognizing what a majority of Americans have already figured out: on the whole, the Affordable Care Act is pretty good policy.
Every one of the parts he is for, make health insurance companies richer. This has nothing to do with providing health care. He is for keeping you if you have a pre existing condition only if you have been paying into insurance all along. This is not for people who have a condition and want to start health insurance. It is totally a selfish method of making more money for insurance people like himself.
Exactly Roger! “…no exclusions on pre-existing conditions if you are currently insured …” is not Obamacare. It is merely a reinventing of the pre-ObamaCare world with much deception….
The way he votes is all that matters, until he starts voting to save and improve ACA he is still a lying Republican.
Here’s his word-for-word response to me:
August 9, 2017
Mr. Paul Harens
204 East 6th Street
Yankton, SD 57078-4015
Dear Paul,
Thank you for contacting me about the plan to replace the Affordable Care Act (ACA), commonly known as Obamacare.
I appreciate you taking the time to write to me with your opinions, suggestions and experiences with Obamacare. Please be assured that I understand the seriousness of this health care debate, and I will continue to work for sustainable solutions going forward.
During these ongoing discussions, I will continue to advocate for the guaranteed renewal of coverage, portability of coverage, no lifetime limits, the permanent reauthorization of the Indian Health Care Improvement Act, no exclusions on pre-existing conditions if you are currently insured and the ability for children to remain on their families’ health care plans until the age of 26.
Medicaid and the small group and individual insurance markets are not sustainable in their current form. There’s no question that Obamacare is failing. Since the law was enacted, millions lost the health insurance they enjoyed, carriers are leaving the markets in droves and premiums have risen 124 percent over the past four years in South Dakota alone. This is simply unacceptable. We will continue to focus on stabilizing the market and start to actually reduce health care costs, including prescription drugs.
I will continue to work on these issues with colleagues on both sides of the aisle who want to achieve a long term solution for the American people.
Sincerely,
Mike Rounds
United States Senator
*NOTE: mike@rounds.senate.gov is an unmonitored email account. To email Sen. Rounds, click here.
Paul H. I am not surprised that I got the same exact letter as you from Rounds, after, I wrote telling him NOT to vote to repeal the ACA! Must’ve been Form Letter Friday ;)
Thanks, Paul! Note the specious language Rounds uses in his stock letter: “There’s no question that Obamacare is failing.” There’s not only question about but direct, evidenced refutation of that claim.
Note also his incorrect use of the word “continue”: “We will continue to focus on stabilizing the market and start to actually reduce health care costs, including prescription drugs.” Continue suggests they already have been working on stabilizing the market. The three plans he voted for would have destroyed the individual market.
But at least Rounds admits that they have yet to do anything to actually reduce costs.
The: “if you are currently insured” is the same gotcha that an insurance company would use when someone with serious health issues made a mistake writing their premium payment check. Transpose two numbers of the cents amount, coming out a few cents short, and you were canceled.
So, a healthcare corporation funds a politicians run for office, writes Bills for him/her to submit, lobbies for their passage, and the politician votes for their Bills. Then a constituent is harmed by the Law created by the corporation and politician partnership. They say the politician can’t be sued, but what about the corporation that actually held the money strings that made the politician dance?
Here’s another whopper “…..millions lost the health insurance they enjoyed…..”.
I suppose he’s referring to those “skinny” insurance policies that actually provided nothing except profit to the HI industry. He of course, fails to mention that being off set by their getting actual functional policies and the millions that gained health insurance for the first time.
Hear, hear Richard. The health insurance they enjoyed led to the runaway premium increases and nationwide epidemic of medical bankruptcy.
Richard, I’m not sure I’ve ever used “enjoy” and “health insurance” in the same sentence.