Our friend Rick Weiland takes a more solution-oriented view of Donald Trump’s attack on the general welfare. He says we can afford the Affordable Care Act. We can’t afford spacing off the next election:
Rick Weiland, speaking in Aberdeen, South Dakota, 2015.12.11.
President Kennedy was fond of using the phrase, “A rising tide lifts all boats.” It is a phrase worth remembering as we look toward the November election and a new Congress.
There have been repeated attempts to repeal the Affordable Care Act. While complete repeal has been unsuccessful, one effort, to do away with the ‘individual mandate,’ succeeded. As a result, insurance premiums are on the rise and insurance companies are now complaining they can no longer afford to cover people with pre-existing conditions. There is now a serious effort underway to repeal that provision of the law.
History teaches us that we have been here before. Two of our nation’s most popular government programs, Social Security and Medicare were ‘individual mandates.’ They too were hotly contested but were passed by Congress and in the final analysis; they have delivered on their promise. Hundreds of millions of our fellow citizens have benefited from the social and medical insurance provided by Social Security and Medicare, and politicians remain cautious when it comes to their dismantlement.
The forces that have gathered to dismantle the Affordable Care Act are much like the same forces that fought against the establishment of Social Security and Medicare decades ago. In fact, those same forces have Social Security and Medicare in their current sights as well and the next Congress is sure to try and dismantle them using the rational that they are in fact, trying to save them.
We are the wealthiest nation in the world and have provided some level of income and health security for our fellow citizens when they reach 65 years of age. Certainly we can provide some level of affordable health insurance for millions of our fellow citizens, regardless of their pre-existing medical condition, before they become eligible for Medicare.
A rising tide does lift all boats. Elections have consequences. It is incumbent on all of us to know our history and make well-informed decisions when it comes to time to casting our vote [Rick Weiland, letter to the editor, received by Dakota Free Press 2018.07.11].
America deserves better than the contemptuous treatment Donald Trump is giving us. The time to prove we deserve better is November 6.
We’d better make sure we show up en masse and vote for a better America this November, We’d better!
Roger Cornelius
Excellent letter.
What has always been frustrating to me is not only the Washington, D.C. opposition to the ACA, but members of the republican party in general. Most don’t even know why they want the ACA fully repealed.
And what’s even worse is that so many that object to the ACA are red state republicans that actually take advantage of the program.
jerry
Probably will mean at least just a 20 to 25% more in premium increases that you can write off on your taxes…if you are self employed like most ag folks are. Think of it this way, a 20 to 25% rate increase will make more money for the State of South Dakota in the tax it receives from the insurance companies. So then, that would mean that a family of 4 with the husband being about 50, the bride about the same age and a couple of teenage kids, will now pay about $30,000.00 a year for a $5,000.00 deductible with a maximum out of pocket of $13,000.00. So folks, that person’s exposure is about $60,000.00 a year! Walk in to the banker and give him the news for your operating expenses for 2019. Thanks trump, NOem, Thune, Rounds and of course, little Opie, we are winning!
Jason
Jerry,
Where are you getting our numbers from? Be specific.
jerry
Figure it out Jason, I did. Pacific enough for ya?
Jason
Thanks for clarifying you can’t back up your post Jerry.
Back it up or I have to bring out the liar card.
jerry
Go to their websites you rascal. There are only two of them so it is not like to difficult for a mature person to find information or call an agent, they would be happy to help provide what I just posted. Daddy is to busy to change your diaper.
Jason
What website? You didn’t post a link.
Jason
Jerry,
Please give me the telephone number to an agent that will say the premium will be 30k a year.
I bet you won’t.
Jason
Cory,
Please explain to your readers why BC/BS will not take a hit in South Dakota.
BC/BS had a 24% rate last year according to the website. That says to me that there was a pretty good increase. Now go change your crappy diaper.
jerry
BC/BS stopped writing individual health plans some years ago. According to that website, these are old plans and they are still going up. The Avera and Sanford are the only ones that I can see, are still available in South Dakota. But yeah, I stand behind that premium cost because they do as they indicate. Check it out.
Debbo
The cruelty of the GOP is apparently limitless. I wonder how much suffering will be enough for “diehard” supporters of pres Child Abuser and the GOP to decide they should vote Democratic?
If the Democrats don’t get the Senate and/or House in November, those Diehards might. Die, that is. Or for sure find out what suffering is. The truly heartbreaking part is that they’ll take all the rest of the population with them.
Jason
Jerry,
I’m still waiting for the person to talk to who told you there is a 30k year premium.
Debbo,
What are the Obama premiums vs the BC/BS grandfathered premiums?
Jenny
The Republicans deep down really want premiums to be skyrocketing like this, it might even turn them on a little bit, because hopefully to them, it makes Obama look bad. They don’t really give a crap about people not being able to afford health insurance.
A decent country would fix the ACA, but no, not this dysfunctional President and its majority Republican Congress. They couldn’t possibly work on fixing the ACA, that would be too nice to the American people. They couldn’t possibly be decent and make an effort to fix it when there are illegal immigrants to be rounded up at the borders and sent to caged camps. What a despicable administration.
jerry
As reading retention seems to have gone bye bye on your immature mind, Daddy will refresh it “Probably will mean at least just a 20 to 25% more in premium increases that you can write off on your taxes” my first line.
You can call an agent (hint, on the websites they actually give you names of agents to call) you cannot expect an agent to call you because of the Do Not Call List, so do yourself a favor and call them.
Take the current rates and add 20 to 25% increase onto them. That will give you the approximate numbers I said. Use a calculator as there are only so many digits on your hand and feet.
For the record, as the grand fathered plans have a limited amount of members (and cannot add any more) it only makes sense for them to rise substantially as the current members are getting older and sicker with each day passing. So while these plans are raising, they are not in a death spiral yet…that is coming, thanks to trump and NOem.
Porter Lansing
@Jerry … Being called a liar by a liar makes you a hero. Make that little turd work and think before he asks questions he can easily research.
Proving Jason’s invalid sources wrong is good entertainment. He never has an original thought and making him look foolish is like getting to go one on one with FoxNews. #winning
Jason
Thanks for admitting you have no proof people will be paying 30k for a premium.
Porter Lansing
Jerry proved it to me. Maybe you’ve changed your identity so many times your brain is a bit twisted?
jerry
Thanks Porter, I was just gonna let it slide because of the nature of this child, but I thought it might be a good resource for other readers of this blog to see for themselves what the price is for insurance products. The other readers may not be aware that there is a tax that, in the end, taxpayers pay that they may not be aware of, another hidden tax to the state of South Dakota.
For the record, I stand behind my projections of a couple, 50 years of age, with two teenage children of having premiums at $30.000.00 with the new rate increases provided by NOem and trump. This would not include an out of pocket for the family of at least $13,000 for their plan year.
Jason
Post a pic of the bill Jerry.
Porter Lansing
He’s really not a child. He’s in his forties with a wife and two kids. He used to post on Power’s Blog as KM but after I outed him, he’s stopped with the anti-Islam hate speech. Threatening to turn his identity and his occupation into the Muslim Brotherhood got his bigoted attention in a hurry.
jerry
Poor wife, she allowed kids, must have been drunk at the time.
Miranda Gohn
With the discussion about healthcare Jason or whomever may wish to check out former lifelong moderate Republican now DFL primary candidate for US Senate for Al Franken’s old seat Richard Painter. He is challenging Senator Tina Smith in the Minnesota DFL primary. Richard Painter ethics law professor at the University of Minnesota and former ethics advisor in the final years for President George W. Bush has some really good insight and ideas about healthcare which just makes sense regardless of political affiliation. Check out his youtube videos besides his famous Dumpster Fire campaign video. His townhall videos where he fields questions he covers what we should do in health care since we are at an unfair advantage competitively with other countries providing health care for their citizens and companies, owners and employees can focus on being competitive and the mission they have.
Like Tim Bjorkman, Richard Painter is not accepting any special interest money including PACS and is getting funded campaignwise by individual donations.
mike from iowa
Here is one example, troll. Read it. learn and then stfu!
The Dixon family, which includes two girls ages 1 and 3, has been paying $988 a month this year for insurance provided by Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield. But Anthem plans will not be available in Charlottesville next year. The company told customers that uncertainty in the insurance market “does not provide the clarity and confidence we need to offer affordable coverage to our members.”
The online federal marketplace, HealthCare.gov, recommended another plan for Mr. Dixon in 2018. The new plan, offered by Optima Health, has premiums of $3,158 a month — about $37,900 a year — and an annual deductible of $9,200.
First paragraph in NYT article is rilly good reading, Troll.
By Robert Pear
Nov. 16, 2017
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. — Consumers here at first did not believe the health insurance premiums they saw when they went shopping for coverage this month on HealthCare.gov. Only five plans were available, and for a family of four with parents in their mid-30s, the cheapest plan went typically for more than $2,400 a month, nearly $30,000 a year.
With the deadline for a decision less than a month away, consumers are desperately weighing their options, dismayed at the choices they have under the Affordable Care Act and convinced that political forces in Washington are toying with their health and well-being.
“I believe in the Affordable Care Act; it worked for me under the Obama administration,” said Sara Stovall, 40, who does customer-support work for a small software company. “But it’s not working as it was supposed to. It’s being sabotaged, and I feel like a pawn.”
About 9 months ago and Jason’s wingnut brethren have done nothing except make it worse.
Jason
Mike. That’s Obamacare. We are talking about BC/BS grandfathered plans idiot.
mike from iowa
The Dixon family, which includes two girls ages 1 and 3, has been paying $988 a month this year for insurance provided by Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield.
Its about BC/BS just not that BC/BS, right goal post mover?
Jason
Mike, there is a difference between grandfathered plans and Obamacare plans. It doesn’t surprise me you don’t know this.
mike from iowa
There are no grandfathered plans anymore, Jason. Do try to keep up.
BC/BS quit the grandfathered plans and clients had to take plans with much higher premiums.
John Kennedy Claussen, Sr.
And we especially need to watch Dusty. He is already trying to run an anti-Trump campaign without mentioning Trump’s name. We can’t let him get away with that in the fall, and then let him go on to Washington in January as a GOP disciple.
We need to keep our eyes on Senators Thune and Rounds, too. Especially Rounds, because he is up in 2020, and is already on record for trying to save ObamaCare in November of ’17 with a bipartisan effort to shore up insurance risk pools, while in December of ’17 he votes for a tax cut for the 1%, which guts ObamaCare’s enforcement mechanism by getting rid of the health care mandate….. For one can only ask, “Will the real Mike Rounds please stand up?”…..
Jason
Not in SD Mike. Try to keep up.
Porter Lansing
After several years of pushing for double-digit hikes, Colorado insurers are asking for an average premium increase for 2019 that is just under 6 percent for those who buy their own coverage, the state Division of Insurance said Friday.
If approved by state regulators, the proposed average price jump would be the smallest increase for health insurance policies on the individual market, sold both on and off the state’s health insurance exchange, since 2015.
“It’s the first year of stability in about half a decade,” said Joe Hanel, managing director of communications for Colorado Health Institute. ~ By Jessica Seaman ~ The Denver Post
Also … Colorado’s next Governor (Jared Polis) is working with six western states to institute a single payer, Medicare For All type health insurance policy for anyone who cares to purchase it.
Drumpf wants to appoint all administrative law judges so SS disability claims can be denied en masse, among other things.
https://crooksandliars.com/2018/07/trumps-executive-order-administrative
We’d better make sure we show up en masse and vote for a better America this November, We’d better!
Excellent letter.
What has always been frustrating to me is not only the Washington, D.C. opposition to the ACA, but members of the republican party in general. Most don’t even know why they want the ACA fully repealed.
And what’s even worse is that so many that object to the ACA are red state republicans that actually take advantage of the program.
Probably will mean at least just a 20 to 25% more in premium increases that you can write off on your taxes…if you are self employed like most ag folks are. Think of it this way, a 20 to 25% rate increase will make more money for the State of South Dakota in the tax it receives from the insurance companies. So then, that would mean that a family of 4 with the husband being about 50, the bride about the same age and a couple of teenage kids, will now pay about $30,000.00 a year for a $5,000.00 deductible with a maximum out of pocket of $13,000.00. So folks, that person’s exposure is about $60,000.00 a year! Walk in to the banker and give him the news for your operating expenses for 2019. Thanks trump, NOem, Thune, Rounds and of course, little Opie, we are winning!
Jerry,
Where are you getting our numbers from? Be specific.
Figure it out Jason, I did. Pacific enough for ya?
Thanks for clarifying you can’t back up your post Jerry.
Back it up or I have to bring out the liar card.
Go to their websites you rascal. There are only two of them so it is not like to difficult for a mature person to find information or call an agent, they would be happy to help provide what I just posted. Daddy is to busy to change your diaper.
What website? You didn’t post a link.
Jerry,
Please give me the telephone number to an agent that will say the premium will be 30k a year.
I bet you won’t.
Cory,
Please explain to your readers why BC/BS will not take a hit in South Dakota.
We can discuss the specifics if you want.
http://www.pipac.com/weekly_update/article.php?article=5744&c=PIPWU342
https://www.sanfordhealthplan.org/
https://www.averahealthplans.com/insurance/
BC/BS had a 24% rate last year according to the website. That says to me that there was a pretty good increase. Now go change your crappy diaper.
BC/BS stopped writing individual health plans some years ago. According to that website, these are old plans and they are still going up. The Avera and Sanford are the only ones that I can see, are still available in South Dakota. But yeah, I stand behind that premium cost because they do as they indicate. Check it out.
The cruelty of the GOP is apparently limitless. I wonder how much suffering will be enough for “diehard” supporters of pres Child Abuser and the GOP to decide they should vote Democratic?
If the Democrats don’t get the Senate and/or House in November, those Diehards might. Die, that is. Or for sure find out what suffering is. The truly heartbreaking part is that they’ll take all the rest of the population with them.
Jerry,
I’m still waiting for the person to talk to who told you there is a 30k year premium.
Debbo,
What are the Obama premiums vs the BC/BS grandfathered premiums?
The Republicans deep down really want premiums to be skyrocketing like this, it might even turn them on a little bit, because hopefully to them, it makes Obama look bad. They don’t really give a crap about people not being able to afford health insurance.
A decent country would fix the ACA, but no, not this dysfunctional President and its majority Republican Congress. They couldn’t possibly work on fixing the ACA, that would be too nice to the American people. They couldn’t possibly be decent and make an effort to fix it when there are illegal immigrants to be rounded up at the borders and sent to caged camps. What a despicable administration.
As reading retention seems to have gone bye bye on your immature mind, Daddy will refresh it “Probably will mean at least just a 20 to 25% more in premium increases that you can write off on your taxes” my first line.
You can call an agent (hint, on the websites they actually give you names of agents to call) you cannot expect an agent to call you because of the Do Not Call List, so do yourself a favor and call them.
Take the current rates and add 20 to 25% increase onto them. That will give you the approximate numbers I said. Use a calculator as there are only so many digits on your hand and feet.
For the record, as the grand fathered plans have a limited amount of members (and cannot add any more) it only makes sense for them to rise substantially as the current members are getting older and sicker with each day passing. So while these plans are raising, they are not in a death spiral yet…that is coming, thanks to trump and NOem.
@Jerry … Being called a liar by a liar makes you a hero. Make that little turd work and think before he asks questions he can easily research.
Proving Jason’s invalid sources wrong is good entertainment. He never has an original thought and making him look foolish is like getting to go one on one with FoxNews. #winning
Thanks for admitting you have no proof people will be paying 30k for a premium.
Jerry proved it to me. Maybe you’ve changed your identity so many times your brain is a bit twisted?
Thanks Porter, I was just gonna let it slide because of the nature of this child, but I thought it might be a good resource for other readers of this blog to see for themselves what the price is for insurance products. The other readers may not be aware that there is a tax that, in the end, taxpayers pay that they may not be aware of, another hidden tax to the state of South Dakota.
For the record, I stand behind my projections of a couple, 50 years of age, with two teenage children of having premiums at $30.000.00 with the new rate increases provided by NOem and trump. This would not include an out of pocket for the family of at least $13,000 for their plan year.
Post a pic of the bill Jerry.
He’s really not a child. He’s in his forties with a wife and two kids. He used to post on Power’s Blog as KM but after I outed him, he’s stopped with the anti-Islam hate speech. Threatening to turn his identity and his occupation into the Muslim Brotherhood got his bigoted attention in a hurry.
Poor wife, she allowed kids, must have been drunk at the time.
With the discussion about healthcare Jason or whomever may wish to check out former lifelong moderate Republican now DFL primary candidate for US Senate for Al Franken’s old seat Richard Painter. He is challenging Senator Tina Smith in the Minnesota DFL primary. Richard Painter ethics law professor at the University of Minnesota and former ethics advisor in the final years for President George W. Bush has some really good insight and ideas about healthcare which just makes sense regardless of political affiliation. Check out his youtube videos besides his famous Dumpster Fire campaign video. His townhall videos where he fields questions he covers what we should do in health care since we are at an unfair advantage competitively with other countries providing health care for their citizens and companies, owners and employees can focus on being competitive and the mission they have.
Like Tim Bjorkman, Richard Painter is not accepting any special interest money including PACS and is getting funded campaignwise by individual donations.
Here is one example, troll. Read it. learn and then stfu!
The Dixon family, which includes two girls ages 1 and 3, has been paying $988 a month this year for insurance provided by Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield. But Anthem plans will not be available in Charlottesville next year. The company told customers that uncertainty in the insurance market “does not provide the clarity and confidence we need to offer affordable coverage to our members.”
The online federal marketplace, HealthCare.gov, recommended another plan for Mr. Dixon in 2018. The new plan, offered by Optima Health, has premiums of $3,158 a month — about $37,900 a year — and an annual deductible of $9,200.
From NYTarticle- https://www.nytimes.com/2017/11/16/us/politics/obamacare-premiums-middle-class.html
First paragraph in NYT article is rilly good reading, Troll.
By Robert Pear
Nov. 16, 2017
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. — Consumers here at first did not believe the health insurance premiums they saw when they went shopping for coverage this month on HealthCare.gov. Only five plans were available, and for a family of four with parents in their mid-30s, the cheapest plan went typically for more than $2,400 a month, nearly $30,000 a year.
With the deadline for a decision less than a month away, consumers are desperately weighing their options, dismayed at the choices they have under the Affordable Care Act and convinced that political forces in Washington are toying with their health and well-being.
“I believe in the Affordable Care Act; it worked for me under the Obama administration,” said Sara Stovall, 40, who does customer-support work for a small software company. “But it’s not working as it was supposed to. It’s being sabotaged, and I feel like a pawn.”
About 9 months ago and Jason’s wingnut brethren have done nothing except make it worse.
Mike. That’s Obamacare. We are talking about BC/BS grandfathered plans idiot.
The Dixon family, which includes two girls ages 1 and 3, has been paying $988 a month this year for insurance provided by Anthem Blue Cross and Blue Shield.
Its about BC/BS just not that BC/BS, right goal post mover?
Mike, there is a difference between grandfathered plans and Obamacare plans. It doesn’t surprise me you don’t know this.
There are no grandfathered plans anymore, Jason. Do try to keep up.
BC/BS quit the grandfathered plans and clients had to take plans with much higher premiums.
And we especially need to watch Dusty. He is already trying to run an anti-Trump campaign without mentioning Trump’s name. We can’t let him get away with that in the fall, and then let him go on to Washington in January as a GOP disciple.
We need to keep our eyes on Senators Thune and Rounds, too. Especially Rounds, because he is up in 2020, and is already on record for trying to save ObamaCare in November of ’17 with a bipartisan effort to shore up insurance risk pools, while in December of ’17 he votes for a tax cut for the 1%, which guts ObamaCare’s enforcement mechanism by getting rid of the health care mandate….. For one can only ask, “Will the real Mike Rounds please stand up?”…..
Not in SD Mike. Try to keep up.
After several years of pushing for double-digit hikes, Colorado insurers are asking for an average premium increase for 2019 that is just under 6 percent for those who buy their own coverage, the state Division of Insurance said Friday.
If approved by state regulators, the proposed average price jump would be the smallest increase for health insurance policies on the individual market, sold both on and off the state’s health insurance exchange, since 2015.
“It’s the first year of stability in about half a decade,” said Joe Hanel, managing director of communications for Colorado Health Institute. ~ By Jessica Seaman ~ The Denver Post
Also … Colorado’s next Governor (Jared Polis) is working with six western states to institute a single payer, Medicare For All type health insurance policy for anyone who cares to purchase it.
Multi-state single-payer—could we get states to cooperate on such a system?