From the office of U.S. Rep. Andy Harris:
Washington, D.C. – Congressman Andy Harris, M.D., released the following statement on the visit of President Obama to Maryland to give another speech on Obamacare:
“Every major promise the President made about Obamacare is turning out to be a lie. Another speech won’t change the fact that insurance costs are continuing to climb and people across the country are not being able to keep the insurance plans and doctors they like. Companies are dropping people from coverage and limiting the hours of workers. Obamacare is a disaster that will cripple Maryland businesses and the Maryland economy.”
No way. How would a government body nationalizing part of the private sector ever be a bad thing?
If the Good Doctor were to turn this piece of writing in as an essay in a class, the instructor would mostly likely return it with a grade of “F.” An accompanying comment would probably be something to the effect “Don’t TELL me. SHOW me. Where are the facts to support such a Vague Sweeping Generality.” ?
You will find more facts on a napkin than you will ever find in a press release.
Complete republican rhetoric. Obamacare has not even taken into effect and it has caused all these issues, I think not! It seems that republicans think it is all right to basically lie, in order to get their points across. I challenge Mr. Harris to point out in recent history, just one three year period, that insurance rates did not increase in the state of Maryland before Obamacare takes/took effect. You will have to go back at least two decades to see this. So the rate hikes are nothing unusual, yet the increase isn’t as high as it usually is, that is basically “Keeping Insurance Costs Down”, which is what the Affordable Health Care Act promises. Furthermore, those people that are getting coverage dropped will be able to sign up for the AHC coverage that will actually save them in actual cost of premiums, that is basically “Keeping Insurance Costs Down”, which is what Obamacare promises. For the people not being able to keep their current health provider, well, that is the choice of the health care provider to not accept the AHC coverage, not the Obamacare choice. As for companies limiting worker’s hours, that is a legitimate concern, but lets see what happens when it takes effect before we condemn it as “BAD”. It might actually create jobs in the long run. Now, I do not like the idea of Government intruding on the private sector either, but the private sector has done a horrible job over the years and the state regulatory agencies have not done their jobs either. When was the last time you paid $10 for rubbing alcohol? I’ll tell you, it was the last time you went to the emergency room or were admitted to the hospital. That’s really keeping costs down and that’s just one example of several thousand that can be critiqued. The explanation of this is that it subsidizes losses from other patients that can’t or do not pay for their treatment. Under the AHC coverage this will no longer happen and no one really has any excuse for not signing up for the AHC coverage if they don’t have coverage. In fact, hospitals will probably make you sign up during treatment, if you are uninsured, to guarantee payment of treatment. This does concern me because I foresee a potential epidemic of fraud within the hospitals, but as I have already pointed out that seems to exist anyway with the way they subsidize costs to the Insureds to pay for the Unisureds. All in all, with everyone being able to afford coverage and being accepted for coverage with pre-existing conditions, I think that Obamacare is good for the country….not “BAD”.
Well said “Serendipity”! Information is better than lies. And Dr. Harris…..YOU LIE!
@Serendipity
A remarkable wall of text.
A wall of text must be very difficult for you to read Common Sense. I’ve heard the complaint before from people that were unwilling to take the time to read the point I was making and it generally is the sign of a severely asocial personality that is sure of all they know and has no regard for the rights or thoughts of others. And since that is the Tea Party Mantra I will assume the analog to you is apt and fitting and otherwise dead on.
Because you’re fascinatingly and remarkably consistence for being wrong. How great for you to be accomplished at something.
Great ramble Serendipity. Great party line response Justin. Obammacare has been phasing in for the last 3 years. The effects so far have been negative in every aspect. Individuals who were carrying their own policy, that is no group plan available or group plan too expensive for their pay level, were forced to drop or alter their plans two years ago. Most of the individual plans, as we knew them, simply ceased to exist and at open/annual renewal they were presented with unacceptable alternatives. this was all driven by this law. The CBO estimates that NO positive fiscal result will occur until at least 2025. That translates to the federal government sucking the money out of the economy to pay for this. Where do you think the vacuum will occur? That’s right out of the pockets of those greedy uncaring bastards who refuse to quit working and get onto the same public teat.
I disagree, I think all of the effects you’re talking about are fear tactics. Those insurance changes happened because of a collapsing HMO market due to improper regulation, not Obamacare. You know, to make the AHC Act work, a large number of people need to sign up and the longer it is in effect the better it will work. That is why there is all the negativity from the right, they don’t want it to work. If republicans would stop worrying about spending money on blowing up the world oceans away and start worrying about the well being of our own citizens, we will all prosper…..
@Serendity
So you think ACA will be as successful as Medicaid and Medicare?
Sounds like you are just another conservaphobe. You hate anything or anybody that refuses to go along with your narrow minded bankrupt ideologies.
Looking forward to your retirement after the 2014 election Dr Harris. For a man that is supposed to be an educated Physician you sure have a hard time with science or even facts. When did your objectivity go away? Or your willingness to help others?
Because which parts of science and what are the facts that Rep. Harris has a hard time with?
Read them for yourself, but since you follow him lockstep on every crazy arrogant ignorant point he comes up with I will just assume you will choose not to read the wall of text again and bail on any hope of ever educating yourself on something you emotionally oppose.
Because you could attempt to use bullet points.
Try something new you might like it?
Obama promised my cost would go down, it’s going up. Why? to pay for all the lazy freeloading people who don’t pay for their own coverage. Screw em, get a job and pay for your own bills. Just another liberal Democrat idea about how everyone has a “right” to something (healthcare, housing, cell phones, independence cards, etc.) that someone else has to pay for.
Obamacare “requires” everyone to sign up and pay for coverage but guess what? you don’t have to pay if its against your religion to pay for healthcare. Wanna guess how many of the young & healthy who choose not to have coverage now are going to “get religion” under Obamacare? Likely all of them, so who will be stuck paying for everyone? me, and those poor working stiffs like me how are getting sick and tired of paying for everyone else.
You know, actually it doesn’t require them to sign up at all.
They can opt out if they like and just pay the extra tax– which by the way, is a real bargain compared to paying for your coverage.
Not sure how that’s going to work out for us.
But they don’t need to find religion to not have health insurance.
ACA doesn’t preclude people with pre-existing conditions from getting covered.
It also allows people to opt-out as long as they pay the fine.
If you are young you could opt-out and in the event you get sick and need insurance you can buy it then.
I thought the house of cards was based on everyone wanting and paying for coverage… unless the fine for going uncovered is as much as actually buying coverage the whole thing isn’t going to work. This should make the plan work really well… just pay the token fine, then when you need tens or hundreds of thousands in care you pick up a plan you can’t be turned down for… Then you drop it again. Brilliant! Long and short, if the plan came from Washington it’s stupid and it will ultimately fail miserably – and the middle class will be left holding the bag. I will say that it makes no difference to me who is in the White House in one respect… if the plan came from DC it’s crap.
With that last sentence, I will almost always agree.
I was a bit dismayed when I saw how small the fine would be for most people.
I’m not really a fan of the plan, but I’m even less of a fan of doing nothing. Because that hasn’t worked for the last 25 years.
Whining, playing politics, cutting funding, and saying no to everything without suggesting realistic alternatives or failing to compromise at all is not a viable party platform.
For the first year, ACA will have an unusually long open-enrollment period. It starts on Oct. 1, but eligible individuals can sign up through March, even if stricken by accident or illness. After that, though, anyone who decides, or is persuaded, to “skip” ACA will be vulnerable. They’ll be locked out of the system until the next open enrollment period begins on Oct. 14, 2014. That open enrollment period will last just 53 days. Break a leg or develop a serious illness in the interim and you get to choose between paying tens of thousands of dollars out of pocket or suffering for months and rolling the dice with a delayed diagnosis
ACA has little to worry about in terms of repeal. It has to worry about MATH.
I have not read the entire ACA bill (as I’m sure 99% of Congress or the public hasn’t either). But the fact that it took a couple of THOUSAND pages to describe doesn’t leave me feeling all warm and fuzzy. And since Pelosi’s famous “you need to pass the bill in order to find out what’s in it” comment, I’m wondering just who will be left holding the bag here? Do you think the insurance companies will feel the brunt of things? Not likely. And I would argue that the damn insurance companies are the reason our current system has out-of-control, spiraling costs to begin with. I don’t doubt that the intent of the bill was to provide a utopian “healthcare for all” society, but the big players (insurance, pharma) aren’t stupid. They WILL find a way to pass costs on to the customer. Also, there is no free lunch. So, one person’s gain (access to healthcare) comes at cost (to another entity/person needing to pay for the other’s gain). It can’t work any other way….and as they say…..shit rolls down hill.
If the ACA is such a great bill then why have big unions and big businesses applied for waivers? What about Congress? Why aren’t they subject to the same conditions as the constituents they supposedly “work for”? People that don’t see we’re being played (and controlled) are drunk on the Kool-Aid.
If Obamacare is so good there must be a long line to sign up! Did it occur to anyone that when this plan is fully in effect next year there won’t be anyone named Obama in Obamacare.
It’s called the The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA), not Obamacare.
Deeg, You need to tell the President to stop calling ACA Obamacare.
He calls it that because it’s easier for you to wrap your small mind around it…. and he isn’t ashamed of it like you are of him.
Obama called it Obama care. So if he can call it that so can we. Stfu. Lets called it by its actual name. Communism.
They are [Congress]…..in fact the Grassly Amendment forces them to use the exchanges!
Not exactly…..
blogs.rollcall.com/wgdb/grassley-frustrated-by-fight-over-his-health-care-amendment/
Not just applied for, given waivers.
Sheriff Bane commented in todays Aegis that the lousy economy is the reason for several of the recent bank and convenience store robberies occurring in Harford County. Seems that he does not agree with the Obama administration that things are getting much better. Ones ability to keep pace with ever increasing costs, health care included, is having an affect on many, and some turn to crime as a result. With employers cutting hours, and eliminating positions, it will only get worse.
No the lousy economy does not hinder the kind we have seen robbing all of these banks. The wonderful welfare system takes care of their needs.
Sheriff Jesse Bane,
Mark Forwood, Fred Visnaw, Traffic, Bank Robberies, Jail Deaths, Hug a Thug, etc… etc… Always somebody else to blame but Bane. Bane = Dereliction of Duty & Leadership….
WTF does Jesse Bane have to do with healthcare???? and why must some jerkoff use every opportunity to bash him on these forums? Really, buy an ad or pay for a commercial or something. I couldn’t care much less who the Sheriff is in Harford County but the neverending Bane Bashing here guarantees that I’ll vote for him as long as he runs.
Thankfully, Congress has been issued waivers, subsidies to pay for 75% of staffers’ health insurance bill, and I imagine a few other goodies related to The Affordable Care Act. Unfortunately, those of us paying for our own health insurance are also picking up the tab for our parasitic elected employees. Rep. Harris, have you joined forces with some of your colleagues who want to nix this thoroughly offensive federal treat? Did you visit Ted Cruz and spend some time in the Senate supporting his valorous attempt to stop this legislation? The jig is up. Where has Congress been for the past couple of years in terms of actually defunding Obamacare? Oh yeah that’s right, the House has instead taken multiple theatrical meaningless repeal votes.
easy to say mr harris when you already have good health insurance thru the federal program as a congressman
Andy Harris is a disaster that will cripple Maryland businesses and the Maryland economy. He cared little that Federal employees in his district were furloughed earlier this year. He lost my vote, next time around. I’ll vote for ANYONE other than him.
Sorry, Omalley and the super majority democrats for the last 60 years have ALREADY DONE THAT
It was very healthy for Federal employees to do a bit of belt tightening while on furlough since the Federal lifestyle is a charmed existence shielded from the economic realities and burdens of the rest of country.
Charmed? In what way? People working in private industry getting all kinds of 6 figure bonuses at the end of the year, all kinds of other perks and, before the sequestration prohibition, I was lucky if was able to give my employees a $500 “bonus.” You have to be kidding if you think Feds live a “charmed” life.
Harford Resident
So the manager of Friendly’s, the draftsman at a design firm, the assistant manager at Target, the meat department manager at Wegman’s, the mechanic at a Ford Service dept, etc…are getting 6 figure bonuses?
So horrible for you to have written such an embarrassing comment.
It’s well known that Federal workers have terrific pay, unbelievable health care & dental, unparalleled pensions and retirement savings programs. While the vast majority of private sectors workers can’t even come close to your lifelong compensation.
When I started working for the Fed govt. in the early ’80’s, I tried to recruit some of my peers to come join me. A number of the scoffed and laughed, “who would want to work for the federal Government . . . ha ha ha . . .” Well 30+ years later a number of those same folks who sought their fortunes in “private industry” have been downsized and laid off. But somehow now, the average Federal employees are being blamed for their misfortune. I’m not the one who screwed them, but it has become my fault.
Harford Resident, You’re a gloating federal employee who lives off taxpayers. You think you’re entitled to being over-compensated and shielded from the ups and downs of the economy.
Federal workers should never, ever be paid a bonus They get paid to do a job it’s not like they work in private industry and landed a new customer or account, they don’t make more profit for the boss to share. You are a hog at the trough waiting for us to feed you your slop getting fatter and lazier by the day crying you need more people to do less work cause it’s too much for you to handle. The government could fire 30% of it’s workers tomorrow and never miss one of them.
My BIL often gets home early on fridays from his cushy do nothing government job, his boss lets him off for doing such a great job during the week. I ask him who authorizes tax payers money to be wasted this way his response is always no one cares so they let us out early.
Where does he work? He’s committing fraud. Tell me his name and agency and I will personally call the Inspector General Fraud Waste and Abuse hotline and report him.
After working on the financial side of the health care system for over 25 years, it is obvious that a single payer health plan would be the most advantageous system to administer payments for health care.
yes, eliminate any competition so you can have a monopoly. Ill bet it would be easy.
The only competition among private insurers is to see who can pay the least on claims. They aren’t looking out for anything except their own profits. You are correct, it is a monopoly, but not of the type to which you are alluding. They sure aren’t looking out for the health care providers or the subscribers.
@deeg
Maybe we should have allowed the government to control the mobile phone industry in 1993 and then we’d of had a no iPhone and continued with bulky phones and expensive spotty service today.
The IPhone is so overpriced – I’d never buy one.
because the federal government has done so well with this in the past. Yes its true, You and your socialist comrades are finally admitting that the single payer option is the ultimate goal. Thanks for finally showing your true RED colors. What is worse is that you are so indoctrinated, or too stupid to realize that this is bad.
I am more concerned that everyone have health care available/affordable to them. I have seen the horrible effect that it can have on an individual or family when no health care is available/affordable. If that is socialist, I guess caring about your fellow man is socialist. Shame on me.
All I am concerned with is that everyone have affordable healthcare. If caring about your fellow man makes me a socialist, shame on me.
@deeg
Yes it would advantageous for those running system.
It would not be advantageous for patients needing care and taxpayers who would have to subsidize it.
We have two examples of single-payer systems Medicaid and Medicare in the US presently. Both are bankrupting us.
As far back as 2004, economic studies determined that a national single-payer healthcare system would reduce costs by more than $400 billion a year despite the expansion of comprehensive care to all Americans. No other plan ever projected this kind of savings. That said, we are light years away from such a plan ever being put in place.
@deeg
It’s a fantasy.
Medicare had a similar projection and how did it work out?
Yes, and the president promised us, his healthcare law would LOWER premiums. Well that was another lie.
He promised it would keep cost down.
What studies? The one concocted by those who have the most to gain.
Gerald Friedman, PhD, a professor of economics at the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, released his study today (7/31/13) in Washington, D.C., at a congressional briefing. The basis of Dr. Friedman’s research is HR 676 — the Expanded and Improved Medicare for All Act — which is a bill introduced by Rep. John Conyers Jr. (D-Mich.) in February that would establish a single-payer healthcare program. The bill has been proposed for 11 straight years.
In his study, Dr. Friedman said if Rep. Conyers’ bill were signed into law, the expansion of Medicare could “paradoxically” save the U.S. healthcare system $592 billion in 2014 alone. The main savings would come from slashing “administrative waste” in the private health insurance industry and using the government’s bargaining power to obtain cheaper pharmaceuticals, according to the report. Over the next decade, the study suggested savings could reach $1.8 trillion.
The department of veterans affairs is overwhelmed and severely backlogged, and still our liberal friends think a Federal takeover would improve the situation for healthcare.
The ACA is not government run
@Cdev
It’s government controlled.
Insurance now is government controlled (at the state level) in exactly the same way that the ACA will ‘control’ insurance at the national level. In fact, for you conservatives out there, this new program should be well up your alley – the national government is considerably more conservative than is Maryland’s (and this of course explains why Maryland is doing so well while the US on the whole is so stagnant)…
The federal government has no authority to control healthcare under the constitution.
Since health insurance crosses state lines it does.
The crossing state lines BS is just that BS. The feds have been relying on that for years in order to nationalize one industry after another. By the way if socialists nationalize soething doesn’t that indicate some form of national socialism? Just asking.
The government forcing citizens to buy something is an unprecedented overreach. And only because ACA is a tax.
The control of the purchase of insurance doesn’t turn on interstate commerce and in fact you can’t buy insurance across state lines. If you don’t think so Cdev trying buy a policy you like available in Minnesota.
You can choose to not buy it. There is simply a tax for it. BTW the govt once mandated the ownership of a fire arm!
Cdev – The US government never mandated every citizen own a gun. You get just about everything wrong in your posts. It’s terribly embarrassing for you.
Maryland is doing so well? What kind of crack are you smoking.
The Second Militia Act of 1792. Mandated every American male own a specific type of gun, ammo, belt, bayonette, and much more!!!!!!! This was passed by our founding fathers!!
Cdev, It’s hard to witness you bringing such shame upon yourself with these misinforming posts. The Act you’re referencing is about conscription and raising armies in the US.
Yes but it mandated you to buy something and you didn’t have a choice!
BTW if you work in a different state and you buy insurance through your employer……you buy it across state lines!
Cdev, Once again I am so embarrassed for you. There’s no interstate market for health insurance.
Correct but if I live in Maryland and work in Delaware and I get insurance through my employer I have a Delaware based plan in Maryland!!!!!
Cdev, you crave embarrassment. You couldn’t independently buy a policy if you wanted to in Maine, New York or West Virginia could you? In fact you couldn’t demand your Delaware employer to get you a Maryland policy.
Correct but to meet the definition of interstate commerce you don’t have to buy independently.
Who runs the insurance exchanges. OH WAIT, THE GOVERNMENT. Stupid clown.
The states that do not set up their own exchanges will end up choosing to let the federal government run their online marketplaces.
Here is a nice puffy, sparkling website that talks about the glories of the new law. It even admits its government run.
http://obamacarefacts.com/howdoes-obamacare-work.php
Im beginning to believe that this CDEV clown is incapable of wiping his own arse.
The state government which doesn’t need the Constitution to mandate anything. In MD they mandate Auto insurance. The exchanges are regulated by the state. The private insurance companies set their prices.
Cdev, First it’s hard on me to watch you self-immolate with each of your comments. Auto insurance is voluntary since you can choose not to drive your motor vehicle on public roads, while you have no choice with the ACA and must buy insurance or pay the fine/tax..
Mr Pilkington, you are being awful hard on CDEV. Sure your auto insurance argument is correct, but its not realistic. No one can really drive on just private roads unless its a farm vehicle or something, so I consider your argument moot. To argue, just for the sake of arguing is getting worn out. The insurance companies actually file their rates with the MD Insurance Administration, who examine the rates if there is an increase and then approve the rates if it suits them. All in all, the insurance companies set there own prices by their filings and risk assessments so CDEV is correct. By the way, people who don’t file taxes don’t pay the fine, as the fine is calculated in your tax filings. So there is the choice your looking for……
Serendipity, It’s so sad and embarrassing for you that you are wrong. And my example is correct.
No peanut head you are wrong and the car insurance comparison is spot on you can’t drive unless you have insurance and if you want to live you will need health insurance.
Sorry but thats the facts.
If you read the post I responded to, it was about single payer, not ACA