The U.S. Senate will soon take up the Republican healthcare bill. Call it Trumpcare if you will. The current plan is that the text of the bill will only be announced next week and the Senate will vote on the bill a couple of days later. There will only be a limited debate. Senators will not have the ability to offer amendments.
The bill is expected to be similar to the bill passed earlier in the House of Representatives. That bill would have the effect of increasing the number of uninsured Americans by 24 million. Health care premiums would go up dramatically for those who are older or who have preexisting conditions.
Rumor has it that the Senate version of Trumpcare will include dramatic cuts in Medicaid. Do not think that you would be unaffected by Medicaid cuts. Medicaid pays for most long term care. Most Americans don't have the resources to pay for nursing home care for themselves or their parents. You or your elderly relatives are likely to depend upon Medicaid at some point in your life -- assuming Medicaid will still be able to pay for this coverage.
Rumor has it that the Senate version of Trumpcare will include dramatic cuts in Medicaid. Do not think that you would be unaffected by Medicaid cuts. Medicaid pays for most long term care. Most Americans don't have the resources to pay for nursing home care for themselves or their parents. You or your elderly relatives are likely to depend upon Medicaid at some point in your life -- assuming Medicaid will still be able to pay for this coverage.
It is not too early to start telling your Senators what you think about this bill and about the process that the Republican leadership is following. It will soon be too late.
It is especially important to contact Republican Senators. The Republican majority in the Senate is slim. They can only afford to lose two Senators.
Below is contact information for all Senators, sorted by state. Call, write, fax, e-mail. Do it now while you can.
If you are a government employee, you have every right to contact your Senator. Just don't do it from your office!
Murkowski, Lisa
- (R - AK)
522 Hart Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510
(202) 224-6665
Sullivan, Dan
- (R - AK)
702 Hart Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510
(202) 224-3004
Shelby, Richard C.
- (R - AL)
304 Russell Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510
(202) 224-5744
Strange, Luther
- (R - AL)
326 Russell Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510
(202) 224-4124
Boozman, John
- (R - AR)
141 Hart Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510
(202) 224-4843
Cotton, Tom
- (R - AR)
124 Russell Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510
(202) 224-2353
Contact:
www.cotton.senate.gov/?p=contact
Flake, Jeff
- (R - AZ)
413 Russell Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510
(202) 224-4521
McCain, John
- (R - AZ)
218 Russell Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510
(202) 224-2235
Feinstein, Dianne
- (D - CA)
331 Hart Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510
(202) 224-3841
Harris, Kamala D.
- (D - CA)
112 Hart Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510
(202) 224-3553
Bennet, Michael F.
- (D - CO)
261 Russell Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510
(202) 224-5852
Contact:
www.bennet.senate.gov/?p=contact
Gardner, Cory
- (R - CO)
354 Russell Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510
(202) 224-5941
Blumenthal, Richard
- (D - CT)
706 Hart Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510
(202) 224-2823
Contact:
www.blumenthal.senate.gov/contact/
Murphy, Christopher
- (D - CT)
136 Hart Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510
(202) 224-4041
Contact:
www.murphy.senate.gov/contact
Carper, Thomas R.
- (D - DE)
513 Hart Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510
(202) 224-2441
Coons, Christopher A.
- (D - DE)
127A Russell Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510
(202) 224-5042
Contact:
www.coons.senate.gov/contact
Nelson, Bill
- (D - FL)
716 Hart Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510
(202) 224-5274
Rubio, Marco
- (R - FL)
284 Russell Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510
(202) 224-3041
Isakson, Johnny
- (R - GA)
131 Russell Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510
(202) 224-3643
Perdue, David
- (R - GA)
455 Russell Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510
(202) 224-3521
Contact:
www.perdue.senate.gov/connect/email
Hirono, Mazie K.
- (D - HI)
730 Hart Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510
(202) 224-6361
Contact:
www.hirono.senate.gov/contact
Schatz, Brian
- (D - HI)
722 Hart Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510
(202) 224-3934
Contact:
www.schatz.senate.gov/contact
Ernst, Joni
- (R - IA)
111 Russell Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510
(202) 224-3254
Grassley, Chuck
- (R - IA)
135 Hart Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510
(202) 224-3744
Contact:
www.grassley.senate.gov/contact
Crapo, Mike
- (R - ID)
239 Dirksen Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510
(202) 224-6142
Contact:
www.crapo.senate.gov/contact
Risch, James E.
- (R - ID)
483 Russell Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510
(202) 224-2752
Duckworth, Tammy
- (D - IL)
524 Hart Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510
(202) 224-2854
Durbin, Richard J.
- (D - IL)
711 Hart Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510
(202) 224-2152
Contact:
www.durbin.senate.gov/contact/
Donnelly, Joe
- (D - IN)
720 Hart Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510
(202) 224-4814
Young, Todd
- (R - IN)
400 Russell Senate Office Building Washington DC
20510
(202) 224-5623
Moran, Jerry
- (R - KS)
521 Dirksen Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510
(202) 224-6521
Roberts, Pat
- (R - KS)
109 Hart Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510
(202) 224-4774
McConnell, Mitch
- (R - KY)
317 Russell Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510
(202) 224-2541
Paul, Rand
- (R - KY)
167 Russell Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510
(202) 224-4343
Cassidy, Bill
- (R - LA)
520 Hart Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510
(202) 224-5824
Contact:
www.cassidy.senate.gov/contact
Kennedy, John
- (R - LA)
383 Russell Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510
(202) 224-4623
Markey, Edward J.
- (D - MA)
255 Dirksen Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510
(202) 224-2742
Contact:
www.markey.senate.gov/contact
Warren, Elizabeth
- (D - MA)
317 Hart Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510
(202) 224-4543
Cardin, Benjamin L.
- (D - MD)
509 Hart Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510
(202) 224-4524
Contact:
www.cardin.senate.gov/contact/
Van Hollen, Chris
- (D - MD)
110 Hart Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510
(202) 224-4654
Collins, Susan M.
- (R - ME)
413 Dirksen Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510
(202) 224-2523
Contact:
www.collins.senate.gov/contact
King, Angus S., Jr.
- (I - ME)
133 Hart Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510
(202) 224-5344
Contact:
www.king.senate.gov/contact
Peters, Gary C.
- (D - MI)
724 Hart Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510
(202) 224-6221
Stabenow, Debbie
- (D - MI)
731 Hart Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510
(202) 224-4822
Contact:
www.stabenow.senate.gov/contact
Franken, Al
- (D - MN)
309 Hart Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510
(202) 224-5641
Contact:
www.franken.senate.gov/?p=contact
Klobuchar, Amy
- (D - MN)
302 Hart Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510
(202) 224-3244
Blunt, Roy
- (R - MO)
260 Russell Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510
(202) 224-5721
McCaskill, Claire
- (D - MO)
503 Hart Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510
(202) 224-6154
Contact:
www.mccaskill.senate.gov/contact
Cochran, Thad
- (R - MS)
113 Dirksen Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510
(202) 224-5054
Wicker, Roger F.
- (R - MS)
555 Dirksen Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510
(202) 224-6253
Daines, Steve
- (R - MT)
320 Hart Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510
(202) 224-2651
Tester, Jon
- (D - MT)
311 Hart Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510
(202) 224-2644
Burr, Richard
- (R - NC)
217 Russell Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510
(202) 224-3154
Contact:
www.burr.senate.gov/contact/email
Tillis, Thom
- (R - NC)
185 Dirksen Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510
(202) 224-6342
Heitkamp, Heidi
- (D - ND)
516 Hart Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510
(202) 224-2043
Hoeven, John
- (R - ND)
338 Russell Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510
(202) 224-2551
Fischer, Deb
- (R - NE)
454 Russell Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510
(202) 224-6551
Sasse, Ben
- (R - NE)
136 Russell Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510
(202) 224-4224
Hassan, Margaret Wood
- (D - NH)
330 Hart Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510
(202) 224-3324
Shaheen, Jeanne
- (D - NH)
506 Hart Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510
(202) 224-2841
Booker, Cory A.
- (D - NJ)
359 Dirksen Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510
(202) 224-3224
Contact:
www.booker.senate.gov/?p=contact
Menendez, Robert
- (D - NJ)
528 Hart Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510
(202) 224-4744
Contact:
www.menendez.senate.gov/contact
Heinrich, Martin
- (D - NM)
303 Hart Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510
(202) 224-5521
Contact:
www.heinrich.senate.gov/contact
Udall, Tom
- (D - NM)
531 Hart Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510
(202) 224-6621
Contact:
www.tomudall.senate.gov/?p=contact
Cortez Masto, Catherine
- (D - NV)
204 Russell Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510
(202) 224-3542
Heller, Dean
- (R - NV)
324 Hart Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510
(202) 224-6244
Gillibrand, Kirsten E.
- (D - NY)
478 Russell Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510
(202) 224-4451
Contact:
www.gillibrand.senate.gov/contact/
Schumer, Charles E.
- (D - NY)
322 Hart Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510
(202) 224-6542
Brown, Sherrod
- (D - OH)
713 Hart Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510
(202) 224-2315
Contact:
www.brown.senate.gov/contact/
Portman, Rob
- (R - OH)
448 Russell Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510
(202) 224-3353
Inhofe, James M.
- (R - OK)
205 Russell Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510
(202) 224-4721
Contact:
www.inhofe.senate.gov/contact
Lankford, James
- (R - OK)
316 Hart Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510
(202) 224-5754
Merkley, Jeff
- (D - OR)
313 Hart Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510
(202) 224-3753
Contact:
www.merkley.senate.gov/contact/
Wyden, Ron
- (D - OR)
221 Dirksen Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510
(202) 224-5244
Contact:
www.wyden.senate.gov/contact/
Casey, Robert P., Jr.
- (D - PA)
393 Russell Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510
(202) 224-6324
Contact:
www.casey.senate.gov/contact/
Toomey, Patrick J.
- (R - PA)
248 Russell Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510
(202) 224-4254
Contact:
www.toomey.senate.gov/?p=contact
Reed, Jack
- (D - RI)
728 Hart Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510
(202) 224-4642
Contact:
www.reed.senate.gov/contact/
Whitehouse, Sheldon
- (D - RI)
530 Hart Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510
(202) 224-2921
Graham, Lindsey
- (R - SC)
290 Russell Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510
(202) 224-5972
Scott, Tim
- (R - SC)
717 Hart Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510
(202) 224-6121
Rounds, Mike
- (R - SD)
502 Hart Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510
(202) 224-5842
Thune, John
- (R - SD)
511 Dirksen Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510
(202) 224-2321
Alexander, Lamar
- (R - TN)
455 Dirksen Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510
(202) 224-4944
Corker, Bob
- (R - TN)
425 Dirksen Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510
(202) 224-3344
Cornyn, John
- (R - TX)
517 Hart Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510
(202) 224-2934
Contact:
www.cornyn.senate.gov/contact
Cruz, Ted
- (R - TX)
404 Russell Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510
(202) 224-5922
Contact:
www.cruz.senate.gov/?p=email_senator
Hatch, Orrin G.
- (R - UT)
104 Hart Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510
(202) 224-5251
Lee, Mike
- (R - UT)
361A Russell Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510
(202) 224-5444
Kaine, Tim
- (D - VA)
231 Russell Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510
(202) 224-4024
Contact:
www.kaine.senate.gov/contact
Warner, Mark R.
- (D - VA)
703 Hart Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510
(202) 224-2023
Leahy, Patrick J.
- (D - VT)
437 Russell Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510
(202) 224-4242
Contact:
www.leahy.senate.gov/contact/
Sanders, Bernard
- (I - VT)
332 Dirksen Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510
(202) 224-5141
Contact:
www.sanders.senate.gov/contact/
Cantwell, Maria
- (D - WA)
511 Hart Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510
(202) 224-3441
Murray, Patty
- (D - WA)
154 Russell Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510
(202) 224-2621
Baldwin, Tammy
- (D - WI)
709 Hart Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510
(202) 224-5653
Contact:
www.baldwin.senate.gov/feedback
Johnson, Ron
- (R - WI)
328 Hart Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510
(202) 224-5323
Capito, Shelley Moore
- (R - WV)
172 Russell Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510
(202) 224-6472
Manchin, Joe, III
- (D - WV)
306 Hart Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510
(202) 224-3954
Barrasso, John
- (R - WY)
307 Dirksen Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510
(202) 224-6441
Enzi, Michael B.
- (R - WY)
379A Russell Senate Office Building Washington DC 20510
(202) 224-3424
24 comments:
It's basically the republican plan since they are the only ones voting for it. It seems to me they are really playing with fire. The changes they propose, if passed, would result in millions of Americans watching their no longer insured loved ones face financial ruination when they can no longer afford their medical treatment. Those same people will watch their loved ones get sick or die prematurely because they can no longer pay for the meds and treatment they need. Sounds like a recipe for a lot of very angry people.
Thanks, Charles, for putting this out there. Because this bill is so damaging to so many people, I thought there was no way the Senate would get it through. But to my shock and surprise, it might actually pass. Are tax cuts to the rich that important to literally kill people who will lose their medical insurance?
Thanks for the heads up and the list. I have contacted my 2 senators offices and let them know I am opposed. I also put a link to this post on a number of online groups I belong too. Even those of us on medicare should be concerned as the house plan would result in reducing the solvency of medicare by a number of years. This bill is a disaster for the most vulnerable members of our society. I hope a few brave senators do what is best for the public. I don't have much faith in them though.
Thanks for the convenient contact list in the post. I already contacted one of my senators that way.
How many years did it take for the Healthcare Act to get passed? They got the best they could get at the time. What they are doing now is just doing something to be doing something. Nothing improves and the people who need healthcare get shorted (trying to use polite language here). Tragic.
So what are the results of Obamacare? This plan only had democrat support. And was created in secret. And first had to be passed before we would know what was in it. And did not allow us to keep our doctors. And did not allow us to keep our insurance. And did not cost us $2500 a year. And did not reduce our insurance expenses. And had many of its rules delayed for more than a year. And resulted in job loss and reduced business expansions because of high expenses and bureaucratic rules. And reduced weekly work hours for some to keep workers below 30 hours a week Obamacare limits. And increased taxes. And harmed those providing medical equipment and supplies. And cost many, many millions of dollars for web sites that worked very poorly if at all. And resulted in fewer and in some cases only one option or no insurance carriers for many areas. And increased insurance premiums at rates never seen before. And created such high deductibles and co-pays so that those paying for insurance have bigger problems affording care despite subsidies and premium payments. And at its core, promises outcomes that it cannot provide for, pay for, or force in any way. There is far more that can be said concerning the problems and costs created by Obamacare, but creating an entitlement does not really provide for sustainability for that entitlement. The failure of Obamacare was inherent in the creation of Obamacare.
12:19 - Either you are very gullible or a flat-out liar. It's sad that you would rather spread falsehoods than acknowledge that the Affordable Care Act brought insurance to millions of people that didn't have it and saved thousands, perhaps millions of lives over the years. You apparently care much for your pocketbook, but nothing for the health of your fellow American citizens.
To address your points: Unlike the current law, the Affordable Care Act was not created in secret. I March, 2009, President Obama convened a health summit with doctors, insurers, drug companies, consumer advocates and lawmakers. In July, 2009, the Hose Democrats unveiled the plan. Republicans offered 210 amendments, of which 161 were made part of the plan. The plan became law in March, 2010. Despite all the amendments, not one Republican voted for it.
Now take the current Republican House and Senate plans. Can you tell me what the Senate plan entails? Of course not, because it is being written in secret, with a planned vote a couple days after the Republicans unveil it. The Democrats are not allowed to offer any amendments.
If it's such a great plan, why are the Republicans afraid to share the details? And why do people like you have to lie about the ACA to make the Republican plan look better?
The rest of your points are equally false. The Affordable Care Act has actually decreased the rise in premiums when compared to the yearly double-digit increases prior to the ACA. A study by the Urban Institute last year found that even without the subsidy, insurance policies sold on the exchanges cost about 10 percent less than the typical employer-provided plan.
Despite your obvious lies and distortions, the fact is that the Affordable Care Act has expanded health care coverage to some 20 million Americans through a combination of subsidized individual policies, expanded Medicaid, and allowing young adults to stay on their parents' plans. The uninsured rate has fallen to an all-time low of around 10 percent. Coverage would be higher still if 19 states had not refused to expand Medicaid.
@12:19
1. Obamacare did not prevent you from keeping your doctors, your doctors declined to accept Obamacare insurance and/or your insurance provider told you they wouldn't cover your doctor as he/she was "out-of-network."
2. The rules were delayed for more than a year so that employers, individuals, and insurance companies could plan for the implementation of Obamacare.
3. I have seen no evidence jobs were lost because of Obamacare, although hours were certainly cut.
4. The website was costly and functioned very poorly for the first two months. I've had no trouble of any kind since then.
5. The increase in insurance premiums is overblown. Although my state is cited by the President on a regular basis as having premiums increasing by over 200%, I've not seen such a change occur in my plan or in other plans offered for the past 3 years. In fact, I'm not even certain how such a percentage is figured as my insurance company just cancels my policy every year, publishes a new plan with nearly the same coverage but for roughly 12% more, meaning there was no documented increase in premiums in a particular plan. My suspicion is that this is because Obamacare requires insurance companies to report premium increased of 10% or more to government and this is a pretty obvious but technically valid loophole.
6. Premiums increasing over time is normal as inflation in the health industry began long ago and will continue to increase. If you want to cut the rise of premiums, attack the source and not the symptoms.
7. I do not have much pity for insurance companies. If they can no longer participate in particular regions due to the obligations of Obamacare, that being that they actually provide significant medical coverage, then they were only in those regions providing peace of mind as opposed to actual medical coverage and ripping off the insured.
8. I'm not certain of what your definition of "entitlement" is, but most benefits provided by the government do not pay for themselves. The military and police provide foreign and domestic defense using general tax dollars, the EPA and FDA provide for environmental and food safety with general tax dollars. There are other a few examples where the entitlement has a structure designed to pay for itself (social security for example) but these are not the norm.
I kind of don't get the outrage. Wasn't this baked into the election? Elections have consequences. The party that does not believe government should pay for healthcare was elected.
I know many attornies frequent this site. People that are well educated. So can anyone here answer the following question;
Why do poor white folk vote for republican politicians in droves?
Chicken Little Charles at it again. Yes, 20 million people were provided some semblance of health care coverage under Obamacare which reeked havoc on the free market, caused rates to sky rocket, and diminished choices for truly affordable health care. But like the SSA retirement system itself, there are too many people riding in the wagon (freeloaders)and not enough people (those working) pulling the wagon.
You can call till you are blue in the face, they are not listening and will pass it if they hear from every single constituent in the district. Its like the fallacy of voting after the gerrymandering. You think your voice counts? You think your vote counts? You think anyone in DC is listening?
I have a bridge for sale, cheap, lets make a deal.
You mean the republican U.S. population reduction plan. I agree with you 5:03. America needs a single payer national health plan just like every other civilized country on the face of the earth. The Mitt Romney/Obamacare republican lite plan was not good enough. The republicans are culling the herd folks. A real fascist uses more direct means. This is achieving a similar outcome thru sheer neglect. Make America Great Again by means of totally inferior health and education policies. More like Make America Sick, Dumb and Dead Again.
5:15 they are listening to the Koch Brothers.
5:03 I hope you are independently wealthy and absolutely bullet-proof so you never have to face the downsides of life like unemployment, mental illness, or serious disability, or need help to retire someday. The rest of us mere mortals are a few paychecks away from the abyss and subjects to the laws of nature that leave us often disabled and certainly old. You sound like a real reasonable civilized citizen of this great democracy. Are you a Koch brother per chance?
5:15 they don't want handouts
Somewhere at this very hour in this great country there is a poor deprived billionaire in need of a tax cut.
My granny is already stocking up on cat food from the dollar store.
The great irony here is the poor, red southern states are going to get hammered in the next few years by this dangerous austerity. The truth is that nothing has changed since the New Deal. These states require big government and extra spending to stay above sea level. My poor white voters who announced loudly to me they would be there on election day voting republican have been slipped the poison pill. They are viewed as less than human beings by there chosen leaders in Washington. Also, we are headed back to the old William Jennings Bryan days where there wont be any currency or spending power in the great heartland. We will see how it feels to be ruled by the small group of affluent who will be the only ones with spending power. If you cant find fish or live game back in them hills you better get used to the taste of dirt again.
Another irony is that by cutting eligibility for subsidized health care the disability rolls will go up. I have seen amputations resulting from lack of insurance and people who have had to quit jobs in one state and move back to a previous jurisdiction where they had expanded Medicaid
4:33, the answer is racism. LBJ had to lose Southern whites, who used to be solidly Democratic, to get his civil right legislation passed. (And in return he went along with the fight against communism.) We have been experiencing that backlash to this day.
@Lindav I've seen that too. Diabetics who can't get their insulin and start going blind and needing amputations. Epileptics who can't get their dilantin having frequent seizures. Uninsured who need a surgery and some treatment that could return them to work, but they cannot afford it. The repubs seem eager to shove them all back under the bus.
10:06 and 8:40: I've seen exactly the same thing in a semi-rural North Carolina community. But don't worry--Budget Director Mulvaney has plans to do away with SSI/SSDI, so these unfortunates will not be able to get either medical care, nor will they get resources from the safety net.
8:27 was correct--this should be called the Republican population culling plan.
By the way, this old curmudgeon has been telling clients for the last several years (and some of them were not happy about it) that if the Republicans ever got the presidency and both houses of Congress, it would be war on the disability programs, as well as Medicaid for certain.
Why do republicans eat their young?
60% of all Medicaid payouts go to Long Term Care of aging Americans.
6 million older adults depend on Medicaid for assistance with Medicare Premiums and deductibles and for those who qualify covering the 20% of medical expenses not covered under Medicare.
10 Million disabled adults utilize Medicaid for assistance to stay in the community and out of warehouse death homes.
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