Health Care For America Now

Why Would Wyden Want to Join Ryan in Picking the Pockets of Seniors and Calling It a 'Big Idea'?

Washington, DC – Health Care for America Now (HCAN), the nation’s leading grassroots health care advocacy organization, released the following statement from HCAN Executive Director Ethan Rome in response to yet another plan from Rep. Paul Ryan to eliminate Medicare as we know it:

“This is just another attempt to eliminate Medicare as we know it. It's a purely political proposal, and it's just another version of the Ryan Republican plan to do away with Medicare and bankrupt seniors, but this time it's got one Democrat on board. Ron Wyden’s support doesn't make it bipartisan, and it doesn't change the fact that this plan is about turning over the Medicare Trust Fund to Wall Street and the health insurance companies and replacing guaranteed benefits with vouchers.

“Every Republican plan to ‘reform’ Medicare or Medicaid is just another way to shift health costs to seniors who cannot afford to pay more. I just don't understand why Senator Wyden would want to join Paul Ryan in picking the pockets of America's seniors and calling it a big idea.”

Fla. Waiver Request Rejected by Obama Administration for Lack of Evidence

Washington, DC – The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) today rejected a request from the state of Florida for a waiver from the medical loss ratio rule created by the Affordable Care Act (ACA). This action prevents consumers from being robbed of $145 million in health insurance rebates due under the health care law. The Florida request was the largest to be decided so far by HHS. The National Association of Insurance Commissioners has estimated that families will recover rebates of up to $2 billion under the law.

On Oct. 26, Health Care for America Now (HCAN), the nation’s leading grassroots health care advocacy organization, submitted comments to HHS on the Florida application and asked for a public hearing on the matter. In its decision today, HHS said a hearing was unnecessary because of the analyses submitted by HCAN and other consumer groups.

HHS concluded that Florida officials failed to substantiate their claims that unless exceptions to the health care law were granted, consumers would be unable to access health insurance agents and brokers.

Here is a statement from HCAN Executive Director Ethan Rome on the HHS ruling on Florida’s waiver request:

“The administration sent a clear message to health insurance companies that their days of ripping off consumers are over. HHS also said that politically motivated, bogus requests by extremist governors to protect insurance company profits will not be tolerated. This decision highlights how much money families will save because of consumer protections in the health care law.

“While Republicans want to eliminate this rule and strip all the benefits of the ACA from America’s consumers, the Obama administration is putting $145 million back into consumers’ pockets. Just this morning, House Republicans held a hearing to publicize their false claims that the ACA is harming small businesses, when the truth is exactly the opposite.”

For Immediate Release
DECEMBER 7, 2011
Contact: Avram Goldstein 202-587-1634
agoldstein@healthcareforamericanow.org

Health Care Jobs Heal Economy While Protecting Lives of Seniors and Families

Washington, D.C. - Protesters from across the country held a speak-out and rally today, calling for Congress to focus on creating jobs rather than proposing health care cuts that harm patients and eliminate jobs from our weak economy. The event was part of a week of actions in support of the "Take Back the Capitol" initiative. On Tuesday, underemployed workers and jobless people joined full-time health care workers in visiting members of Congress. The delegations demanded job security and no cuts to Medicaid and Medicare. Cutting spending on the nation's two main health care programs would result in immediate job losses in most states.

Nikki Brown-Booker, who has had a disability her entire life, traveled all the way from Berkeley, Calif., to recount how Medicaid has helped her personally while providing the opportunity for employment to others. Because of Medi-Cal, California's Medicaid program, she can hire home attendants to provide services she needs to remain independent and productive at home.

"Thanks to Medicaid, I was able to move out of my parents' house when I was 18, go to college, get a master's degree and become a productive, taxpaying member of the community - all while creating opportunities for others to also work," said Brown-Booker, a marriage and family therapist who works with parents and children who have disabilities.

The health care sector is the nation's biggest job creator, generating 20 percent of the country's new employment this year and accounting for 1 out of every 8 American jobs. Repeated proposals to slash health care programs like Medicaid and Medicare would cripple this engine for job growth and economic recovery and threaten the well-being of countless seniors, children, people with disabilities and working families.

"Instead of investing in jobs, Congress wants to invest in more tax breaks for the wealthy," said William McNary, President of USAction, the nation's largest network of state advocacy organizations and founding partner of Health Care for America Now. "We're not going to let that happen. Every dollar being wasted on tax giveaways to millionaires and billionaires should be spent instead on providing and preserving needed health care jobs. Every dollar wasted providing corporate loopholes should be spent on shoring up Medicaid and Medicare, not cutting them. Every dollar wasted on a bloated military budget should be spent providing high quality, affordable health care for all."

Speakers joined hundreds of workers in a march to K Street, where protesters confronted corporate CEOs and lobbyists for some of the country's largest companies, which have avoided paying their fair share of taxes for years. These executives have managed to remain part of the country's wealthiest 1% while the other 99% continue to struggle in the face of constant threats to their health care and their livelihoods.

CO-SPONSORS: AFSCME, Alliance for a Just Society, Campaign for Community Change, Caring Across Generations, Health Care for America Now, Jobs with Justice, National Domestic Workers Alliance, National People's Action, PICO Network, SEIU, USAction.

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