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**bsteadman** · 11-15-2013, 09:20 PM

39 Democrats rebuke Obama on insurance fix

House passes bill to restore policies canceled under Obamacare

WND
Garth Kant
11/15/2013

Excerpt: About | Email | Archive

WASHINGTON — The House of Representatives voted 261-157 to allow insurance companies to sell, for one year, less-expensive health-care plans that had been cancelled because they did not meet Obamacare’s requirements to carry various benefits.

The “Keep Your Health Plan Act of 2013″ would also let Americans keep, or sign up for, health plans that do not meet Obamacare’s requirements, for one year.

39 Democrats defied President Obama on Friday and voted with Republicans to pass the bill sponsored by Rep. Fred Upton, R-Mich.

Only 4 Republicans voted no.

The bill now goes to the Senate, but the White House has already announced it would veto the bill, because, the administration maintains, it is designed to “sabotage” Obamacare.

The White House objected to letting anyone buy the less-expensive plans, not just those who had lost their plans.

Democrats defect

Still, the pressure on the Democrats to make some change to Obamacare has become enormous, after an estimated five-million Americans lost their health-insurance plans in recent weeks because of the law.

The nearly 40 House Democrats defected despite strong opposition to the bill by both party leaders and the president.

Democratic leaders are worried the public pressure is so intense on Democratic lawmakers, especially those up for reelection, that they may abandon their support for Obamacare.

That fact was colorfully illustrated by a comment made Friday by Rep. Jim McDermott, D-Wash., who said “I haven’t seen this much panic on the (House) floor since 9/11″ after watching his colleagues respond to the Upton bill.

‘Biggest presidential lie’

The pressure on the president is also enormous because he repeatedly told Americans they could keep their health plans under Obamacare if they liked them, which not only wasn’t true, the administration had known it was not true for years.

When that became known to the public, Obama tried to explain that what he meant was, “If you have or had one of these plans before the Affordable Care Act came into law, and you really like that plan, what we said was, ‘You could keep it if it hasn’t changed since the law’s passed.’”

Obama critic Rush Limbaugh called that, “The biggest presidential lie in my lifetime.”

Even former President Bill Clinton said Obama should keep his word.

Additionally, the Washington Times reported, “In a closed-door meeting at the Capitol, House Democrats blasted administration officials over their handling of the Obamacare rollout, and the White House’s failure to address Mr. Obama’s broken promise to Americans that they could keep their health insurance plans.”

The president’s “fix”

Under intense pressure from both Republicans and his own party, the president proposed his own “fix” at a White House press conference Thursday. He would let people keep their health-care plans that don’t meet Obamacare requirements, for one year. He also said people could re-enroll in plans they had lost that did not have Obamacare’s mandated benefits.

Upton’s bill does essentially the same thing as the fix Obama proposed, with one key difference. Obama would not change the law, he just would not enforce the provision that prevented people from keeping plans that did not meet the law’s requirements. The bill, however, would actually change the president’s health-care law.

As WND reported Thursday, Fox News analyst Charles Krauthammer believes the president only offered the fix because he knows it has so many inherent obstacles, few people really will be able to keep their old plans.

The real goal of the fix, he said, was to dissuade Democrats in the House, and then the Senate, from joining Republicans in passing a bill that would allow people to keep their health-care plans, because that would make such a dramatic change to Obamacare, it would put the fate of the president’s signature law into serious jeopardy.

Industry skepticism

Democratic leaders in the Senate said the don’t plan to bring the Upton bill to the floor for a vote, so it will likely go nowhere.

However, as WND reported, insurance-industry leaders still have a significant problem with the president’s “fix: They do not understand how the president’s plan is supposed to work.

Soon after the president’s announcement, the National Association of Insurance Commissioners weighed in with major concerns:

“It is unclear how, as a practical matter, the changes proposed today by the president can be put into effect. In many states, cancellation notices have already gone out to policyholders and rates and plans have already been approved for 2014. Changing the rules through administrative action at this late date creates uncertainty and may not address the underlying issues.”

Obama isn’t just making insurance companies redo all the paperwork and make all the bureaucratic changes involved in suddenly resurrecting millions of cancelled polices. He is also ordering insurance companies to inform customers about what provisions will be required once this year-long grace period has expired, in effect, trying to sell consumers on plans they do not want.
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View the complete article, including video, at:

http://www.wnd.com/2013/11/39-democr...insurance-fix/

**bsteadman** · 11-16-2013, 06:12 PM

Free Republic is running a thread titled, 'Senate won't bring Upton fix to the floor [cool!]', which was started 11/15/2013 by 'Bulwinkle'

The thread references a 11/15/2013 article in 'The Hill' - http://thehill.com/homenews/senate/1...n-fix-to-floor

View the complete Free Republic thread at:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/3091832/posts

Excerpt:

Senate Democrats do not expect to vote on the ObamaCare fix the House approved on Friday with 39 Democratic votes, according to a senior Democratic aide.

The aide said there is not any pressure on the Senate Democratic leadership to bring the legislation sponsored by Rep. Fred Upton (R-Mich.) to the floor.

"There is a difference between constructive fixes designed to improve the law and bills that would gut it,” said the senior Democratic aide. “The Upton bill is the latter.”

snip

Excerpts from the thread:

To: struggle

Just heard on Dana Radio that Cruz's bill does what Upton's Bill does PLUS strips the insurance company bailout!!!!

Perfect, these insurance crony capitalist do not deserve a bailout. They wanted the upside of ObamaCare, but if it did not work out, they got a bailout.

Now the Rats who are blaming the insurance companies, they should be on board with getting rid of the bailout!!

5 posted on Friday, November 15, 2013 3:22:59 PM by 11th Commandment (http://www.thirty-thousand.org/)

To: Bulwinkle

In case anyone who was wondering how Obama could wave his magic dictator’s wand and “allow” insurance companies to offer continuation of non-compliant (illegal) policies: he can’t. Not really. He can’t make the policies legal, but what he can do is tell the insurance companies he won’t prosecute them for offering illegal policies. So Obama is telling the insurance companies: “Don’t worry, it’s OK to issue illegal policies because I promise my administration won’t prosecute you.” In other words, Obama can’t make the policies legal, so he’s encouraging the insurance companies to break the law.

So encouraging the insurance companies to break the law is “Obama’s Big Fix”! So how’s that for great health insurance reform? Oh, yeah, and what a wonderful way to govern the country: encourage law-breaking. Given the example this President sets, why should anyone else feel compelled to follow the law about anything?

On the other hand, we all know that “Obama’s Big Fix” is impossible. State insurance commissioners are saying “NO”, and the insurance companies won’t issue illegal polices anyway due to massive liability issues. Oh, and what happens in case anyone does get to buy such an illegal policy? They’d still have to pay the “fine” because they won’t have Obamacare-compliant polices and the President didn’t give those people any “prosecutorial discretion”.

Besides, Obama himself said the reason for “Obama’s Big Fix” is ““What we want to do is to be able to say to these folks, you know what, the Affordable Care Act is not going to be the reason why insurers have to cancel your plan.”

That’s just plain despicable. Absolutely despicable. Coming up with a health care plan that requires encouraging companies to break the law, yet knowing the call to illegality is actually impossible anyway, and then on top of doing that, doing it solely to shift blame from himself and the Democrats that passed this monstrosity.

Mortally ill people who’ve lost their insurance and their doctors will soon be dying because of Obamacare. Ted Cruz needs to gather a couple of dozen of these poor souls from around the nation, and hold a press conference with them surrounding him, and declare: “Mr. President, let’s tear down this Obamacare now! It’s time to repeal this monstrosity. Too many innocent people are dying already. Let’s stop the horror before more are killed by it.”

18 posted on Friday, November 15, 2013 3:31:19 PM by catnipman (Cat Nipman: Vote Republican in 2012 and only be called racist one more time!)

To: Bulwinkle

This is the best political outcome. Repubs showed concern by trying to modify the ACA passing legislation in the HR. Dems in the Senate and the President showed that they don’t care about people with cancelled policies. The Obamacare disaster rolls right along. I expect that people will have to feel the pain from it before it finally sinks in. Too bad responsible people have to suffer along with the other obamabots, but it can’t be avoided now.

27 posted on Friday, November 15, 2013 3:33:29 PM by 3Fingas (Sons and Daughters for Freedom and Rededicaton to the Principles of the U.S. Constitution...)

To: Bulwinkle

I looked at the list of Democrats who voted for the Upton bill. I know at least one of them, Scott Peters (D-Calif)was beatable. He barely beat incumbent Bilbray (R) in 2010. Now Peters can claim he had nothing to do with 0bamacare and tried to save his constituents. Not good.

40 posted on Friday, November 15, 2013 3:38:47 PM by forgotten man

To: Bulwinkle

Perfect. Now it leaves 11 vulnerable Senate dems hanging out there even more vulnerable.

Thanks, Hairy.

54 posted on Friday, November 15, 2013 3:43:55 PM by ScottinVA (Obama is so far in over his head, even his ears are beneath the water level.)

To: Bulwinkle

Reid can always gut this bill, insert the language the Senate Dims like, and kick it back. Voilà! The bill technically originated in the House. All legal. It’s how Obastardcare got passed while avoiding a Filibuster in the first place.

61 posted on Friday, November 15, 2013 3:45:53 PM by Cyber Liberty (We're At That Awkward Stage: It's too late to vote them out, too early to shoot the bastards.)

To: 11th Commandment

“Just heard on Dana Radio that Cruz's bill does what Upton's Bill does PLUS strips the insurance company bailout!!!!”

Not so sure this is good. Of course the bail out is why the Ins. Company's bought in Obunga. Remove it, they are dead. Hello single payer, No ?

82 posted on Friday, November 15, 2013 4:15:22 PM by DAC21

To: catnipman

So Obama is telling the insurance companies: “Don’t worry, it’s OK to issue illegal policies because I promise my administration won’t prosecute you.”

If I were an insurance company, I would very much worry about how much a promise from Obama is worth. I don't think I'd risk putting myself in a position of having to rely on one of Obama's promises.

109 posted on Friday, November 15, 2013 5:45:14 PM by T Ruth (Islam shall be defeated.)

To: Iron Munro

Republicans should not be looking for ways to help Obama.

I totally agree and have been shouting from the rooftops on this.

The only thing Republicans should do is pass a clean bill completely repealing Obamacare, and if Zero refuses, then file Articles of Impeachment.

129 posted on Friday, November 15, 2013 7:27:04 PM by Extremely Extreme Extremist (Governor Sarah Heath Palin for President of the United States in 2016)

To: what's up

If this helps Obama, why does he want to veto it?

It doesn't help Obama at all. It allows insurance companies to sell individual policies outside of the Exchanges and without any of the restrictions or mandates of Obamacare. It is a good bill - not as good as total repeal, but a heck of a lot better than a simple delay of the mandate. It makes it possible for insurance companies to actually survive this, which is in direct opposition to the planned objective of Obamacare which is to drive insurers out of the market.

134 posted on Friday, November 15, 2013 8:09:06 PM by Hoodat (Democrats - Opposing Equal Protection since 1828)

To: Hoodat

and it allows them to sell policies outside of the exchanges.

I believe insurers can already sell policies outside the exchanges.

But a.) they can't offer any subsidies against the premiums and b.) they must still comply with the coverage standards of Obamacare.

136 posted on Friday, November 15, 2013 8:13:42 PM by okie01 (The Mainstream Media: Ignorance On Parade)

To: Bulwinkle

This is the bait and switch that Rush explained.

Upton is no friend of conservatives. He is far left wacko (remember the light bulb ban he started?)

Upton and his pals wrote this bill so it COULD be defeated, or even not even voted on. Why?

So dingy can return the Mary Landrieu bill to the house, and DARE them to not pass it. They then put the ball in the houses court. The Mary Landrieu bill is disastrous, but it allows them to posture and posture taking the heat off the donks, and putting it right back on the house. A game of hot potato.

171 posted on Saturday, November 16, 2013 11:31:02 AM by esoxmagnum ( Some hide in bunkers when there is trouble, others run towards the trouble.)

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