From Congressman Andy Harris:
WASHINGTON, DC: On October 12, President Donald Trump signed an Executive Order to expand access and choice for Americans seeking health insurance, while driving down costs. Congressman Andy Harris, M.D. (MD-01) released the following statement in support of the Executive Order:
“The nightmare of Obamacare has people feeling the pinch across the country. Here in Maryland, the most popular plan premiums have just increased 50% and premiums have almost tripled since the Maryland exchange launched in 2014. The choice of insurers locally has dwindled from seven to just two.
President Trump’s Executive Order today will increase choice and competition for health insurance here in Maryland, thus lowering costs while maintaining key protections for consumers. It will also level the playing field between big and small businesses by allowing small businesses to pool together in Association Health Plans that could be sold across state lines. This reform was long overdue.
As Congress continues to consider the repeal and replacement of Obamacare, this Executive Order’s common sense approach will make significant strides in the effort to end the nightmare of rising premiums and decreasing choice in the Obamacare exchanges.”
Be honest Andy, the reason for sky high increases is mainly due to the uncertainty in the marketplace caused by the Trump administration. Steve Bannon himself just admitted that Trump blew up the marketplace during that so called “value voters” summit. This was happening for several months now, the latest two Executive Orders only made it worse.
Yeah it had nothing to due with Obama and the dems ramming Obamacare down our throat. We had a choice of plans, we could have kept our doctor. After Obamacare we have zero choice and ever increasing rates with higher and higher deductibles. Obamacare sucks and I am glad to see it go.
The ACA process took over a year, was done through the committee processes, was debated publicaly and was defended by a President who went out in public to defend it and debate the details. The recent efforts were done in a rushed, behind closed door process. There was no real public debate and Trump was clueless about the legislation because “who knew healthcare could be so hard” and the only thing he cared about was defeating Obama. Now that is shoving something down people’s throat. The Republican have been complaining for years about ACA, yet when the time came to show American their beautiful plan, they had nothing. And the president, who told everyone over and over on the campaign trail his plan was going to cover everyone for a great price, was revealed to be a liar.
“was debated publicly and was defended by a President who went out in public to defend it and debate the details.” Seriously… so when he told you we could add millions of people that couldn’t afford insurance and we’re all going to SAVE money you believed him? He lied his ass off the whole time. This was proven when a major architect was caught out calling the public a bunch of uninformed idiots. ACA did exactly what it was intended to do – give insurance to millions who cannot afford it and dump the cost squarely on the middle class who continue to take it up the chute for every liberal “I have to feel good about myself” program. Once given, no one will have the political will to take it away so the next step will be single payer and have the fed government run it as badly as it does everything else. Between fraud, corruption and incompetence you’ll be luck to see 10 cents on the dollar actually go to health care. You are right on one issue… they all lied. Anyone with an ounce of common sense knows this thing cannot be fixed. The dems knew that when they foisted it on the American public and the reps knew when they ran on repealing it. Thinking one party is more honest than the other is like thinking you can pick up a turd by the clean end.
Well I sure hope Andy and trump can deliver better insurance at a lower price as they are promising.
It’s all on them now can’t blame OBama any more
Andy, stop kissing 45’s butt. Millions of people will lose health insurance, because of this cruel executive order, including 400,000 in MD. Why don’t you listen to your constituents, instead of just praising every move that the cheetoh makes. You are an embarrassment.
Your intelligence is an embarrassment, it was designed to increase and implode after Obama left office. This way if the republicans tried to cut benefits the dems would blame them for taking your healthcare away.
Bingo, we have a winner. Each and every move the government has made in the last 20 years has all been nothing but manipulation of the public’s trust. They took an act of terrorism and used it to institute an era of State terrorism this country will never recover from. They even changed the meaning of terrorism to suit their dirty political needs. They took everyone’s desire to own a home and used it as a tool to deliberately collapse the economy and the housing market. They gave us insurance reform at the cost of privacy and the destruction of the common man’s paycheck. Why do you think they subsidized insurance? So the government can see your entire medical history as a State interest. They have been giving away the people’s money to other countries in a blatant global wealth redistribution program. They literally have tried to bring terrorism to your front door and want you to thank them for all their protection. They have demonized immigration and want us to forget that immigration is what built this country. They have flushed the bill of rights down the toilet, yet want to keep all the powers and authorities of the same document that now is part of our nation’s political sewer system. Everyone needs to wake up. NO ONE in Washington D.C. wants to make this country great. They want to make this country hate. They want to make this country implode and it has all been done by design. No one seems to see the big picture and turning the benchmark standard of freedom that exists on this planet into the abomination of State terrorism that currently exists is the plan. Your freedoms are ALL gone. We are a squirrel fart away from becoming the greatest evil this planet has ever known and no one seems to see it or care. Should we say “God bless America” or “RIP America”? This government has got to be reformed or has got to be gone……
I believe that the enormous rate increases that came out this time last year (just before the election) had a LOT of influence on the voting booth. I am in complete disgust to see that my family’s premium this year has almost doubled last year’s rate. Our rate is higher than my mortgage and for FAR less coverage than I had before “affordable care.” I’m glad to hear that the campaign promise of eliminating state line restrictions is being addressed & I’m hopeful that removal of the de facto legislated monopoly on the insurance options will give us some relief. Apparently, I work too hard to receive subsidies that had existed and I don’t believe that any of the legislators that created ACA foresaw a nearly TWO THOUSAND dollar a month premium with &5k pp deductible. I think that the highly compensated executives of the insurance companies are taking advantage of the situation and I hope that the removal of an antiquated restriction will bring the market pressure to their exhorbitant bonuses.
It’s a shame that the Alexander-Murray work was thrown off to the side so the GOP and Trump could try, against reasonable odds, try to cram the Cassidy Graham mess through. Alexander-Murray allowed for states to offer “copper” plans, it sounds like those are the type of plan you would be looking for.
I don’t understand why Trump refuses to work on improving the ACA. Recent polls show 70% of those polled want compromise on ACA to improve it.
first off if you are paying $2000 per month you are an idiot. Second Marylands rate didn’t double last year so your “facts” are suspect. Lastly next year your rates are going thru the roof because Andy and Trump have done nothing to affect insurance providers they are just screwing with the people who are paying the premiums. Hope you don’t have a pre existing condition cause you won’t have to worry about premiums any more Andys solution is you should die.
So if you have a pre-existing condition, I should pay out the butt or be forced to buy a policy to subsidize your healthcare.
“So if you have a pre-existing condition, I should pay out the butt or be forced to buy a policy to subsidize your healthcare.”
Yes, that is how insurance works
No, that is not how insurance is supposed to work. Insurance is supposed to work by analyzing the risk of a certain situation and thru that process a rate is to be determined. That is how insurance was meant to work. Your idea of the way insurance is supposed to work is called socialism…..
Hold on Crusher, I’m thinking I like Duh’s approach… I’d like to extend it to car insurance. I’ll carry liability until I actually have an accident where I’m at fault then call my agent and switch to comprehensive so they’ll pay out. Once my car is fixed I’ll switch back to liability. I like it… and the insurance company won’t mind paying. If I was young and single I’d skip medical insurance, pay the penalty (since it’s less than insurance) then if I get sick I’d pick up insurance – since they can’t deny me – get cured, then drop it again. Good thing people are so much dumber than politicians or they might think of this.
I know what you’re saying. That would be nice. However, “Duh” had an unrealistic aspect of what insurance is and how it works. I know how it’s supposed to work. What the ACA did was enact a social medicine system while leaving insurance companies in place, which is unrealistic. The problem isn’t just the insurance companies, its the Health Providers as well. Let’s not forget who sets the rising costs of health care and its not the insurance companies. The only way social medicine can work is the government has to tells the health industry how much it is allowed to charge for care. End of discussion. Without that authority health costs will continue to soar whether the ACA exists or not. Under the old scheme of things, the health industry allowed for the costs that it accrued from the uninsured to be absorbed by the insured, by raising the cost for health care and passing it onto the insurance companies. The insured have always been paying for the uninsured and never knew it. Another problem is that when that cost got passed on, health providers still pressed a bill on the uninsured and actually was double charging everyone involved. Another one of those vicious cycle things. That is how everything has gone haywire and there is no fixing that until the government controls health care in a whole. This is the route to the single payer system but the money to be made in the meantime is staggering……
“Harford Republican”, I have a healthy family of 4 with individual deductibles of 5k each. NOT HMO (Care First Blue Cross.) We apparently make just a little bit too much for subsidies. Last year coverage cost 1200/mo. Same policy this yr just quoted 1800/mo. That’s “NEARLY TWO THOUSAND.”
I Had to set up a medical spending account at a local bank to be able to claim my out of pocket expenses and may need to jump through more hoops this year to keep it below 1800/mo. If I’m an idiot, then so are the several self-employed friends that are in the exact same situation. My guess is that you don’t work for yourself. You can question “facts” all you like or go price it for yourself and stick it (sideways) thanks very much. By all means, please post here where you find a better deal. If you get me back down to even 1200/mo I’ll take you to dinner as a guest of my family (not kidding). I’m already being told that I can get lower rates as a “group” instead of as an individual. I’m hopeful for the cross state group competition to give some relief.
$2000/month and an out of pocket of another $20,000 in deductibles per year. Yup yer an idiot.
I hope the insurance sales person at least sends you a postcard from that fancy vacation you pay for every year.
Working harder for less: if you can’t afford to provide for your family might I suggest you get a better job with better benefits? Maybe you need some additional education to pull yourself up by the bootstraps and become successful member of society. Isn’t that the republican/trump mantra?
Captain multi-name: Like I said… post a better (non-HMO) deal here and I’d be glad to bow to your intelligence. Until then, you’re a troll.
If Trumps or Harris’s lips are moving, rest assured what’s coming out is either a lie or bullshit.
How sad that Harris must continue to kiss 45’s ass. They are truly despicable “human beings”!
Republicans have declared war on the American heal care system. Congressman Harris voted FOR a bill that throws millions of Americans off of health care and provides billions of tax breaks for those individuals with an income of $200,00 or more or couples with an income of $250,000 or more. My family does not qualify for any of these.
I’m confused and Harris has not answered critical questions. He has claimed deductibles are so high people can’t afford to go to the doctors. This latest legislation does nothing to make deductibles more affordable. what it does is raise premiums making medical care less affordable.
Here is my example, I’m a woman in my late 50’s I have preexisting conditions and am self employed. Right now with subsidies I pay annually about $6000 out of pocket for both premiums and deductibles. My new Andy Harris healthcare premiums will be going up to around $12,500 maybe more. How is this more affordable? Better yet how is this Obamas or the democrats fault?
Andy you have put your party and a crazy President ahead of your voters in some sort of weird lets undo everything the black guy did mission. Hopefully you will pay the price next election.
You can now join a group and shop it across state lines. Maybe you belong to costco, maybe you can join a group based one you type of business. The larger the group obviously the better rate you should be able to secure…….. this is bad why?
Way better than what you have now. Obamacare is unsustainable period.
Shop across state lines…. LOL. That’s a trumpcare moron phrase.The only reason the policy would be cheaper is because it’s shitty insurance. Does your dumb ass really think health insurance companies are suddenly going to find a miracle way to charge less money and make more profits? Sweet Jesus man try not to be so gullible.
Yeah it is insane to think that within entire United States, the state you currently reside in can provide the cheapest rates.
You’re a puts.
So do you think that the rate BCBS or Coventry or Aetna, et. al., will charge for someone in a poor state like Mississippi will carryover to people in a wealthy state like Maryland? I am sure all of those companies are just jumping at the chance to see your rate go down and save you money. Every one of those out of state companies will still have to meet the new states regulatory requirements should they decide to expand, plus hook up with a doctor/hospital who is willing to take their “reduced” rates. Not going to happen, not going to solve anything. Also, it’s PUTZ, not puts.
The basic “problem” with Health Care is that about 1/3 of the people in the country are being forced to pay for everyone. No matter how you shuffle the numbers around, at the end of the day the common working man (woman) is being forced to pay for all those who don’t work. As long as we continue down the path of “Healthcare for Everyone” we are doomed to failure. Healthcare is not a right and it is not free! As one of that minority I do not want to pay for the free or subsidized care for people who don’t, can’t or won’t pay for it themselves. Free National Healthcare does not work. No-one ever goes to Cuba or Canada or England for healthcare instead anyone that can comes here because the “free” care in those countries sucks!
First off here is hopeing you don’t have a heart attack or stroke in the next day and become a person who can no longer work, cause guess what happens when you don’t work? You have no income and it really sucks when something like that happens. Healthcare is a right, what isn’t a right is someone profiting off of another persons illness. Lets say tomorrow you are diagnosed with ALS. Well you have a long road to die, and yes you will die from it and the bills will just get bigger and bigger which people will profit from while you have no ability to pay. Imagine being paralyzed in a wheelchair and some dick like yourself says get a job and pay for your own healthcare. And lastly there are no other countries giving up their system of healthcare because it works very well and it works for everyone not just the rich.
More people in this country go bankrupt in this country because if illness than any other single reason, just because you are healthy today desn’t mean you won’t drive off the road talking on you cell phone on your way home and suddenly become one of those awful people you are vilifying.
I think he’s talking about able bodied adults who don’t work by choice/don’t have health care because they choose not have an income.
And he’s probably talking about other non working by choice able bodied adults who figure out how to leech benefits from Uncle Sam by being fake as shit.
Jay here is a little exercise for you.How about you go down to Hopkins hospital and explain to Tina Frost who was shot in the head by the Vegas madman your views on healthcare. her family was forced to beg for money to pay the bills. She no doubt has lost her job and any insurance that came with her job and any new job prospects I’m betting are slim to none. We are 2 weeks out and most people have forgotten the shooting already. That $500k that has been donated will be long gone while this poor girl is looking at lifetime of overwhelming medical bills. So how about you go down and tell her about her continued lifetime of care is not a right
asshat
What is amazing to me is that all the so called poor can afford, shrimp, lobster, vacations, iphones, hdtvs, nice cars, and fancy handbags yet these same people expect us to pay for their healthcare, school lunch for their kids, mass transit, job training, and still bitch about inequality.
I had Coventry (Delaware I believe?), It wasn’t the greatest but I almost never go to the doctor for any medical related issues. A single plan, it was cheap and good way for me just to have health care.
Then we couldnt have Coventry for whatever reason, state line or whatever happened to them in Maryland.
Then we switched to Evergreen. Which my primary care doctor still took.
Evergreen took a major shit.
Now I have Kaiser, which now I can’t go to my primary care doctor that I’ve had for almost 2 decades now.
LOL
OBAMACARE HAPPENED
It really doesn’t matter anyway. My former primary care doctor/facility seems to be in financial crisis my last physical and judging by all the poor reviews in the internet it seems to make sense, I’m not really missing anything if they close up.
https://twitter.com/ariberman/status/918570991391068161
Rep Andy Harris voted against emergency hurricane relief for Puerto Rico! Is Andy Harris , a racist when it comes to Hurricane relief or is he just against any relief for Americans in dire straights?