Obamacare repeal would increase uninsured by 32 million, lead to double-digit price hikes, CBO says

PowerStroker · UNSTOPPABLE!

Given the choice

SELLC · CERTIFIED POST WHORE

Does it have to be Government run? Or could it just be Government regulated?

SELLC · CERTIFIED POST WHORE

I mean what's wrong with private practice? What's wrong with getting VALUE? Why does it have to be so complicated?

Seems a nationwide open market with good terms and low rates would be great! But the unions would be crying and wanting even better rates for their collective organizations and then what Powerstroker? Do you feel someone in the union should get better rates or coverage than just any old Joe off the street!? That's the real question here.

PowerStroker · UNSTOPPABLE!

You would still have private practice doctors with each option. With option 3 though, they would just be paid by the government rather than private insurance companies.

Option 1 is the Affordable care act or a variation thereof.

Option 2 is what we had prior to the Affordable care act where all insurance (except Medicare) is private for profit with very little regulation.

Option 3 is Medicare for all citizens, not just seniors.

Another suggestion would be to ammend the affordable care act to replace the individual mandate with an employer mandate.

I'm curious to see what people see as ideal since it now seems that a major reformation of our healthcare system is again in play.

PowerStroker · UNSTOPPABLE!

Oh come on now, I would like to honestly hear what you want Trumpcare to be. Since Obamacare is categorically unacceptable, I truly want to understand what a Republican healthcare system would look like. And yes, it is complicated, there is no way around that. You guys won the right to govern, and governing is a complicated thing indeed.

SELLC · CERTIFIED POST WHORE

What's wrong with opening up the market to EVERYONE, with catastrophic policies such as Obamacare's "Bronze" plan being super inexpensive, and "good" family plans at "reasonable" prices? What is wrong with that PowerStroker?

What is wrong with telling all these groups that want to pool their employees that the days of getting special treatment are over, and that the exchanges are the same for a Union member will be the exact same for some bum who lives on the street!? Isn't that what you been wanting all along? Equality? Oh that's right, Obamacare raised the premiums for you Union folks and clawed back some benefits so that everyone could at least have a catastrophic plan. I have to hand it to Obama, he turned the tide on this and delivered, but the only problem is the insurance was so questionable you feared having to use it, or be liable for up to a $12k deductible.

Honestly PowerStroker, do you call that insurance? When someone is looking down the barrel of $10-$12k in deductibles before their insurance picks up the tab? Can you look me in the eye and tell me that could really be considered to be "insurance"? Or just more or less a catastrophic plan that really wouldn't be worth anything unless you got run over by a bus?

And what about Dental? Many insurance companies don't want to give good dental plans to ensure people have access to the Dentist of their choice. People probably see a Dentist more times a year than a General Practice Doctor. Lots of GOOD private Dentist out there who don't take Obamacare because of all the red tape and wait times to get paid. I can't say I blame them and you being a commission mechanic should also understand the importance of getting paid without a bunch or red tape or delays.

I think if the curtain was pulled back on the insurance industry we would find that this problem could be easily solved without having to turn healthcare over to the government. I can speak to a higher degree of experience than you on this issue PowerStroker, as I have had to hold government insurance for a few years now, or face a fine. So yeah, I took the insurance to avoid the fine... In all them years I have never even used it ONCE! I tried to use it at my Dentist, but they don't take Obamacare. Then I seen the deductibles and honestly I think I'd have to be run over by a truck and dragged to the hospital before I would willingly go on my own. I don't even consider it insurance because I am too afraid to risk a massive bill! Then again, you get what you pay for.... Only problem being is I didn't want it to start with... I was forced to take it or pay a fine for refusing to do so.

Renewing for the coverage is also somewhat of a pain... The bureaucracy is something like the left hand not knowing what the right hand is doing. Honestly they probably shake quite a few people with this process, but the idea that ALL insurance would be run this way if it was taken over by the government should scare the hell out of you.

What is wrong with bundling my health insurance with my car, home and other insurance plans? Why can't I just add it on and upgrade/downgrade like my other policies? They want all our medical records and insurance information on file, then why can't we have ALL their rates, plans and promotions on some kind of website? There are really so many way to make a private health care system work that maybe we should only allow the government to get involved when it comes to ensuring rates are low, ensuring that healthcare is "too big to fail" and such... Why? Why do we have to set healthcare up like some kind of government Federal Reserve scheme? Look at the Post office... Do you really want one size fits all insurance?

PowerStroker · UNSTOPPABLE!

SELLC wrote:
What's wrong with opening up the market to EVERYONE, with catastrophic policies such as Obamacare's "Bronze" plan being super inexpensive, and "good" family plans at "reasonable" prices? What is wrong with that PowerStroker?
Nothing is wrong with that, and that is what Obamacare tried to do with mixed results. If the "good" family plans pricing is unreasonable, that could be fixed with an ammendment to the existing law to increase the subsidies for people in our tax brackets. No reason to throw the baby out with the bath water when adjustments to the bath water can be made imho.
What is wrong with telling all these groups that want to pool their employees that the days of getting special treatment are over, and that the exchanges are the same for a Union member will be the exact same for some bum who lives on the street!? Isn't that what you been wanting all along? Equality? Oh that's right, Obamacare raised the premiums for you Union folks and clawed back some benefits so that everyone could at least have a catastrophic plan. I have to hand it to Obama, he turned the tide on this and delivered, but the only problem is the insurance was so questionable you feared having to use it, or be liable for up to a $12k deductible.
Companies and unions that already have a compliant plan (like my union plan) can continue to exist just as mine does. I did see a small increase in premiums last year, but that had been happening annually before Obamacare ever happened. The only change to my union plans coverage was that there was a specific procedure (I don't remember which one) that was covered at a lower rate. It didn't apply to me though.
Honestly PowerStroker, do you call that insurance? When someone is looking down the barrel of $10-$12k in deductibles before their insurance picks up the tab? Can you look me in the eye and tell me that could really be considered to be "insurance"? Or just more or less a catastrophic plan that really wouldn't be worth anything unless you got run over by a bus?
I don't disagree with you there. Those deductibles are too high for my liking. Again that is an adjustment that could be made through the ammendment process. Perhaps the deductibles on those cheap plans could be reduced to something like $3000 if certain things aren't covered or if they allow for the re-importation of drugs from Canada to reduce drug prices significantly. I'm sure there are ways to tweak things to our liking.
And what about Dental? Many insurance companies don't want to give good dental plans to ensure people have access to the Dentist of their choice. People probably see a Dentist more times a year than a General Practice Doctor. Lots of GOOD private Dentist out there who don't take Obamacare because of all the red tape and wait times to get paid. I can't say I blame them and you being a commission mechanic should also understand the importance of getting paid without a bunch or red tape or delays.
Dental is a separate issue that is not likely going to gain enough support for a law of it's own. Dental concerns generaly don't cause nearly the level of nationwide economic downturn and medical expense induced bankrupcies as regular healthcare. If you lose a tooth it's not life threatening. If you have an oral infection that is life threatening, that would be covered by your health insurance anyway. Not that I'm opposed as an Obamacare for dental, but I doubt very much that your party is interested in doing it.
I think if the curtain was pulled back on the insurance industry we would find that this problem could be easily solved without having to turn healthcare over to the government. I can speak to a higher degree of experience than you on this issue PowerStroker, as I have had to hold government insurance for a few years now, or face a fine. So yeah, I took the insurance to avoid the fine... In all them years I have never even used it ONCE! I tried to use it at my Dentist, but they don't take Obamacare. Then I seen the deductibles and honestly I think I'd have to be run over by a truck and dragged to the hospital before I would willingly go on my own. I don't even consider it insurance because I am too afraid to risk a massive bill! Then again, you get what you pay for.... Only problem being is I didn't want it to start with... I was forced to take it or pay a fine for refusing to do so.
It seems like the individual mandate is the thing at the root of all of your hatred for it. Would you be more comfortable with an employer mandate? I ask because at some point there has to be a mandate somewhere... Either to obtain it on your own, or for employers to provide it. That is the only way the risk pool becomes large enough to keep people with pre-existing conditions covered without caps on coverage.
Renewing for the coverage is also somewhat of a pain... The bureaucracy is something like the left hand not knowing what the right hand is doing. Honestly they probably shake quite a few people with this process, but the idea that ALL insurance would be run this way if it was taken over by the government should scare the hell out of you.
I'm all for streamlining things. My preferance would be to do it through an ammendment to an existing law rather than adding a trillion dollars to the national debt in order to make things worse.
What is wrong with bundling my health insurance with my car, home and other insurance plans?
Nothing, and Obamacare doesn't ban it. It just so happens that no one company exists that is involved in all of those kinds of insurance, at least not yet. That's not Obama's fault, it's just what the free market has created.
Why can't I just add it on and upgrade/downgrade like my other policies? They want all our medical records and insurance information on file, then why can't we have ALL their rates, plans and promotions on some kind of website? There are really so many way to make a private health care system work that maybe we should only allow the government to get involved when it comes to ensuring rates are low, ensuring that healthcare is "too big to fail" and such... Why? Why do we have to set healthcare up like some kind of government Federal Reserve scheme? Look at the Post office... Do you really want one size fits all insurance?
Is this just some broad brush hatred of government in general?

SELLC · CERTIFIED POST WHORE

You have access to the V8 Cafe, you have seen me spend YEARS trying to resolve what is a simple dispute..

Honestly, anything with more than a $1000 deductible is not really insurance. Even at the LOW end, $1000 should be about the max..

Of course you want your Union breaks on health insurance to continue! You have little to no concerns with healthcare either way because you know the bulk buy-in your Union will make almost ensures you will get the better value. Nothing wrong with that.... For people in the Union! I'm not knocking it, I'm just saying... You want to get all "equality" on us, well let's make sure you can get your head around what that means.

Dental is VERY important, and I don't give a $hit what the status-quo is with current dental plans is! Poor dental health is probably one of the major contributors to poor health and not having access to a good Dentist can cause irreparable damage even at a young age. Benefits and coverage needs to be included in health insurance because it is a medical expense. I'm not budging one inch on this...

You seem to want to classify EVERYTHING as "Single Payer" or "Government Insurance"... These are but two options and while a lot of other countries have government insurance they have higher taxes and long wait times to get care, much like how our Vets have been treated. You have car insurance, home insurance, rider insurance, life insurance and many other forms of insurance... Many people are carrying ALL of these different insurance policies and it stands to reason that if you have car insurance, your health insurance should be less and vice versa. Same with homeowners insurance, as a lot of emergency room visits are from accidents in the home or workplace. Every possible means to get people to pay more by way of statistical data is being implemented by the insurance companies, but never do they work to ensure overlapping insurance policies merit discounts by way of spreading risk. It's an outright statistical certainty that insurance companies want to pay as little out as possible, but take in as much as possible. This fact does not change when something becomes government run... The only difference is the amount of time it would take to resolve a problem is guaranteed to become more complicated with little to no recourse to challenge a government ruling, right or wrong.

So, do I know the best way to run a national healthcare business? Sure... We open the market WIDE OPEN, have the Government do it's job by protecting the people, basic things like high deductibles, pre-existing conditions and caps be damned. If there is value, everyone wins. If it's one sided or starts off with the language "We must pass this bill to see what's in the bill", it's probably not a good plan, at least for we the people.

Rastus · UNSTOPPABLE!

Flouride is actually one-of-the problems that cause poor health for your teeth.

It is a by-product waste of industry.

Donald Rumsfeld (?) has ensured that its use is guaranteed in your drinking water...Not only does it mess-up your teeth, it also acts as a sedative to moderate violent behavior ( Russian experiments ), & is the primary ingredient used in Rat Poisons throughout the world...It's also now inclusive in all bottled water too.

So how does this MoFo get away with this & make lots of money too ?...

Find alternatives to Flouride, get rid of Rumsfeld & his greed, & you may find your dental health improving.

As an example, no one in the European countries has or adds flouride in their water, ( the people vetoed its use ), & their dental health is better than ours.

Just sayin',

Rastus

PowerStroker · UNSTOPPABLE!

Rastus, have you ever seen a British person's teeth? It ain't pretty.

Rastus · UNSTOPPABLE!

Hey PowerStroker,

I'm sure you're right ! Especially since the Brits are known to shower every-other-day as it's so cold over there, it makes sense that their teeth only get brushed every-other-day too lol !

Seriously though, all through my life I've taken what I call above average care of my teeth, & they get brushed at the least once a day, flossed at least once a week, & a rinse with the dental-wash & gargle after a floss...

Anyhow, I found that if I brushed twice everyday, flossed, & gargled the dental fluid ( Listerine etc etc ), my teeth were wearing out much quicker, & I had more visits to the dentist per year...We're all different, so it pays to learn & respect your own body's needs etc etc. I myself as an adult have spent thousands of dollars over the years on my teeth, & so far have had 3-teeth removed. ( 1 x accident back at junior school ). And I'd hate to recount how much my parents spent on my teeth as a child...I took care of them then too, brushing etc everyday, but I still required fillings etc. So everyone is different IMO.

* Did you know that your teeth are the only bodily organ that can't repair or replace themselves ?

My point still stands however, that Flouride is an industrial waste product, & is the quintessential ingredient found in rat poison. I'd rather use something else lol, & I certainly would prefer if our governments spent our tax money on adding natural vitamins & minerals to our water, rather than rat poison...Or even made an effort to detoxify our water from the fall-out from Fukushima...

Just sayin', nothing more,

Rastus

PowerStroker · UNSTOPPABLE!

So anyway, back to the topic at hand. What exactly do we want President Elect Trump to accomplish with healthcare. Given that the simple repeal of Obamacare and return to what we had before was on track to bankrupt the government and us too in the process, it is clear that something drastic had to change. Hell, those Democrats even spent the entirety of their political capital trying to resolve that problem. Now Obamacare did succeed in getting an additional 20 million people covered, and it succeeded in reducing the governments overall healthcare costs because those 20 million people are no longer going to safety net hospitals and using the ER for primary care at our expense. The Congressional Budget Office estimates that a simple repeal of the Affordable Care Act will cost us a Trillion dollars in the immediate, and return us to an unsustainable path of ever increasing budget deficits unless something is simultaneously enacteded that replaces the ACA and accomplishes the same end budgetary goals.

Rex, I'm curious to know exactly what constructive suggestions you will be giving your members of congress for the Obamacare replacement of your dreams?

Rastus · UNSTOPPABLE!

Hello,

I'd say an analysis of where the bulk of the money paid by folks & insurance companies is paid first is needed. This would indicate trends in illnesses, then offer a fact(s) to work with in the sense of trying to reduce the costs of that particular care, to the person & insurance company etc, by making the resource more efficient.

These trends however will be difficult to source, typically since the WHO & IAEA hold the key to that information, in the sense of actual death-rates counted, & more specifically the causes...

Some Doctors are specialists, & from that point-of-view, will charge extraordinary fees for their services. I believe that if you can regulate these fees, & ultimately cap wages, money can be better used for Universities & their research, ultimately creating more Doctors to provide services. - But this is not the American way, or even democratic...

With more money flowing into universities, the opportunity for more Doctors appearing in the workforce could result from reduced over-all fees, & there-fore more opportunity. You never know, the worlds next leading Doctor could well be living in a slum as we speak, but offered the chance of University to get the job, many would benefit. And he / she wouldn't have to face 25-years of student loan repayment.

Don't forget either guys, there will be a huge spike that's starting now, regarding radiation affected illnesses, from the continued & on-going fall-out from Fukushima, & other local sources, that the Government will deny, & force doctors into denying exists. So how will you even get the correct treatment for your illness if the people incorporated to protect you are feeding you lies ?...

I believe that there will result a better cash-balance for consumers & insurance companies after Trump reorganizes this current mess, as it can only get better. But should you actually be suffering from a nuclear related illness, & there are a great many related illnesses, I wouldn't expect the best care or solutions to be offered to you, only denial.

Ciao,

Rastus

-- Edited by Rastus on Tuesday 17th of January 2017 08:35:31 PM

SELLC · CERTIFIED POST WHORE

PowerStroker wrote:
So anyway, back to the topic at hand. What exactly do we want President Elect Trump to accomplish with healthcare. Given that the simple repeal of Obamacare and return to what we had before was on track to bankrupt the government and us too in the process, it is clear that something drastic had to change. Hell, those Democrats even spent the entirety of their political capital trying to resolve that problem. Now Obamacare did succeed in getting an additional 20 million people covered, and it succeeded in reducing the governments overall healthcare costs because those 20 million people are no longer going to safety net hospitals and using the ER for primary care at our expense. The Congressional Budget Office estimates that a simple repeal of the Affordable Care Act will cost us a Trillion dollars in the immediate, and return us to an unsustainable path of ever increasing budget deficits unless something is simultaneously enacteded that replaces the ACA and accomplishes the same end budgetary goals.

Rex, I'm curious to know exactly what constructive suggestions you will be giving your members of congress for the Obamacare replacement of your dreams?

I'm not sure but I know it's going to have to be good. How do Republicans expect to get re-elected if they usher out some old BS like Obamacare?

Low deductibles with a max of $1000 would be a start

Dental included with insurance as it should be

Nationwide exchanges - plus bundling with current insurance policies to take advantage of overlapping coverage

Reasonable monthly payments with steep discounts for multiple family members

I am sure lower income folks would need help to at least get something better than a catastrophic plan - but something is better than nothing I guess.. If you get hit by a bus.

With all the taxes and such, it should be very easy to do. People have lost faith in insurance, much like people lost faith in the banks. But that can change!

A reasonable price for insurance that is actually insurance would probably sell like hotcakes.

SELLC · CERTIFIED POST WHORE

Rastus wrote:
Hey PowerStroker,

I'm sure you're right ! Especially since the Brits are known to shower every-other-day as it's so cold over there, it makes sense that their teeth only get brushed every-other-day too lol !

Seriously though, all through my life I've taken what I call above average care of my teeth, & they get brushed at the least once a day, flossed at least once a week, & a rinse with the dental-wash & gargle after a floss...

Anyhow, I found that if I brushed twice everyday, flossed, & gargled the dental fluid ( Listerine etc etc ), my teeth were wearing out much quicker, & I had more visits to the dentist per year...We're all different, so it pays to learn & respect your own body's needs etc etc. I myself as an adult have spent thousands of dollars over the years on my teeth, & so far have had 3-teeth removed. ( 1 x accident back at junior school ). And I'd hate to recount how much my parents spent on my teeth as a child...I took care of them then too, brushing etc everyday, but I still required fillings etc. So everyone is different IMO.

* Did you know that your teeth are the only bodily organ that can't repair or replace themselves ?

My point still stands however, that Flouride is an industrial waste product, & is the quintessential ingredient found in rat poison. I'd rather use something else lol, & I certainly would prefer if our governments spent our tax money on adding natural vitamins & minerals to our water, rather than rat poison...Or even made an effort to detoxify our water from the fall-out from Fukushima...

Just sayin', nothing more,

Rastus

The jury is still out on this fluoride thing... I'd like to see some more compelling proof.

All radiation related illnesses should have the bill sent to Japan, at least until they get that mess under control.

PowerStroker · UNSTOPPABLE!

I'm kind of surprised - in a good way. I knew Rastus would have some thoughtful and constructive ideas, but I had assumed Rex would revert to his old ways of just blaming Democrats for everything that is wrong in his world, and fail to grasp the basic idea that a simple repeal without replacement is actually much worse for all of us than living with Obamacare as it is. But as it happens Rex, you actually took off your angry hat for a second and put on your thinking cap. You suggested some things like lower deductibles, nationwide exchanges to increase competition, taxpayer subsidized plans for low income people, discounts for larger families. Things Obama himself would likely support, and probably tried to get in the ACA originally before the lobbyists got their hands on it.

It actually sounds like (and correct me if I'm wrong) you would be more favorable to paying a little more in income taxes in order to get rid of the mandate to purchase insurance, and that may actually be a viable way to do so because there would still be a revenue stream to allow insurance companies to survive while still banning them from dropping people with pre-existing conditions, which had been a huge problem prior to the ACA.

I have a suggestion too: A 5% revenue positive Medicare buy in option for people under 65 to compete with the private insurance companies on the exchange. This would greatly improve the quality of Medicare's risk pool and finances, and make the private for profit companies really have to be price competitive. (An idea the Dems proposed for the ACA but the Republicans and Joe Lieberman would not support). Yes Joe Lieberman was a Dem, and a very very corrupt one. I often refer to him as the poop stain on the shorts of Connecticut because of how beholden to big business interests he was as a Senator.

You are starting to sound more like me, and I don't mean that to insult you, I'm actually complimenting you because it seems you are beginning to let go of your anger and actually think about real solutions to very real problems, much like the Republican party once did in the days of Eisenhower, and perhaps will again, albeit not while Mitch McConnell is running the Senate. A man who clearly cares more about politics than America. I'm glad to know that you are not in that camp Rex. My only fear is that the people who just gained the power to make these changes are more interested in anger driven politics. If they are, it will be very damaging to all of us, and possibly even your faith in them.

SELLC · CERTIFIED POST WHORE

Well thanks PowerStroker, quite pleased to hear these things. You have been here long enough to know I have always been the same, both before, during and after Obama's election in that if I didn't like something, I spoke up about it. I don't think I'll be any different under a President Trump, except for the fact that he seems to be preaching all of the things that I have been saying in this forum for the past 8 years, naturally, I just can't help but to get behind him. That's not to say I won't speak up if what we get differs from what is promised. I will agree that I'd be a little more biased for Trump, should any problems arise, but honestly that's where I rely on my Democrat friends to hold his feet to the fire, much like I did with Obama. I am sure there is more than one instance where Democrats have felt unsure about Obama's decisions and were thankful for Republicans speaking up... It's hard to support someone and challenge them at the same time, even more so when it becomes political.

So yes, towing the party line is what any good constituent will aspire to do. I welcome these challenges here in the forum as much as I welcomed my own the past 8 years. I am still baffled about the whole bathroom insanity and how homosexuals can be married but now I hear that Obama is commuting Chealse Mannings sentence! I just don't understand this craziness, nor do I understand why I am now calling a person who used to be a man, a woman. This whole absurdity no doubt is the underlying insanity that cost the Democrats the election. Such sickness is NOT the majority in this nation or the world, and honestly there needs to be better mental health systems in place to deal with this kind of stuff before people with such a sickness go cutting off or adding body parts. These people aren't right in the head, never mind the fact that Manning is a traitor. Does Manning think he could hide from his past by becoming a woman? You see, it is a mental problem... a sickness... Not the actual act of being gay, or transgender, but the idea that this kind of unnatural state is acceptable and considered "okay". It is not, and it goes against the very laws of nature, and our species very existence! I should have just made a new thread, but to me this kind of thing is a health issue and closely intertwines with the narrative of your thread.

That being said, I look forward to seeing people come together and this division and un-natural pattern of thinking under Obama draw to an end.

PowerStroker · UNSTOPPABLE!

Obamacare repeal would increase uninsured by 32 million, lead to double-digit price hikes, CBO says

Dan Mangan

CNBCJanuary 17, 2017

Repealing portions of Obamacare would lead to 32 million more people becoming uninsured by 2026, and a doubling in the prices of premiums paid by those people who remain covered by individual health plans by that year, a new analysis says.

The Congressional Budget Office report projects that "the number of people who are uninsured would increase by 18 million in the first new plan year following enactment" of an Obamacare repeal bill along the lines of one that had been introduced in the House in 2015.

The report projects millions more people would leave the individual insurance market after that as prices skyrocket. Eventually, about three-quarters of the U.S. population would not even have access to an insurer selling such individual plans if the House bill were to be adopted, according to the nonpartisan CBO.

That bill was sponsored by Rep. Tom Price, R-Ga., who has been nominated as secretary of the U.S. Health and Human Services by President-elect Donald Trump.

The president-elect has said he wants the Republican-led Congress to repeal and replace Obamacare in one fell swoop with a plan that he claims will be introduced almost simultaneously with Price's confirmation.

It is not clear if Trump's plan will mirror Price's previously sponsored plan.

In an interview with The Washington Post over the weekend, Trump said of his plan, "We're going to have insurance for everybody."

"Much less expensive and much better," Trump said.

The CBO's analysis also does not consider the effect of any potential laws that could maintain coverage for some or all of those people currently insured as a result of the Affordable Care Act. The bulk of those 20 million people are either insured by individual health plans as opposed to job-based, "group" insurance or through Medicaid in states that expanded eligibility with federal funding to more poor adults.

Price's bill would have eliminated Obamacare's tax penalty for people who fail to have health coverage of some kind. His bill also would have ended the federal subsidies that millions of people get to lower the cost of purchasing individual health plans on Obamacare marketplaces, as well as funding for expanded Medicaid benefits.

But Price's bill, which was vetoed by President Barack Obama, would have maintained Obamacare reforms including requiring insurers to provide coverage to people regardless of their health status and requiring insurers to have specific benefits and basic levels of coverage.

CBO's analysis, released Tuesday, found that the bulk of increases in the number of uninsured people by 18 million would come in the the first full year following enactment. In that year, the report said, "about half of the nation's population [would live] in areas that would have no insurer participation" in the individual market.

That analysis found that the number of uninsured would jump to 27 million as a result of the elimination of Obamacare subsidies, along with funding that has expanded Medicaid benefits to millions of poor adults.

The number of uninsured as a result of repeal would grow to 32 million by 2026, with about three-quarters of the population living in areas with no insurers selling individual plans, according to the CBO report, which was prepared at the request of Democratic leaders in the Senate.

That number of uninsured due to repeal exceeds by 12 million the number of people who have become insured as a result of ACA over the past six years.

In the first year of repeal, according to the report, premiums in the individual market "would increase by 20 percent to 25 percent relative to projections under current law," the CBO said.

"The increase would reach about 50 percent in the year following the elimination of the Medicaid expansion and the marketplace subsidies, and premiums would almost double by 2026," according to the report.

The findings reflect CBO's view that insurers would exit the individual health plan market as subsidies disappeared and as fewer customers sought coverage.

A spokeswoman for House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., called the CBO's projection "meaningless, as it takes into account no measures to replace the law nor actions that the incoming administration will take to revitalize the individual market that has been decimated by Obamacare."

Ryan has said that Obamacare is in a "death spiral," which in the insurance industry refers to customers fleeing plans as prices rise, leading to an exodus of more customers and increasing premiums to offset the losses of the customer base.

The Obama administration has denied that the individual insurance market is in a death spiral, pointing to the fact that signups in plans sold on Obamacare exchanges during the ongoing enrollment season has outpaced last year's levels.

The CBO report was issued on the same day as the release of an NBCNews/Wall Street Journal survey that found Obamacare has never been more popular.

A total of 45 percent of respondents to the poll said they believed Obamacare is a good idea, the highest percentage since the NBC/WSJ poll began asking that question in April 2009, and the first time the number of people positive about the law outnumbered those who hold a negative view of it. Forty-one percent in the new poll said they believed Obamacare is a bad idea.

Half of Americans said they had little or no confidence that GOP proposals to replace the Affordable Care Act will be an improvement.

SELLC · CERTIFIED POST WHORE

Trump has yet to even take office, yet the Clinton News Broadcasting Channel is going to make these predictions? They have absolutely no idea what Trump is going to propose, but they are going to make these sorts of claims? The important thing to keep in mind here is the fact all these numbers posted in that article above are based on projections based off Obamacare and the fact that the full wrath of that law wasn't even to take effect until 2016 anyway!

So while it's entertaining, it's nothing more.

You going to the inauguration this Friday PowerStroker?

PowerStroker · UNSTOPPABLE!

I think I'm going to skip the inauguration this time around, how about you?

SELLC · CERTIFIED POST WHORE

I wish I could go... But unfortunately my window of opportunity to travel did not coincide with that of the inauguration. Much of why I went on my little 4 day "Miami" trip was because I was waiting for parts and my schedule was clear. Since that time the parts have arrived and so have other jobs.... I wished I could go because the media always lies about Trumps events! In reality all his events are PACKED with people looking to have a good time and support Trump.

PowerStroker · UNSTOPPABLE!

Yup, lots of people will be there...

Donald Trump reportedly paid actors $50 to cheer for him at his 2016 announcement

Real-estate mogul Donald Trump is being accused of hiring actors to cheer for him at his 2016 presidential-campaign announcement in New York City on Tuesday.

The allegations first surfaced in a post by anti-Trump activist and liberal blogger Angelo Carusone that was published on Medium shortly after Trump's event.

On Wednesday, The Hollywood Reporter said it obtained an email that came from a casting company named Extra Mile offering actors $50 to attend the announcement and pose as Trump supporters.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, the email was sent Friday.

"We are looking to cast people for the event to wear T-shirts and carry signs and help cheer him in support of his announcement," the email said. "We understand this is not a traditional 'background job,' but we believe acting comes in all forms and this is inclusive of that school of thought."

Business Insider called Extra Mile about the accusation. The woman who answered the phone hung up after we asked our question. Subsequent calls to the company reached an answering machine.

Trump and his campaign representative did not respond to requests for comment. In a statement to The Hollywood Reporter, Trump campaign manager Corey Lewandowski denied hiring actors and said he had never heard of Extra Mile Casting.

"Mr. Trump draws record crowds at almost every venue at which he is a featured speaker," Lewandowski said. "The crowds are large, often record-setting, and enthusiastic, often with standing ovations. Mr. Trump's message is, 'Make America great again.'"

Business Insider attended Trump's announcement and spoke with some of the people who were there cheering him on. They said they were not paid by the campaign.

As he began his speech, Trump remarked that there were "thousands" at the event. In our estimate the crowd was much smaller. A Trump representative, however, said the audience included many people in his headquarters, Trump Tower, who may not have been visible to the press in front of the podium.

"There were a lot of people probably that you couldn't see," the representative said.

Hunter Walker

Jun. 17, 2015, 7:23 PM

SELLC · CERTIFIED POST WHORE

Got some bad news for you, but this Hunter Walker guy is a biased prick... Part of the reason for the Clinton upset has to do with the media lying so much!

Back when Trump was still running the media hardly ever mentioned when he was coming in town, and even the ones that did, alwase tried to make it out to be something less than what it was. I can tell you FIRST hand the media is FOS! I have been to one of Trump's Rallies and I can tell you there was a line wrapped around the building and it was a YUUUGE showing, far bigger than ANY local media would report.

The fact is Trumps inauguration will be PACKED tomorrow with supporters, just like ALL of his rallies were! Trump was not lying when he asked Democrats who did not want to attend the inauguration to give up their tickets because I am willing to bet it will be so packed tomorrow there won't even be room for everyone! And I don't expect the media to cover the truth.