Feinstein backs bill to allow Americans to keep health plans

[TomCADem]

Source: NBC

Sen. Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., announced Tuesday that she will support legislation aimed at repairing the now-broken promise that the president -- and many senators -- made to Americans when the Affordable Care Act was passed: That if they liked their health insurance, they could keep it.

Feinstein will co-sponsor legislation that Sen. Mary Landrieu, D-La., announced last week. The bill would extend the so-called "grandfather" clause and require insurance companies to keep offering insurance plans they sold before the health care exchanges opened on Oct. 1.

Support from Feinstein, who represents a solidly blue state, illustrates that a growing number of Democrats are worried about what effect the health care law's turbulent rollout could have on the party. Earlier Tuesday, former President Bill Clinton said President Barack Obama should consider changes to the law to allow Americans who are losing their insurance plans to keep them if they desire to.

* * *
Landrieu said that her bill also has other supporters, many of whom are up for reelection; she named Sens. Kay Hagan, D-N.C., Mark Begich, D-Alaska, and Joe Manchin, D-W.Va.

Read more: http://firstread.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/11/12/21428322-feinstein-backs-bill-to-allow-americans-to-keep-health-plans?lite

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Here is Feinstein's statement on her bill:

“I have decided to cosponsor Senator Mary Landrieu’s legislation: Keeping the Affordable Care Act Promise Act. This bill provides a simple fix to a complex problem. This bill will extend the grandfather date for individual insurance plans so that individuals who have insurance policies they like can keep them indefinitely, unless the individual chooses another plan or the insurer stops providing health insurance in the individual market.

“Specifically, the bill requires the following:

· Insurance companies must continue to offer—indefinitely—all currently existing insurance plans as of Dec. 31, 2013, on the individual market;

· Future renewal notices must clearly inform customers they have the choice to keep their current plan or shop for insurance in a health exchange, such as Covered California; and

· Insurance companies must clearly state why the plan does not meet new minimum benefit standards.

“Since the beginning of September, I have received 30,842 calls, emails and letters from Californians, many of whom are very distressed by cancellations of their insurance policies and who are facing increased out-of-pocket costs.

“For example, a father from Rancho Mirage called and said: ‘I work three jobs to pay the bills for my wife and daughter. I got a letter that my plan is going from $420 to $943. I went to HealthCare.Gov, then Covered California. I researched my premiums. A policy almost identical to my old one is being offered for $863. I’m now being forced to come up with over $400 a month with 30 days’ notice. Let me spell it out: I do not have the income to afford this.’

“Too many Americans are struggling to make ends meet. We must ensure that in our effort to reform the health care system, we do not allow unintended consequences to go unaddressed.

“I believe consumers should be allowed to choose their plans, and they should be adequately informed about those choices. Consumers must be told what their coverage does and does not include so families don’t find themselves paying for an insurance policy they believe is comprehensive when in fact it is not.

“The Affordable Care Act is a good law, but it is not perfect. I believe the Landrieu bill is a commonsense fix that will protect individuals in the private insurance market from being forced to change their insurance plan. I hope Congress moves quickly to enact it.”

[Live and Learn]

1. Not sure I understand how they can require

companies to offer the same insurance indefinitely.

[TomCADem]

3. I Understand It Is A One Year Extension...

...to 2014. However, in the end, I do think you need to get the affluent healthy folks into the same insurance plans as other folks to balance out the risk pool.

[NoOneMan]

2. Cannibalism

Submitting to a false narrative.

[Gore1FL]

8. I agree.

The Democrats shouldn't write legislation in an attempt to pacify the GOP's talking point of the moment. If it concerns them, the GOP has had ample opportunity to bring legislation to the House floor to address these "shortcomings." Landrieu is Louisiana's McCaskill. (about as good as we are going to get) I get that. I hate it, but I get it. I understand her going with this to an extent.

I don't know what in the hell Feinstein is thinking.

[NoOneMan]

9. Bill Clinton just said something about this as well

So its not just Feinstein. There is something a-brewin

[SoapBox]

10. Well what ever it is, it's making President Obama look bad.

It just amazes me how the DINO's are running away from his one little statement.

Hell, I knew what the intent was (I've got great insurance via my employer).

Where were all the brain storm advisers to have let him know, hey, those junk policies won't meet the standard? Gotta love how he tried but
the big insurance and spineless jellyfish types just ran him over.

DiFi? Now you are gonna stick you snout into this? Why don't you get out there and explain how CRAPPY those policies really are!

[hedgehog]

24. WE should listen to Bill, becaus Clinton Care was such a success!

[bemildred]

13. Yeah, DiFi is all false narrative. Something must be up if she has swung into action.

I have voted for her every time she ran, but I believe we are done with that.

[CountAllVotes]

14. +1

n/t

[russspeakeasy]

4. someone posted a form that people who wanted to opt out of ACA

could sign.
I know it was satire, but damn it was spot on...
Anyone know where I can find it and bookmark it ?

[ancianita]

5. Good tactic to deflate the one-note opposition going into 2014. Hope it works.

[1000words]

6. Ouch.

Its all about perception and ACA first impressions are not inspiring confidence.

[bobGandolf]

28. That's because....

the repugs and media are leading the constant negative drumbeat.....with only whispers of support for ACA by dems.

[pothos]

7. So sick of hearing this

This whole stupid thing affects like 3% of the population. It only affects personal plans, not employer plans. Something like 80% of people with individual plans CHANGE them EVERY year anyway! The reason their plans are changing is because they are junk, shit plans that don't meet the most basic standards of coverage. Arghghkfhgfkgh!!!

[SoapBox]

11. THANK you!

Oh how this whole thing makes my blood just boil.

[oberliner]

12. 3% of the population is close to 10 million people

That's a pretty healthy number.

[Cosmocat]

18. its truly hopeless

So, I tried some Scarborough this morning and literally, the first thing I hear as the TV comes on is ...

Danny Deusch saying how the ACA is pretty much Iraq ...

This is why we (America) can't win.

The supposedly "liberal" on this show is equating the efforts to reform our health care system to an administration that lied the country into the worst foreign policy disaster in our lives and no one was every held accountable for it.

[seabeckind]

21. Danny's a lot like the "liberal" they put on fox

as soon as he opens his mouth you know the liberal part he's pullign from somewhere else.

He's a guy who was born with a silver spoon, never really dealt with real life in the US, and can't relate to the real world...

you know the one where you can't take a couple hours off in the morning 3 or 4 days a week to pontificate about how people should do their portfolio.

[rucky]

15. I guess she missed this news from her state:

http://www.ibtimes.com/anthem-blue-cross-wellpoint-wlp-unit-sued-allegedly-tricking-tens-thousands-dropping-grandfathered

Anthem Blue Cross tricked tens of thousands of Calfornia policyholders into giving up health insurance plans from which they could not be dropped and pushing them into policies that Anthem knew would be cancelled, according to two lawsuits filed in Los Angeles...

[RandiFan1290]

16. "Democrats" are going to gut ACA before it has a chance to start

Then we will see the majority we had for 2 years was 100% wasted.

[mmonk]

19. +1

[Major Hogwash]

17. But, those were junk insurance plans that were cancelled!!!

Anybody that has been following this issue by watching Ed Schultz or Rachel Maddow knows this!!

Where were the Rethuglicans when insurance companies were cancelling our insurance plans years ago??
Where were the Rethuglicans when insurance companies turned down our claims for "pre-existing conditions"??
Where were the Rethuglicans when insurance companies jacked our rates for insurance up all of a sudden for insurance that was junk??

Who's in charge of the Democratic party, anyway, Ben Gozzi??

Geezus, this is stupid.
This is just inane!!

[seabeckind]

20. These anecdotes are getting very old

For example:

‘I work three jobs to pay the bills for my wife and daughter. I got a letter that my plan is going from $420 to $943. I went to HealthCare.Gov, then Covered California. I researched my premiums. A policy almost identical to my old one is being offered for $863. I’m now being forced to come up with over $400 a month with 30 days’ notice. Let me spell it out: I do not have the income to afford this.’

I'm afraid this one doesn't meet the smell test. He works 3 jobs to pay the bills? And can't get a subsidy?

Maybe he works 3 jobs out of choice rather than necessity?

Almost identical to his old one? Maybe the "almost" is the part outside the pure catastrophic. The part that he isn't paying for now. Gives me the idea that he's one of those parents who tells his kid with a broken arm to suck it up.

"I do not have the income to afford this"? Maybe he doesn't want to cut back on his box seats at the stadium or drive a 3 year old car.

My heart goes out to those people who had no choice but to buy a crappy plan that they could barely afford because they were responsible enough to know they needed the insurance but couldn't afford anything better. I'm sure we never hear these people's anecdotes because they go against the current anti-ACA movement.

Insurance companies suck. The whole health"care" industry (emphasis on the profit) sucks. Then there's the drug companies.

So how much does difi get from them?

[wilt the stilt]

22. I say BS to a plan that cost $420

This is a case where someone like Feinstein and the staffer can't decipher BS when the see it. There is no plan that covers a family for $420. Because none of these people have ever bought insurance on the open market they don't know better. this "rancho Mrage" father is a conservative that is Bs'ing everyone.

[MsLeopard]

23. If DiFi's for it....

...it must mean hubby stands to make a bundle off it. That's the main driving force behind all of her votes. I stopped voting for her in the early 90s - she's the sorriest excuse for a Democrat that there is.

[Robbins]

25. well

why don't these dems join Republicans in repealing obamacare and dems forever stop trying to improve health care or trying to get
health care to those who need it.

[geek tragedy]

26. This is probably as good as we can expect.

The numbers for the individual market aren't overwhelming--the vast majority of people leave it once they get a job that provides insurance.

Also, the disclosure section is useful because it forces insurance companies to disclose why their plans are getting dinged by the ACA.

[bobGandolf]

27. Come on Feinstein !

What the hell is this? We have dems falling into line with the tea party. Just validating there bull shit.

[lark]

29. If DINO Di-FI is for a bill, all sane Dems will oppose it.

She's one of the 1% and always votes in the interests of the rich and herself in particular. If she's for something, in general, I'm against it. See NSA, Patriot Act, this. She's just a villain in Dem clothes.

[McXorsett]

30. So she agrees with Bill Clinton, heh?

Could it be that Bill and Feinstein (and Obama) want people to keep their insurance without this necessarily being the product of Bill being a dishonest evil Obama-bashing Hillary booster?

[Politicalboi]

31. Let's just do Single Payer

I'm thinking it may go that way if enough complaints are patched in. And what makes these people think they will qualify for their old insurance after getting dropped. Dem's should NEVER fold to Teabaggers.

[quadrature]

32. you can't go back in time

the ACA has been in the works
for 4 years now.

think about the various networks of doctors,
and of hospitals.

contracts are signed, contracts expire,
with the anticipation of ACA.
That stuff can't be undone.

[Doctor Jack]

33. Best bet is to just sit back and ride it all out

The fear is that the dems will help gut the law before it even starts but Obama will never give into the pressure. The man still has over 3 years in office and that is a lot of time to let things play out. Unless he decided to cave now (not likely after 5 years of non-stop pressure to do just that) he stands as a massive roadblock to any alterations to the law for years to come. The law will be given a chance, play out as it should, and it will be good in the end.

Just sit back, grab a drink, and let it all play out. Don't sweat the idea that the ACA will be gutted because a few spineless democrats Feinstein are losing their nerve. In times of trouble, a few members of any political party will run for the hills at the drop of a hat. Best to just let them go through their motions and pay them no mind.