An Ol' Broad's Ramblings
Biden Is A Liar! Shocked? Me Neither.
USCCB Responds To Inaccurate Statement Of Fact On HHS Mandate Made During Vice Presidential Debate
Biden’s statement:
“With regard to the assault on the Catholic Church, let me make it absolutely clear. No religious institution—Catholic or otherwise, including Catholic social services, Georgetown hospital, Mercy hospital, any hospital—none has to either refer contraception, none has to pay for contraception, none has to be a vehicle to get contraception in any insurance policy they provide. That is a fact. That is a fact.”
Reality:
This is not a fact. The HHS mandate contains a narrow, four-part exemption for certain “religious employers.” That exemption was made final in February and does not extend to “Catholic social services, Georgetown hospital, Mercy hospital, any hospital,” or any other religious charity that offers its services to all, regardless of the faith of those served.
HHS has proposed an additional “accommodation” for religious organizations like these, which HHS itself describes as “non-exempt.” That proposal does not even potentially relieve these organizations from the obligation “to pay for contraception” and “to be a vehicle to get contraception.” They will have to serve as a vehicle, because they will still be forced to provide their employees with health coverage, and that coverage will still have to include sterilization, contraception, and abortifacients. They will have to pay for these things, because the premiums that the organizations (and their employees) are required to pay will still be applied, along with other funds, to cover the cost of these drugs and surgeries.
USCCB continues to urge HHS, in the strongest possible terms, actually to eliminate the various infringements on religious freedom imposed by the mandate.
Honestly, I don’t think Biden knows any facts….just what he’s told, and what he’s told are bald face lies which he, and the administration repeat over and over and over. Apparently, they learned their tactics from the Ministry of Public Enlightenment and Propaganda, forcing Obama “doctrine on the people and controlling public opinion“.
ObamaCare is a forced tax, especially on the middle class, and a complete violation of our 1st Amendment. But that doesn’t matter to BO & Co. Not only has it NOT lowered insurance premiums, it has already raised them an average of $2500, and will increase them even more when it goes into full affect! More people will actually be going WITHOUT health care insurance BECAUSE of ObamaCare. But that doesn’t matter…as long as Obama gets the population under his thumb.
Reality VS Obama
How Obamacare Robs Medicare and Hurts Seniors
The Foundry
The rhetorical Medicare wars have heated up this week, after President Obama declared in his Saturday radio address that his proposed reforms “won’t touch your guaranteed Medicare benefits. Not by a single dime.”
This is incorrect. Obamacare cuts $716 billion from Medicare over the next 10 years, according to the Congressional Budget Office (CBO), and uses these “savings” from Medicare to fund other entitlement expansions mandated by Obamacare. Medicare becomes a cash cow for Obamacare, and the Medicare “savings” from payment cuts are not put back into making Medicare solvent. Such massive payment cuts do impact Medicare benefits, as well as seniors’ access to those benefits.
Ending Medicare As We Know It
And this is a bad thing? No, actually, it’s not! Why? Because the Medicare as we know it today is pretty much bankrupt! In reality, Obama has already pretty much ended it anyway. Ya don’t STEAL $716 BILLION from Medicare to pay for the ill conceived socialized medicine called ObamaCare, and expect there to be anything left for our seniors. Reform is the best idea we have on the table. IMHO, returning all the money have paid into the plan, WITH INTEREST, and letting them put that money is health savings accounts with some adjustments here and there, would be a reasonable plan as well. End the government bureaucracy, and let people be responsible for their own health care decisions. But hey…that’s just me.
Instead of my idea, Paul Ryan and Mitt Romney have a pretty good idea, too. REPEAL that theft from Medicare, for starters! Put it back where it belongs! And let the grown ups decide what’s best for them, not the gubmint! Those who need the extra help, will get it. Those who don’t, shouldn’t be shoved into a program that was never meant to be for the entire population of seniors. And since some folks don’t seem to listen, their program does NOT affect anyone OVER 55!!
Obama is already shoving granny off the cliff, with his ‘death panels’. And yes, that’s exactly what they are! A bunch of appointees who get to decide whether or not YOUR life is worth the expense of gubmint money. But see? The government doesn’t HAVE any money. It’s OUR money!
Oh, and that Social Security “lockbox” is a myth too, FYI. They took that money a long time ago, and put it in the general fund. Congress has spent it, many times over, so we’re pretty much screwed there too.
Bringing Medicaid into the Debate
The Foundry
Medicare is an emotionally charged program because it provides health insurance coverage for the elderly. But Medicaid covers America’s poor and disabled—and no one wants to see them harmed, either.
However, like Medicare, Medicaid is also in desperate need of reform if it is to continue serving the people it was designed to serve. Nearly one-third of America’s doctors are already opting out of treating Medicaid patients—because their costs often outweigh what the program pays for care.
States—which already have budget crises of their own—share the cost of Medicaid with the federal government. They can’t afford to simply add more people to Medicaid, which is one of Obamacare’s main ways to insure more people. (The Supreme Court’s Obamacare decision gave states some breathing room when it ruled that Obamacare’s Medicaid expansion must be optional for states.)
The program already covers 62.5 million people—about 20 percent of America’s population—and federal spending on Medicaid has no limit. That’s right—there are no limits on federal spending for Medicaid. But there are limits on American taxpayers’ wallets.
Simply adding people to Medicaid should not be the goal. Instead, like other welfare reforms, the goal should be helping people while they’re down—and helping them get back up.
The REAL Culprit!
Dems Want Seniors To…..DIE!
Is it true that when I hit that magic chronological number, I will HAVE to sign up for Medicare? That’s what I’ve been told. I’d like to know….why? Who said I HAVE TO? I don’t WANT to, and unless I’m in financial dire straights, I shouldn’t have to! NO ONE should be forced to get something they don’t want!
…….Oh…wait a minute… We’ve been FORCED to do a lot of things by the government, haven’t we. The latest would be that ObamaCare crap that has been shoved down our throats by Obama and his socialist droolers in Congress. We told them we didn’t want it. They don’t give a happy crap what we want, or don’t want…. it’s what THEY want…and that’s all that matters!
Obama has already gutted Medicare and no one seems to notice. Paul Ryan comes up with a plan that could SAVE Medicare, and the left goes berserk! I guess there really is no logic gene in their make up, is there.
Facing the Medicare Debate Head-On
The Foundry
Quick quiz: Who said this about Medicare? “With an aging population and rising health care costs, we are spending too fast to sustain the program. And if we don’t gradually reform the system while protecting current beneficiaries, it won’t be there when future retirees need it. We have to reform Medicare to strengthen it.”
It wasn’t Representative Paul Ryan (R-WI), Mitt Romney’s new running mate, who has been vocal about the need for Medicare reform. It was President Barack Obama, just last year.
ObamaCare…The Giant Job Killer!
It’s quite apparent to me…a lowly hausfrau in Podunk…that neither Obama, nor his minions in Congress, and around the country, who support this piece of…um….legislation have any clue how businesses, or the economy works. NOT A CLUE!
It’s really quite simple, yet the left doesn’t seem capable of grasping the concept. Let’s take the minimum wage for example. I know I’ve covered this before, but it’s a little more simple to grasp than the ObamaCare fiasco, and I’ll try to explain this in simple terms so the liberals can understand it, ok?
The government raises the minimum wage. The employees getting said ‘raise’ think wow…”now I can afford to move to a bigger apartment, buy a new car”…whatever. Um…no…ya can’t. Because when the wage goes up, the prices of everything goes up, because other businesses, who are forced to increase the pay of their entry level employees, have to raise their prices in order to still make a profit. In many cases, businesses will cut their workforce, leaving perhaps one or two of their employees now on the unemployment line. What has that rise in minimum wage gained you? Nothing. Not a damn thing. You can’t afford that new car, or whatever, because you are paying higher prices for everything, not to mention there are more people out of work, and living on either unemployment, or ending up on welfare and food stamps, which you are also paying for out of you ‘raise’. Nope…nothing has been gained.
The same applies to ObamaCare. People are going to lose their jobs, and prices are going to increase in order for the businesses to comply with the vast number of new rules and regulations. How is anyone going to gain from this? They aren’t. No one will win. Oh, the ‘it makes me feel good’ socialists will see it as a victory….for a while, until reality sets in, and their job (if they have one) is eliminated so the business can pay the forced ‘premiums’.
Let’s put it this way…. My insurance premiums were already high. Gosh…I had the audacity to actually USE it! When ObamaCare came into play, the annual premium increased by 50%! That’s five zero percent! It’s a catastrophic policy. NO doctor visits, NO eye exams, NO dental. Just regular medical issues that require surgery, or hospitalization, and mostly, no tests. Oh, they do cough up a few bucks on prescriptions….AFTER I’ve met my out of pocket. Well, getting a bill for $15,000 can really make ya question someone’s sanity…including your own! I already had a high deductible, but in order to bring the premiums down to something ALMOST manageable, I had to double it. My out of pocket also doubled. This is not a policy through any job…this is totally self pay. We aren’t poor, but we aren’t rich either. Having to pay MORE for everything is quickly moving us into the ‘we might not be able to afford to keep our house’ category.
Yep…this ObamaCare is very personal. It’s going to kill jobs. It’s going to wipe out the savings that us older retired folks depend on for just living day to day. Barack Hussein Obama has destroyed the economy. He’s working very hard to destroy the country. To allow him to continue, and succeed in his goals, is insanity.
‘Pizza Tax’ Only a Hint of Obamacare’s Costs
The Foundry
Papa John’s Pizza founder John Schnatter spurred new outrage over Obamacare when he said recently that the law will hike pizza prices. But his business isn’t the only one that will have to pass its new costs on to consumers—or cut back, which will mean even fewer jobs.
At least 60 percent of firms are estimating Obamacare will raise their health care costs, according to a new study released Wednesday by Mercer, a human resources consulting firm. One-third of those expect a cost increase of 5 percent or more. The study reports:
The employers that will be hit hardest are those with large part-time populations—employers in retail and hospitality services. Nearly half of these employers (46%) expect PPACA will push up cost by at least 3% in 2014—and another third don’t yet know what the impact will be.
A full third of the businesses can’t even estimate Obamacare’s impact yet—because so many of the law’s rules have yet to be written by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). And a number of its main provisions don’t go into effect until 2014.
Satan’s Tool
Annals of Congress 434 (June 8, 1789)
I don’t care what Barack Hussein Obama has told the public…he is NOT a Christian. Nor are those who voted for this fiasco called ObamaCare! Nor do they give a flying flip about our Constitution, since it is quite obvious that they don’t consider it a limit on them…but find ways around it to limit We, The People. Thousands escaped the religious persecution of Europe, hoping to find the freedom they desired, and needed, in this new land. A few hundred years later, their descendants are facing the same persecution….a full frontal attack on their faith!
We have the right….no…the DUTY to fight against evil. What could be more evil than forcing people of faith to deny their faith? To penalize them for that faith? To force murder on their conscience? To make them pay for something so abhorrent? The Obama administration defies all logic, consistently denies the people’s GOD given rights. What else can he be, but a tool of evil? And evil must be fought, at every turn.
Obamacare’s Anti-Religious Freedom Mandate Starts TODAY
The Foundry
Yesterday, on the eve of its religious-liberty-crushing mandate taking effect, President Obama’s Health and Human Services Department (HHS) made an outrageous claim:
The Obama administration will continue to work with all employers to give them the flexibility and resources they need to implement the health care law in a way that protects women’s health while making common-sense accommodations for values like religious liberty.
Religious liberty is a fundamental right guaranteed under the First Amendment of the Constitution, not a mere “value” whose worth is subject to devaluation by any given Administration’s policy. Regrettably, devaluation of this first principle is exactly what we’ve seen from the Obama Administration, which after a year of such lip service to religious liberty has held firmly to its original mandate despite widespread, intense, and ecumenical outcry against it.
HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius’s latest promise rings hollow and adds insult to the grievous injury that HHS is already doing to Americans who believe that religious liberty is not something that stops when one leaves a house of worship.
Contrary To John Roberts Assertion….
…..ObamaCare DOES violate the U.S. Constitution.
Business Owners Battle Obamacare for Religious Freedom
The Foundry
Two days from now, employers across America will become vulnerable to crushing government penalties for exercising their religious freedom. This isn’t exactly what lawmakers advertised when they pushed Obamacare, but it is part of the Obama Administration’s agenda—forcing nearly all employers to pay for abortion-inducing drugs, contraception, and sterilization services.
Beginning August 1, employers must amend their health insurance offerings to include these drugs and services. And if they don’t? How about a fine of $100 per employee per day for non-compliance. This outrageous policy makes it impossible for employers to afford the fine—meaning they must change their insurance policies or stop offering health coverage to their workers.
But for many employers, offering the types of services required under the HHS mandate violates their consciences. It conflicts with their deeply held religious beliefs. And the government is telling them that doesn’t matter—what’s more, it’s telling them that their beliefs are inconsequential, and they must pay.
“…and it worked!”
President Obama tells a group of donors that “we tried our” economic plan “and it worked.” Even in politics, where exaggeration is a way of life, that statement stands out as a lie for the ages. (source)
Indiana company scraps plans for expansion over ObamaCare device tax
An Indiana-based medical equipment manufacturer says it’s scrapping plans to open five new plants in the coming years because of a looming tax tied to President Obama’s health care overhaul law.
Cook Medical claims the tax on medical devices, set to take effect next year, will cost the company roughly $20 million a year, cutting into money that would otherwise go toward expanding into new facilities over the next five years.
“This is the equivalent of about a plant a year that we’re not going to be able to build,” a company spokesman told FoxNews.com.
He said the original plan was to build factories in “hard-pressed” Midwestern communities, each employing up to 300 people. But those factories cost roughly the same amount as the projected cost of the new tax.
“In reality, we’re not looking at the U.S. to build factories anymore as long as this tax is in place. We can’t, to be competitive,” he said.
Oh yeah….it’s working alright! /snark
When people complain that companies are moving overseas, they don’t need to look any farther than their own reflections in the mirror. Between the taxes, the regulations, and the unions, there’s NO way I’d build, or expand a business in my own country. Unless, or until, we can get a grip on the utter stupidity coming out of Washington, D.C., we will NOT see any business growth, or economic recovery. It’s just that simple!
Another Obama Fabrication?
Naw! He’s just your common, ordinary, every single day LIAR!
Obamacare Falls Short of Promises to Uninsured
The Foundry
Two new reports out yesterday continue to knock down President Obama’s promises about Obamacare: his “If you like your plan, you can keep it,” and the promise to significantly shrink the ranks of the uninsured.
According to a new study from consulting firm Deloitte, almost one of out of 10 employers said they are going to drop coverage for their employees because of Obamacare, while another 10 percent said they “remain unsure” about what they are going to do. As the vast majority of Americans have health insurance through their workplaces, this is a huge blow.
Yesterday the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) dealt another blow with its updated outlook on the health care law, as it attempted to integrate the Supreme Court’s ruling into its projections.
Although Obamacare spends more than $1 trillion to get people covered, CBO predicts it will still leave 30 million Americans uninsured, falling far short of what was promised.
CBO’s announcement said that Obamacare could cost less than originally projected—but the reason for the drop was that fewer people will be covered.
We Said NO!
States Should Wait Before Accepting Obamacare
The Foundry
The Supreme Court upheld Obamacare’s individual mandate to purchase health insurance, but it also struck down part of the law. That part—forcing states to expand their Medicaid programs—offers governors some much-needed relief.
Expanding Medicaid, the government health insurance program for the poor and disabled, was one of President Obama’s main ways to increase the number of insured people through Obamacare. This was no magic solution for the uninsured, especially since Medicaid is in need of reform, not expansion.
States’ share of the cost of Medicaid is already crushing state budgets. “In the past decade, Medicaid spending has increased at nearly twice the rate of states’ tax revenue,” according to a new report.
The only ways to expand Medicaid are to raise taxes, cut other state programs, or slash health care providers’ reimbursements in Medicaid even more. And so far, the majority of America’s governors have said they won’t do it.
Governor Bob McDonnell (R–VA) sent a letter to President Obama on behalf of the Republican Governors Association: “Before making any final policy decisions,” he explained, “governors must carefully consider the short and long-term implications of an expanded entitlement program and the consequences of significantly increasing the size of government to manage these programs.” The question of a Medicaid expansion faces every state, including Democratic governors who are still on the fence.
Just Showin’ My Gratitude!
Well shucky darn! Look what I got in the mail today!
This letter is to inform you that you will receive a rebate of a portion of your health insurance premiums. This rebate is required by the Affordable Care Act – the health reform law.
Uh…why didn’t they just say ObamaCare? We know what the actual name is, they don’t have to put in the explanation of what the HCA is. Jeeeez!
The Affordable Care Act requires (my insurance company) to issue a rebate to you if (my insurance company) does not spend at least 80 percent of the premiums it receives on health care services, such as doctors and hospital bills, and activities to improve health care quality, such as efforts to improve patient safety. No more than 20 percent of premiums may be spend on administrative costs such as salaries, sales, and advertising. This requirement is referred to as the “Medical Loss Ratio” standard or the “80/20 rule”. The 80/20 rule in the Affordable Care Act is intended to ensure that consumers get value for their health care dollars. You can learn more about the 80/20 rule and other provisions of the health reform law at:
http://www.healthcare.gov/law/features/costs/value-for-premiums/index.html.
(Psst….if ya happen to click on that link, you’ll find it’s totally useless. Kind of like this whole load of horse manure!)
You gotta be kidding! If it weren’t for the dadburn gubmint getting involved with the insurance business in the first place (thank you Teddy “keep your head above the water” Kennedy), we’d have something called ‘hospitalization’ which WAS 80/20. They paid 80, we paid 20, and we also paid $15 or $20 max for doctors visits, unless a shot was involved, and then they added an extra $5 to your bill. Drugs were a boatload cheaper too…BEFORE the gubmint got involved!
At the bottom…there it is….
We are enclosing a check. Your rebate is $31.31.
Set off the fireworks! Pop the champagne corks! A whopping 31 smackers!
Gosh, we only coughed up about 15 freakin’ GRAND last year on my so called health insurance! You know…the same insurance that didn’t put out one single DIME on my knee replacement!
Thanks ever so much MR Obama! Now, I can buy some toilet paper!
ZoNation – The Individual Catdate
Neuter Your Pet or Pay Taxes
I just hate it when I miss a Zo video, but considering the last couple of months, it’s not surprising. sigh… There’s another newer one, but can’t find the embed code. 
Well, when I get it, I’ll post it! 
I hope.
The MAJORITY Don’t Want It!
We send people to Washington to represent OUR interests. Yeah, I know, they haven’t done that in quite a while. So, there are a few who represent some of the more ignorant of our country….nothing we can do about that…but the greater majority of us out here in the REAL world are rational human beings, and we know right from wrong. Burdening a nation that is already struggling to just survive with all of Obama’s socialist garbage is not rational, nor is it the right thing to do…for anyone. Yeah, the blood suckers want this type of government take over of their lives, the grown ups do not! Repeal that piece of garbage, and get the hell out of the health care industry…COMPLETELY! When people find themselves with little to no care at all from those who are suppose to care because of government, maybe they’ll snap out of it, but I doubt it.
Top 5 Reasons to Repeal Obamacare
The Foundry
The House is scheduled to vote today on full repeal of Obamacare. Although many reports are circulating that Congress has already voted on this numerous times, this is only the second time the House will have voted to fully repeal the law.
Heritage has laid out the impacts of Obamacare on the American people—and according to a poll released this week, a majority of Americans agree that Obamacare should be repealed. Health and Human Services (HHS) Secretary Kathleen Sebelius took to the pages of The Washington Post this week to re-argue the Administration’s positions, claiming basically the opposite of the havoc Obamacare is wreaking on the U.S. economy and health care system.
As Congress takes up the issue, we present the Top 5 Reasons to Repeal Obamacare:
5. To stop adding to the U.S. deficit and debt.
Medicare and Medicaid is pushing the federal budget to the breaking point. Obamacare makes the problem much worse by adding to the entitlement crisis in the form of a massive Medicaid expansion and a new entitlement subsidy for households with incomes up to 400 percent of the federal poverty level. These two spending entitlement programs will add at least 35 million Americans to the government rolls at an expense of more than $200 billion annually by the end of the decade.
4. To help stop Taxmageddon.
In addition to being a massive federal power grab, Obamacare contains a massive tax increase on the American economy—at a time when job growth should be the nation’s number one priority. In total, the Congressional Budget Office estimated the Obamacare tax hikes would raise about $800 billion in new revenue over a decade. Taxmageddon—the unprecedented, $494 billion tax hike scheduled to hit Americans on January 1, 2013 —includes just five of Obamacare’s 18 new taxes.
Told Ya!
