Manchin hosts roundtable on pre-existing conditions

[TexasTowelie]

Health care, for many Americans, is personal.

Nearly every comment made Monday morning at a Beckley roundtable on pre-existing conditions began with a personal anecdote.

One man discussed how his premiums have risen since he's grown older. Another man talked about the costs of coverage for his wife's Crohn's disease. One woman said one round of chemo for her daughter is $100,000.

U.S. Senator Joe Manchin, D-W.Va., heard these accounts and many others during the roundtable, hosted at the Raleigh County Commission on Aging. Behind Manchin stood four poster boards with a list of a number of pre-existing conditions, from acne and asthma to high cholesterol and heart conditions.

Twenty U.S. Attorneys General filed a lawsuit earlier this year arguing the Affordable Care Act (ACA), also known as Obamacare, is unconstitutional after the elimination of the individual mandate penalty. Last month, the U.S. Department of Justice announced it would no longer defend the suit.

Read more: http://www.register-herald.com/news/manchin-hosts-roundtable-on-pre-existing-conditions/article_97f1fcea-fa10-5534-b575-e3b7a0d41ae6.html

[still_one]

1. They can thank the republicans and the trump administration for helping those premiums go higher,

based on the dismantling of the ACA that they are doing, and it appears things are going to get a lot worse since they are now working toward eliminating the pre-existing condition clause

Perhaps they should consider how they will be voting in the midterms more seriously because may be getting personal for many of them

[CozyMystery]

5. Maybe. My husband won't change his mind even though 5 of us have pre-existing conditions.

My kids tell me they hate him for that. He has Medicare. We don't understand why my husband is against healthcare for all -- except Narcissism.

[still_one]

6. I am sorry if I sound insensitive regarding your spouse, but that is pure selfishness in my view.

I wonder if he would feel the same way if Medicare was affected, because there is a real danger of both Medicare and Social Security on the chopping block

[CozyMystery]

10. You don't sound insensitive.

He would be really pissed if his Medicare and SS were messed with.

[still_one]

11. Then I hope that he would empathize and put himself in your shoes and have a change of heart,

because things can change in a New York minute

[still_one]

12. Then I hope that he would empathize and put himself in your shoes and have a change of heart,

because things can change in a New York minute

[cbreezen]

2. Recommended reading, though I'm not feeling the love...

People will always vote for the Republican, rather than the Democrat who pretends to be a Republican.

Having said that, I understand the dynamics he's facing. He's dealing with a state full of people who don't seem to mind voting against their own best interests.

[TexasTowelie]

3. I believe that Manchin is on the plus side of the polls in his race for reelection.

While he is too conservative for my personal tastes, if he has what it takes to keep a Republican from gaining the office then I support him.

[cbreezen]

4. Good to hear.

[Fullduplexxx]

7. Didnt he vote for kavanaugh?

[TexasTowelie]

8. I don't know whether he voted for Kavanaugh or not.

Regardless, Manchin is the Democratic nominee for Senate so I wouldn't withhold my support from him. Just because a senator voted to confirm Kavanaugh for an appeals court does not mean that he will vote to confirm him as a Supreme Court justice.

[Staph]

9. He has been holding town halls for years,

unlike any of his opponents. I attended one of those town halls in the spring of 2017, and spoke on my healthcare issues with a pre-existing condition. He listened and agreed to continue his support for the ACA. He also talked about Planned Parenthood. He was initially opposed, as a Catholic, until women explained to him all of the services that PP supplied, and what a small percentage of their services are abortion-related. He now supports Planned Parenthood.

Manchin, like all politicians, looks to his re-election first. That's why some of his positions drive DU crazy. But he can be persuaded. He actually listens to his constituents, as opposed to the Republicans who only listen to big money.