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Will not vote for health care.

Finally someone with a little foresight

👍

I was always a fan of McCain. Not because of this specifically (although, yes, also bc of this). But he's remained more principled than most. Granted, you could see him cave occasionally for the sake of being more electable during his presidential run (Sarah Palin anyone?), but he was considered much more right-wing when he began his political career and is now seen as more moderate. Not because he changed, but because everything changed around him. He remained largely steady, and true to his principles.

I work at a company that does a lot of financing in the healthcare industry. Every version of this bill that Republicans have introduced has sent the industry into a riot. And it's not a "blue" company or industry as a whole (nor is it red, to be fair, but there's no decided leaning to a particular party). With enough really smart people, who work with this stuff every day of their careers, say these bills would be downright genocidal to various aspects of the industry that patients rely on, I'm inclined to believe them.

And, frankly, he also has perspective. When asked about Obama's citizenship at a debate (during the Trump-led birther nonsense), he said something to the affect of "Mr. Obama is a good man and a great American citizen. We disagree on the direction this country should go, and that's all this campaign is about." I'd have been ok with that man as my President, despite our policy differences. And given the rise of Trump, one wonders if that sort of congeniality may have cost him some votes.

From what I understand this new health bill is another piece of shit that doesn't guarantee people with preexisting conditions, the elderly, disabled etc can't be priced out of insurance by the insurance companies, so I say GO McCain! Said it before, don't often find myself agreeing with McCain on policy, but he's not a piece of shit like many other politicians. It's awesome when his spine doesn't turn to jelly and he sticks to his morals.

Can't believe Trump was behind this bill, he'll stand behind anything if they tell him "it's anti Obama something, something."

Does anyone here actually have Ocare?

I know people who do and rely on it. In fact, I know a KMC member with a serious health issue that would likely be dead without the ACA.

McCain will only vote for it if it's bi partisan. Where was this voice when there was no big partisanship passed on Christmas eve in the middle of the night?

Originally posted by Sable
McCain will only vote for it if it's bi partisan. Where was this voice when there was no big partisanship passed on Christmas eve in the middle of the night?

I think in his mind he's just playing up his "maverick" persona.

Originally posted by Surtur
I think in his mind he's just playing up his "maverick" persona.

McCain won't suck Trump's dick rank and file like others do; this is the problem you have with him, Surt. Be real for a minute in your drugged fueled life.

Originally posted by Robtard
McCain won't suck Trump's dick rank and file like others do; this is the problem you have with him, Surt. Be real for a minute in your drugged fueled life.

No, that isn't my problem. My problem is dipshit thinks he is a "maverick" like I just said.

He's not, but it's okay.

Sure, sure, just so happens you had no problem with him until he started his feud with Trump. Must just be another weird coincidence.

ps He earned the "Maverick" moniker from Republican/Conservatives, not Democrats/Liberals

Originally posted by Sable
Does anyone here actually have Ocare?

Did for a couple years. Not anymore. It helped in that interim, though. Also like Rob, I know someone who would likely be dead without it. The kid's family has lost friends over their vitriol toward Trump, not because they were so anti-Republican across the board, but because they literally wouldn't have a living son had OCare not been in place. When it hits home like that, it's hard not to be passionate.

Originally posted by Surtur
I think in his mind he's just playing up his "maverick" persona.

I'm unconcerned whether you're right or wrong here. But what leads you to believe this? It seems like an awfully hard opinion to substantiate.

How did you actually use it and what was your deductible?

As long as he never said he'd go one way with it and then went the other way. I respect McCain for never wavering.

Originally posted by Sable
How did you actually use it and what was your deductible?

Lol, I'm flattered you think I have a memory for this kind of stuff. I don't even think I could access my old CareSource account to look it up, since it's been defunct for a couple years. Maybe $2,000? I didn't keep the greatest financial records at the time, so it's mostly guesswork. My trials with medical costs were actually one of the things that caused me to track stuff more closely.

My friend had it worse. Juggling jobs through life-alteringly horrible circumstances with his son, his medical costs would have ended up well into six figures. In other words, his son would have died, because they didn't have access to nearly those kind of funds, and they would have spent the next decade of their lives paying bills for a dead child. It's chilling to hear him talk about it, because in his hospital-hopping for various rare services and procedures, he also met other parents in the same boat, some of whom didn't fare as well.

I'm not entirely comfortable talking about medical conditions to strangers, but there were a couple things that bled into my OCare coverage that occurred when I had been under a former employer's insurance, as well as for certain medications. Fortunately my health concerns have been past me for a few years, so toward the end it was mostly inert. I'm on an HSA plan with my current employer, which is better for my current situation. Trump actually ostensibly likes HSAs (which, it should be noted, tend to favor the wealthy), and wanted (wants?) to bolster them. It was one of the few things I was kinda looking forward to about his presidency. Alas, we get this cluster instead.

I'm pretty surprised by this, as he was signaling a week ago that he might vote for this despite his problems with the process.

This likely kills the bill. Collins is leaning no, and Murkowski will probably end up going no as well.

Will be interested to see if McConnel brings it up to a vote next week even if he knows it won't pass.