September 21, 2023 Breaking News, Latest News, and Videos

LA County Board of Supervisors Accuse Would-Be Repealers of Obamacare to be Playing With People’s Lives

As the Senate prepared to vote to open debate on the repeal of the Affordable Care Act, or Obamacare, members of the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors Tuesday accused legislators of playing with people’s lives and failing to seek input from those charged with providing care.

Supervisor Mark Ridley-Thomas said healthcare was a critical focus of a meeting last weekend of the National Association of Counties.

“The healthcare debate should be about improving outcomes and not just a budget exercise,” Ridley-Thomas said, citing broad consensus among county officials nationwide, without regard to partisan politics.

If Obamacare is repealed, Congress will create “a massive cost shift … for counties to bear” and given its size, “Los Angeles County would be the county most adversely impacted,” Ridley-Thomas said, adding that the county could stand to lose as much as $1 billion in funding.

Supervisor Kathryn Barger, who also attended the NACO meeting and is the sole Republican on the non-partisan county board, agreed.

“It’s being done in Washington without seeking the input of the providers,” Barger said. “It’s people’s lives being played as a political pawn.”

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is pressing for a vote, though it remained unclear Tuesday morning whether senators would be asked to open debate on a replacement healthcare bill or a repeal without a ready alternative.

Republicans have long sought to repeal the healthcare law, saying it has driven the cost of healthcare premiums and deductibles up to a level that many Americans can’t afford and created insurance market imbalances that cannot be sustained.

President Donald Trump pushed Congress to fulfill its pledge to repeal the ACA in a speech Monday, calling Obamacare “disastrous” and a “nightmare.”

County officials are particularly concerned about cuts to Medicaid as a result of a repeal, saying that cuts would disproportionately affect elderly and disabled individuals and take away a critical tool in fighting the opioid epidemic nationwide.

Nearly two-thirds of 2011 Medicaid expenditures benefited disabled and elderly Americans, even though they made up less than one-fourth of the program’s enrollees, according to NACO. That data predates the roll-out of the ACA, which expanded access to Medicaid.

LA County

in News
Related Posts

Plant-Based Deli Opening on Montana Avenue

September 21, 2023

September 21, 2023

It Is Described as a “Casually Gourmet” Space With “Take a Number” Paper Tickets A fresh, plant-based sub-sando concept is...

Exclusive: One of the West Coast’s Most Celebrated Ice Cream Shops To Open in Brentwood

September 20, 2023

September 20, 2023

Interview With Co-Founder Kim Malek Talks About Their Hopes For Their New Shop By Dolores Quintana It’s been six long...

Innovative Grant Meant to Boost Santa Monica Police Safety Efforts In Retail Stores

September 20, 2023

September 20, 2023

Collaborative Funding Enhances Crime Prevention and Public Safety By Dolores Quintana Governor Gavin Newsom announced this week that the Santa...

Andeana Hats Presents Exclusive Events at Water Garden in Santa Monica

September 19, 2023

September 19, 2023

Join The Hat Brand for a Day of Fashion and Fun, Open to All, with RSVP By Dolores Quintana Andeana...

Opera Under the Stars: Santa Monica’s Night of Enchantment

September 19, 2023

September 19, 2023

Don Giovanni at the Santa Monica Pier Live Broadcast By Dolores Quintana Join the Los Angeles Opera for an unforgettable...

Grammy-Winning Jazz Icon to Perform at Santa Monica Performing Arts Center, Mentor SMC Students

September 19, 2023

September 19, 2023

Clarke’s Impressive Body of Work Includes 70 Film and Television Scores, Leading To Three Emmy Nominations and a BMI Award...

Emily Dickinson Musical Theatre Tribute Coming to Santa Monica

September 19, 2023

September 19, 2023

It Will Celebrate Dickinson With Spoken Renditions of Her Writings and Music Compositions Inspired by Her Poems The Verdi Chorus...

(Video) Seniors on Walkers Using Bike Lane to Avoid Homeless Encampments

September 19, 2023

September 19, 2023

Elderly who reside at a Venice daycare center are resorting to the bike lane on their daily walk to avoid...

SMMUSD Assistant Superintendent Passes Away at 46

September 19, 2023

September 19, 2023

She Dedicated Six Years to SMMUSD in Her Current Role Dr. Jacqueline Mora, the Assistant Superintendent of Educational Services at...

Santa Monica Serial Killer Charged in Homicide of Cellmate

September 19, 2023

September 19, 2023

The Man Pleaded Guilty Last Year in the Murder of Several Victims Including Three in Santa Monica By Zach Armstrong...

Santa Monica City Council Proclaims Official Start of Hispanic Heritage Month

September 18, 2023

September 18, 2023

The City Has Numerous Activities To Celebrate Latinos and Their History  By Dolores Quintana The City Council of Santa Monica...

Developer to Propose Five Story Mixed-Use Project Across Metro Terminus

September 18, 2023

September 18, 2023

The Project Would Include 6,883 Square Feet of Ground Floor Commercial Space By Zach Armstrong Local real estate developer Worthe...

Drunk Driver Arrested For Crashing Into SMPD Officer

September 15, 2023

September 15, 2023

The Officer Had Been Ejected From Her Scooter By Zach Armstrong At the intersection of Yale Street and Santa Monica...

Beloved Palisadian Book & Antique Shop Set to Close

September 15, 2023

September 15, 2023

Its Walls Are Covered With Ceiling-Reaching Book Shelves Displaying an Impressive Collection By Zach Armstrong Collection Antiques and Books, a...

Environmentalists Crash Retailer’s Grand Opening in West L.A. Over Controversial Restoration Project

September 15, 2023

September 15, 2023

The Store’s Nonprofit Partner Supports a Controversial Preservation Project By Zach Armstrong REI Co-op is a Seattle retailer that sells...