The House passed a repeal of the Affordable Care Act and a replacement health care bill on Thursday, but one bishop warned that the new bill poses serious problems for the vulnerable.
Bishop Frank Dewane, chair of the domestic justice committee for the U.S. bishops’ conference, said the legislation “still contains major defects, particularly regarding changes to Medicaid that risk coverage and affordability for millions.”
Bishop Dewane expressed serious concerns about the legislation although he commended its pro-life provisions.
As the revised health care bill re-surfaced recently in the House, Bishop Dewane said that “serious flaws” still remained, like changes to Medicaid that eventually capped the Medicaid expansion and a lack of conscience protections for doctors and health care providers.
Revisions to the bill included allowing states to determine “essential health benefits,” or benefits that health plans had to include under the ACA which included hospitalizations and maternity care.
Also, under the new bill states could charge more per person based on their health history, which the ACA forbade, provided they set up high-risk pools.
Bishop Dewane warned that proposed amendments “could severely impact many people with pre-existing conditions while risking for others the loss of access to various essential coverages.”
The bill “as it now stands, creates new and grave challenges for poor and vulnerable people, including immigrants,” he said April 27. “The House must not pass the legislation as it is. Members should insist on changes, especially for the sake of those who are struggling in our communities.”
Full story at Catholic News Agency.
imagine if the voice the same concern about the overall crisis in the Church and abortion…..but no they think social justice will lead souls to heaven. Their continuing efforts to turn the Church into leftist NGO
So what! These unhappy bishops are charged with care of souls, they are not supposed to be social workers carrying out “social justice” projects. Get your flocks back in the pews gentlemen, and teach them the faith. You are responsible for getting those in your spiritual care to heaven.
Amazing. President Trump moves to protect Christians opposing abortion and gay marriage, yet these so called religious leaders choose to read from the talking papers of the dimmocrats. Has their political loyalties so overcome their reason that they cannot see defending the so called “Obamacare” does nothing to really deliver health care to those who need it? When will they drop their political idolatry and start caring again for the people being buried in premiums they can’t pay and deductibles so high they can’t get care?
Pope Francis said: “Health is not a consumer good, but a universal right. So access to health services cannot be a privilege.”
Many Americans don’t believe that.
The bishops cannot be serious about real healthcare if they are promoting the debacle known as Obamacare. Premiums are sky high and rising and deductibles so huge people can’t afford any health services they need. Are the bishops seriously backing that? This effort by the president and the republicans is the first step on getting a real plan in place that really does provide health care. They need to stop taking their talking points from the DNC.
Then the Pope needs to put Church more assets $$$$$ into the Health Care of 3rd World Countries.
Even the Pope must practice what he preaches.
Bob One,
Health care is a right. But liberals get this confused with the government giving people welfare. A right means that the government CAN NOT prevent you from utilizing your right.
Obamacare denies rights by limiting the healthcare that people can receive. Republicans, on the other hand, have never infringed upon this right.
Bob One, Pope Francis thinks there are good Marxists as well, he said he knew them in Argentina. Not once thinking of how the ideology they espouse wiped out millions of Christian souls in the 20th century.
Bishop Dewane needs to read the US Constitution. It is not the responsibility of the Federal Government to provide healthcare of any kind.
However, having the States make the decisions for their own people is Representative Government at its best. It is much easier for those living within one State to control who their government official are and what they do – – -via an election rather than the residents of the entire Country.
False. Those with pre-existing conditions are covered.
The repeal of the ACA left in a provision for States t decide if they want to include pre-existing conditions in their Medicaid plans. Coverage for pre-existing conditions would be at market rates in a high-risk pool. They included an appropriation for part of the costs that covers about two weeks of the cost. What is a pre-existing condition? The insurance industry defines it as a condition for which you sought and received medical attention, or (this is big) a condition for which you should have sought and received medical help. So what is a pre-existing condition? Pre-diabetes, heart mummer, difficult pregnancy or C-Section, mental issues, high blood pressure, and it goes on. In other words, nearly everyone will be in a high risk…
If your insurance laws in CA are not acceptable, have them changed through your State Legislators.
After all you elected them.
Insurance laws vary from State to State. And this includes definitions.
If you have questions, check with the “California Dept of Insurance”. Each State has one.
MAC: Read the preamble of the US Constitution. It contains the phrase: “promote the General welfare”. Enacting laws regarding health care would promote the general welfare. Perhaps more so than wasting money on an ineffective border wall.
And you Harold, should read the Bible.
Jesus makes us as Individuals help those in need.
Jesus did not preach to governments.
Harold, slowing and assisting our US Border patrol regarding :
drug trafficking, sex trafficking, Latin American Gangs and Cartels, ILLEGAL immigration, etc – makes the Border Wall most appropriate – in protecting our General Welfare.
Health care for those in the USA LEGALLY has nothing to do with the Border Wall.
(Legal immigrants, and legal migrant workers are most welcome in the USA, ILLEGALs are not.)
H, James Madison, Father of the Constitution, refutes definitively this very point in Federalist 41, second to last paragraph:
“Nothing is more natural nor common than first to use a general phrase, and then to explain and qualify it by a recital of particulars. But the idea of an enumeration of particulars which neither explain nor qualify the general meaning, and can have no other effect than to confound and mislead, is an absurdity, . . .”
Not to worry, a common error.
Who wrote/edited this headline?? Last time I checked, Roman Catholic Bishops have no authority to repeal legislation. They may properly exert moral suasion to suggest changes to proposed or enacted legislation. However, Congress and the President still have the FINAL say.
Could we get more than a faint whimper of approval from ANYONE at the USCCB regarding the present administration defunding Planned Parenthood? Why do we hear so many bishops against Trump and yet never so vocal against Obama, Hilary, Pelosi, Schumer, Biden et al?
Paul: I’ve read the entire Bible numerous times and pray the rosary every day. Perhaps you should become more familiar with the social teachings of the Roman Church. Having lived in San Diego for many years, it is obvious that the Border Wall is NOT working. The drug cartels and human traffickers build lots of tunnels under the wall!
You are right about that Bob One, Health care is NOT a right, I do not believe in paying for other people’s healthcare. You really want to bring down the cost of healthcare, take the government out of it…
The Pope, and many of his predecessors said essentially the same thing, “Health is not a consumer good, but a universal right. So access to health services cannot be a privilege.” It is beyond me why we are the only modern nation in the world without universal health care available to everyone. The Church teaches that we are in communion with each other. The country teaches that we are to provide for the common good. So, not being willing to support good health care is against the teaching of the Church, and it is un-American. Shame!
Bob One,
Health care is a right. But liberals get this confused with the government giving people welfare. A right means that the government CAN NOT prevent you from utilizing such right.
Obamacare denies the right to healthcare by limiting the healthcare that people can receive. Republicans, on the other hand, have never infringed upon this right.
Uh I am not in communion with non-believers and guess what the Pope is wrong. No one is denied health care what you want is other people paying for it. Like most liberals you think there is an endless stream of other peoples money that must be confiscated by the government. It will be a great day when the entire system collapse from its weight and government is reduced to size of a pin
Everyone pays for the roads we like to drive on and everyone should help pay for a health care system that serves all US citizens and legal residents. Bob One – your comments are spot on!
Spot on. And since we also have other rights as well, the government should also provide everyone with computers, phones and guns to facilitate our exercise of freedoms of speech, the press, and bearing arms.
George, can you think of any more?
US Bishops. A more deficient assemblage of economic illiterates there never was. As you were; might congress be in session?
Happily, the bishops’ political fortunes could be described as “on DeWane”.
In my state you must have car insurance. Why not health insurance? In my state you have a transportation tax to provide for better roads, and mass transit. Why not health insurance? Why is the general welfare of a person’s health different from other common items for which we pay? We pay for schools? Why not health care? Why should the quality of a person’s health care depend on their wealth? The ACA had flaws that could be fixed. The new plan is simply a transfer of money to rich insurance companies. I still don’t get why people want to deny other people good health care. It seems immoral. Other countries have figured it out, why can’t we?
Bob One,
The more the government gets into our health care, the more our right to healrh care is placed at risk. Also, excess government involvement reduces competition which drives up prices.
Right, US Bishops in chorus with Elizabeth Warren: “If you don’t enact our proposals, PEOPLE WILL DIE!”
Remy, the comedian and political lampoonist, tells us Congressman Max Hyperbole “blood is on our hands..”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eXWhbUUE4ko
PEOPLE WILL DIE!