e-News 11/4/16

• Obamacare Open Enrollment: Open Season on Americans’ Wallets?
• Giving Hope to Homeless Veterans
• Obama Leadership Vacuum
• “The Next President and the Middle East”
• “Malaysia is the Next Asian Country to Embrace China”
• “America’s Latest South China Sea Freedom of Navigation Operation: More Harm than Good”
• “U.S. Europe at Odds over Revolutionary Guard-backed Airline”
• Salute: East Hanover Police Chief Stanley Hansen

 

Obamacare Open Enrollment: Open Season on Americans’ Wallets?

Open enrollment for Obamacare, or the Affordable Care Act (ACA), started this week. Problems with the law mean consumers could face significant rate hikes and have fewer health plans from which to choose.

New Jersey residents can choose only between plans from Horizon Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Jersey or AmeriHealth New Jersey.  Insurance plans from Oscar, UnitedHealthcare and Health Republic of New Jersey will no longer be offered in our state for 2017, which tells us something about the ACA. 

The Associated Press reported this week that Americans in the health insurance markets will have less choice next year than any time since the program started.

And last week, the Obama Administration announced that benchmark plans offered on the Obamacare exchanges would see, on average, a 25 percent increase in their premiums for 2017. That’s nearly four times greater than what the Congressional Budget Office had projected for next year!

With costs rising, for far too many Americans, Obamacare open enrollment means it’s open season on their wallets. Eye-popping premium hikes are just more evidence that Obamacare is not working.

There is a better way. Republicans are offering a plan to repeal Obamacare, and replace it with real, patient-centered solutions that fit your needs and your budget. We don't have to accept this kind of sticker shock.

The House Leadership’s plan, A Better Way, would give patients and families more control to choose the plan that best meets their needs—not Washington’s dictates. Among its important provisions, the plan will:

• Make it easier to take insurance from job to job.
• Expand health saving accounts (HSAs).
• Give small businesses more leverage to negotiate better rates, and
• Allow health insurance to be sold across state lines. 

All of this will help lower premiums. And instead of Washington at the center of your health care, it will be you and your doctor.

Learn more here.

Hope for Homeless Veterans

I was honored to attend the Hope for Veterans “Stand Down” for homeless and at-risk veterans at the Ukrainian American Cultural Center in Hanover Township this week.  It’s a great annual event during which homeless veterans, or those at risk of becoming homeless, receive personalized, one-on-one guidance to over 50 free federal, state and private supportive services. In addition to Community Hope's housing and homeless prevention programs, a wide variety of representatives at the event provided social and personal care, legal advice, health and dental screenings, clothing, nutritious meals, housing referrals, VA benefits, and employment assistance.

No veteran should be without a place to call home and the House Appropriations Committee has dedicated significant funding to the Veterans Administration’s (VA) campaign to end homelessness among those who have served.  This year, due to our concern about the VA’s  efforts  to  reduce  homelessness among female veterans, and particularly those with dependent children, we urged the VA  to  work  to  provide  equal  treatment  and  assistance  for  female veterans and veterans with children.

Obama Leadership Vacuum

Three more articles that are worth a read!

Read the Washington Post editorial, “The Next President and the Middle East,” here.

“Malaysia is the Next Asian Country to Embrace China”

Read Simon Denyer’s article in the Monday Washington Post here.

“America’s Latest South China Sea FONOP Did More Harm than Good”

Read James Holmes piece in The National Interest here.

“U.S. Europe at Odds over Revolutionary Guard-backed Airline”

This article is worth a read!

Salute:  Congratulations, thank you and best wishes to East Hanover Police Chief Stanley Hansen who retired this week after 43 years with the department and 25 years as Chief.  To his great credit, Chief Stanley is responsible for hiring every member of today’s East Hanover Police Department!