Kerry, Stabenow, Blumenthal Legislation Would Protect Retiree Health Coverage

[karynnj]

Senators John Kerry (D-Mass.), Debbie Stabenow (D-Mich.) and Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) today introduced legislation to protect and stabilize retiree health coverage. The Retiree Health Coverage Protection Act (S. 1088) would provide an additional $5 billion to the Early Retiree Reinsurance Program (ERRP) to help them afford health insurance and costly medical expenses. Kerry successfully included the ERRP in the Affordable Care Act last year.

http://politicalnews.me/?id=7717

This link, which contains a press release from Kerry's office explains this and another program that both use Kerry's reinsurance idea.

(You would think this bill that would protect the insurance that many in MA have would get coverage from the Boston Globe, which I guess is still waiting for Scott Brown to step up to champion health care issues.

[YvonneCa]

1. This is SO important. My family has experienced...

...early retirement (not by choice) both WITH and WITHOUT the health insurance gap benefit. It's frightening to have health issues and face NO coverage.

Edited to thank the senators for championing this cause. :)

[Mass]

2. The Globe is too busy reporting about the DC democrats trying to impose a candidate.

http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2011/05/28/democrats_fret_about_weak_challenge_to_brown/?page=2

BTW, Patty Murray statement is insane and makes we worry for this Senate seat. They seem about as much in tune with MA than they were when they did the ads for the Coakley campaign (where they fielded generic ads in a local special election). May be Senator Kerry could say a word to Patty Murray and ask her to stop disparaging the existing candidates. If a big name candidate runs, great, but if not, we do not need Brown showing her in her ads.

“As the ground has shifted for us over the past six months and people have been on the receiving end of the Republican agenda . . . it has reenergized a number of people who may have passed on running for election in the past,’’ said Murray. “That’s happening in Massachusetts as well as other states.’’

NOTE to the DSCC. MA elected only Democrats for statewide candidates and for the House. It may have escaped them because there was not a Senate seat to fill, but if somebody is too coward to run against Brown when it is hard, is it somebody we need as Senator? Is that her argument that Democrats should win? Not really convincing for me.

As for Elizabeth Warren, she has even less experience than Kazhei and Setti Warren running for anything. I love her and would have loved to see her run and still would welcome her if she did, but how do we know she has what it takes to run (different than to be a Harvard professor or working for an administration). Does the DSCC really want to put all its eggs in the same untested basket?

[Inuca]

4. Not a fan in general

but I do miss Schumer as head of the DSCC. He has the right personality for that, I think. Patty Murray... not so sure.

[Mass]

5. Doug Rubin on the efforts of the DSCC

Good to see I am not the only one holding this opinion.

http://www.bostonherald.com/news/columnists/view.bg?articleid=1343355

D.C. Dems are hurting chances to beat Scott Brown

By Doug Rubin
In recent weeks, there’s been a lot of behind-closed-doors buzz by Democratic officials in Washington about the need to recruit a “top-tier” candidate to run against Sen. Scott Brown. Stories have appeared in the New York Times , on the Associated Press wire and on the political blogs citing unnamed senior party leaders bemoaning the lack of a “high-profile” candidate, and detailing efforts to recruit someone to run.

...

The problem? That thinking has not led to electoral success recently in Massachusetts. Deval Patrick emerged from a hard-fought primary in 2006, against a candidate favored by many party insiders, to end 16 years of Republican control of the Corner Office. Scott Brown ran and won in 2010 only after higher-profile candidates like Andy Card declined to enter the special election. And Suzanne Bump survived a contested primary and won election as state auditor against a strong Republican challenger in November.

The speculation from D.C. hurts the existing field, which is already filled with strong, talented candidates. It keeps donors who are loyal to the party on the sidelines, and forces some very important grass-roots organizers to hold off from making a commitment to a candidate. It also creates media stories about the supposed weakness of the field, which is a disservice to those candidates who have chosen to run.

The best thing for our state is for candidates who feel like they have a compelling reason to run for U.S. Senate to get in early, do the hard work at the grass-roots level and broaden the Democratic message and vision. A clean, hard-fought primary will strengthen the party and energize the grass-roots.

If Democratic Party officials in D.C. have a preferred candidate, let us know who it is and get him or her up here to start doing the hard work it will take to win.
Talk right now is not only cheap, it’s hurting our chances of winning this Senate seat in 2012. Democratic Party leaders in D.C. need to go all in, or get out of the way.

Doug Rubin is the former chief of staff to Gov. Deval Patrick

[ObamaKerryDem]

3. This is great! This issue effects so many people..

..in so many different ways.