Paulsen changed his loyalties

Third District Congressman, Erik Paulsen, recently voted repeal the Affordable Care Act. With seven years to craft a new bill, the U.S. House of Representatives rushed through an unscored bill that gives tax cuts to those who are doing just find, cuts Medicaid for children’s health and nursing homes, lets insurance companies charge more for pre-existing conditions, brings back lifetime limits and other cruel and bankrupting features. But it keeps the little blue pill!

I believe that Erik ran for office intending to represent residents of the 3rd District. He did start out having town meetings. THen he stopped meetings and followed the party line — appearing to vote as he was told Call to his office got vague answers with the staff member who knew the details being out of the office that day. Continue reading “Paulsen changed his loyalties”

Paulsen fails his constituents

Rep. Erik Paulsen,

Who were you representing when you voted yes on the health care bill in the U.S. House of Representatives May 4? You weren’t supporting people in Minnesota with prior existing conditions (the $8 billion in funds for only five years doesn’t protect all of them). You weren’t supporting Minnesotans who may reach a lifetime cap on the amount of care they receive, and you weren’t supporting all Minnesotans needing affordable health care.

These are provisions which you previously stated needed to be in a bill if you were to support it. You weren’t even representing your constituents who believe in fiscal responsibility since you voted for this bill before the CBO had time to determine and release projected costs. Continue reading “Paulsen fails his constituents”

Paulsen vote deplorable

To the Editor:

Rep. Erik Paulsen voted fro the TrumpCare bill last week. It appears that Paulsen is a man without a conscience. How else do you explain his vote to rip away health insurance from 24 million Americans? How else do you explain his vote that may stop covering pre-existing conditions? How else do you explain his vote taking away a phenomenal amount of money to help the poorest of the poor and the sickest of the sick so he can additionally line the pockets of the wealthiest people in America, people that do no need the additional tax cuts? Does Paulsen have a conscience, a heart, a soul, and a mind of his own?

The day after this disgraceful and deplorable vote, I heard on Minnesota Public Radio that Paulsen had declined their requested interview. It is said that a picture speaks a thousand words. Paulsen’s one word — NO — also speaks a thousand words. That one word paints a picture of a man so embarrassed by his disgusting vote that he could not even face this constituents in the form a brief radio interview. What a shame! What a shameful act! Continue reading “Paulsen vote deplorable”

Fake

To the Editor:

My congressman, Rep. Erik Paulsen (R-Eden Prairie) has convinced me. He is a fake.

Mr. Paulsen didn’t earn my vote last November. But the Star Tribune had endorsed him as a reasonable, moderate Republican, so his re-election didn’t worry me then.

Now, I’m paying attention. Rep. Paulsen before Nov 9 was opposed to candidate Trump. After the election Paulsen proved too weak to stand up for Minnesotans against either President Trump or the Republican leadership. The fivethirtyeight.com website finds Mr. Paulsen’s votes are 100% supportive of President Trump. That makes him a fake moderate. Continue reading “Fake”

Retract Paulsen Endorsement

To the Editor:

The Star Tribune owes its readership an apology and must take some responsibility for the passage of the American Health Care Act (AHCA, aka Trumpcare) in the US House.

Rep. Erik Paulsen was endorsed for re-election in 2016 by this newspaper [1]. The editorial board told us “Paulsen has said he favors a nuanced, bipartisan fix on health care, which could make him a needed voice of reason in a Republican caucus that is fixated on just a wholesale repeal of the Affordable Care Act.” Continue reading “Retract Paulsen Endorsement”

Why the Focus on 5% of ACA?

I have to ask why Paulsen and the Republicans keep focusing on the 5 percent of the Affordable Care Act that has a problem, the individual market. What about the 95 percent that works? Millions of people who never had health care now get preventive care. Otherwise, they would present themselves in emergency rooms with acute illnesses, and many would die who didn’t need to.

The problem with the ACA is that not enough healthy people pay into it. Insurance works because everybody pays, even when you’re healthy, and then insurance pays when you get sick. This seems to be the thing that the Republicans hate. They don’t want people to be forced to pay for health insurance. Well, then, where is the money going to come from? It’s going to come from well people anyway through higher costs to hospitals for treating uninsured sick people, or to taxpayers. The bottom line is that under the American Health Care Act, fewer people will have health care, and we’ll still end up paying for them, only we’ll pay more. That’s not a good solution. Fix the ACA, don’t trash it. Also, look at all of the data, don’t just cherry-pick the data you like.

Martin Masters, Shoreview
Minneapolis Star Tribune, May 10, 2017

Erik Paulsen is a man of contradictions.

In his counterpoint, he states that the ACA is continuing to have negative impacts on families and “dramatically altered one-sixth of the nation’s economy.” He is correct that the ACA needs more work, and that health care is a large component of our economy. This makes me wonder why he then voted on the American Health Care Act before the Congressional Budget Office could issue a score to show the impact this new bill could have. A self-professed “math guy” should have waited to see how the new bill would affect his constituents, and all Americans, before voting.

Another contradiction comes from his stance on coverage for pre-existing conditions. He is on record as saying he wouldn’t support legislation that removes coverage for pre-existing conditions or causes higher premiums for those with pre-existing conditions. The AHCA says that people with pre-existing conditions cannot be denied, but there is language in the bill that allows insurers to drastically raise premiums based on pre-existing conditions and previous insurance. In essence, this would technically allow access to health care but would price people out of the market. His stance on this portion of the bill is particularly confusing given his work on human trafficking. Many victims of trafficking will have pre-existing conditions as defined by the AHCA, and will not have had consistent insurance, making them vulnerable to being priced out of the market at a time when they may need it most. Continue reading “Erik Paulsen is a man of contradictions.”

Paulsen’s claptrap

Paulsen’s claptrap counterpoint attempts to justify his support for the health care bill recently passed in the House. Much that he wrote is simply wrong. But what he does not say is more telling. He does not admit that the bill robs Medicaid of $880 billion over the next 10 years, threatening the health of millions of lower-income folks. Along with other changes like conversion of Medicaid into state block grants, health care will be rationed for a good slice of America. Paulsen also remains silent about enormous tax cuts the bill offers to our wealthiest folks. Here is the heart of the bill: a massive transfer of wealth from poorer people to richer people. The perfect Republican bill. Paulsen cannot defend this reverse Robin Hood policy, so his counterpoint just ignores it. Needless to say, he also continues to ignore his constituents, refusing to meet with them in a public setting. No wonder.

Edward Plaster, Edina
Minneapolis Star Tribune, May 10, 2017

Congressman, please hear us out, too.

I would like to thank U.S. Rep. Erik Paulsen for his editorial counterpoint on health policy changes in America (“My health care vote will put Minnesotans back in control,” May 9, responding to “A costly step back for U.S. health care,” May 7). As a cancer survivor (pre-existing condition) and self-employed person who buys health insurance on the individual market, I am following this issue very closely. I don’t agree with Paulsen’s vote in the House last week to “repeal and replace” major parts of the Affordable Care Act, but I appreciate getting some understanding of his reasoning. I fully agree with the sentiment in his closing paragraph: “At the same time, we must continue to have a thoughtful discussion on solutions that will provide high-quality, affordable health care coverage.” I respectfully submit that this is what Paulsen’s constituents have been requesting for years. I know many of his constituents — including fellow cancer survivors and caregivers — who are concerned and want desperately to have “thoughtful discussions” with him, but he will not hold town hall meetings. Please have real dialogue about this issue with your constituents in a truly open forum, congressman. It’s important, it’s serious, and your constituents deserve it.

Karen Laumb, St. Louis Park
Minneapolis Star Tribune, May 10, 2017

50 Preexisting Conditions That Can Make You Lose Your Insurance If Trump and GOP Have Their Way

The following article by Kali Holloway was posted on the AlterNet website May 6, 2017:

In the Republican approach to health care, the sick could be priced out of the insurance they so desperately need.

Credit: ABC News

Republicans have made more than 50 attempts to destroy the Affordable Care Act since its passage in 2009. They made their most successful attempt to date on Thursday, when House GOP members voted to repeal and replace the ACA with their own health care plan. According to estimates, the Republican bill “will create tax breaks worth about $600 billion that will mostly go to health insurance companies, prescription drug manufacturers and the wealthy.” The GOP plan will also cut Medicaid by about $880 billion, draining funds for special education programs in K-12 schools around the country and leaving an estimated 24 million Americans without insurance, among many other consequences. Brand new bill, same GOP cruelty and greed.

One of the most discussed problems with the American Health Care Act, or Trumpcare, is that it would allow states to let health care providers charge people more for coverage. That means the sick could actually be priced out of the insurance they desperately need. The people most likely to suffer under the new Republican are older people and people in rural America, who overwhelmingly went for Trump. In fact, the 11 states with the highest number of adults with preexisting conditions all voted to live in Trump’s America. Continue reading “50 Preexisting Conditions That Can Make You Lose Your Insurance If Trump and GOP Have Their Way”