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Judge in Alien Enemies Act case chides DOJ lawyer over refusal to answer key questions about deportations; National Park layoffs impact AR economy; Experts say cuts to NOAA could impact MT fire, weather warnings; Alarming violence rates continue against Indigenous women.

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Trump Administration fights a court order on deportation flights, as lawyers say the government is overreaching on expelling migrants, and NOAA cuts could spell trouble for those concerned about weather emergencies.

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Farmers worry promised federal reimbursements aren't coming while fears mount that the Trump administration's efforts to raise cash means the sale of public lands, and rural America's shortage of doctors has many physicians skipping retirement.

GOP Health Plan Would Hit Seniors Hard, says AARP

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Wednesday, March 15, 2017   

HARTFORD, Conn. – Advocates for seniors in Connecticut say older Americans would end up paying much more for insurance under the Republicans' proposed health-care law. The Congressional Budget Office analysis of the plan, released Monday, says there would be winners and losers.

A single, 21-year-old earning just over $26,000 a year would save about $250 under the Republican plan. But a 64-year-old with the same income would see premium costs skyrocket from $1,700 a year to more than $14,000.

Nora Duncan, state director of AARP Connecticut, says that simply isn't fair.

"The older you are, but yet not Medicare-eligible, and the less income you have, the worse it is," she explained. "It is impossible for anyone to pay more than half of their income into healthcare."

The Trump administration says the CBO analysis is wrong because it doesn't include further regulatory reforms or other legislation yet to be introduced.

While the CBO analysis projects more than $300 billion in savings to the federal government over ten years, mostly by lowering Medicaid spending, Duncan points out that will potentially shift billions in expenses to the states.

"We have to change the way we are handling Medicaid expansion and programs that help keep people at home instead of putting them in more costly nursing homes, which wouldn't be guaranteed under this new plan anyway," she said.

And she says the Republican health-care proposal would jeopardize Medicare as well, depleting the fund up to four years earlier than projected under the current law.

Duncan emphasizes that AARP is looking forward to working with members of Congress from both sides of the aisle on a responsible way to advance health-care reform.

"In Connecticut and across the country, we need a health-care system that lowers costs, protects consumers and offers everyone access to quality care," she added. "But this proposed legislation is not the answer."


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