Securing sufficient votes to repeal Obamacare remains a distant dream What’s Trending Jul 21, 2017

After two more Republican senators pulled their support from the Trump administration’s health care bill on July 18, 2017, effectively killing the bill, President Trump called a late night meeting of the GOP senators on July 19, 2017, in an effort to revive it. However, the meeting, which lasted almost three hours, proved futile as they could not secure sufficient votes to either start a Senate debate over the revised health care bill or repeal Obamacare. Despite the unsuccessful outcome, Republican senators still seem optimistic. Though the initial plan was to get in health care stalwarts and chiefs of staff to chair the discussions, the plan was reviewed at a later stage, to restrict the meeting to members only as Sen. John Kennedy felt that they were at their best when they’re among themselves.

As the night progressed, the Republicans did not have concrete evidence to show that they had overcome the stumbling blocks, which had hindered their earlier efforts. Around 20 Republicans, moderates and conservatives, including top Medicaid official Seema Verma and Health and Human Service Secretary Tom Price, tried to sort out the differences over Medicaid, reducing premiums and coverage numbers. According to Sen. Jerry Moran, the discussions during the meeting zeroed down to identifying the reasons why members are not in favor of voting for the bill. Sen. Dan Sullivan added that, on the whole, the meeting wasn’t about specifics or any numbers, rather the gathering focused on a larger range of issues.

Although the senators left pondering a planned vote during the following week, they were not sure of its feasibility. With Sen. John McCain, being treated for cancer, and Senators Rand Paul and Susan Collins opposing the bill, a successful outcome seems to be a distant dream. The meeting culminated with President Trump ordering the senators to remain in Washington D.C. until the passage of the bill to repeal and replace the 2010 Health Act.

Mental health crisis in America is real

The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) says, “Research on mental health epidemiology shows that mental disorders are common throughout the United States, affecting tens of millions of people each year, and that, overall, only about half of those affected receive treatment”. Nevertheless, the mental health crisis in America is real and more Americans battle mental health disorders than one can even imagine.

Unfortunately, the stigma surrounding mental health disorders, the fear of being branded a lunatic, and/or ostracized from society, have made it tremendously tough for those struggling with them to be able to speak out it openly. It is sad to note that innumerable vulnerable individuals do not view mental health issues in the same manner as other chronic physical health ailments such as diabetes and hypertension. It is high time that discussing mental health is no longer treated as a taboo.

Hooked Sober is a source of information on drugs, alcohol, eating disorders and mental disorders. Please send your questions, concerns or comments to editor@hookedsober.com or speak to a representative at 866-838-4087.

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