Berkeley

GOP Health Plan Could Be Bitter Pill For California

Published

8 years ago

March 12, 2017

By Chad Terhune, California Healthline

Republicans are touting their health plan as the right medicine for ailing insurance markets across the country, from Arizona to Tennessee.

But California never landed in sick bay. Its insurance exchange, Covered California, features the healthiest mix of customers nationwide, federal data show. That’s been instrumental in holding down rates and boosting enrollment to 1.5 million.

Now state and insurance industry officials fear the replacement plan for the Affordable Care Act, introduced by GOP leaders this week, would threaten those gains. They warn that the proposal, which would cut subsidies to lower-income consumers, could undermine the broader market, driving up premiums for the wide range of Californians who purchase their own coverage.

Republicans and some industry analysts say those fears are overblown and that the GOP replacement plan would strengthen the individual insurance market by lowering premiums for young, healthy people and offering more latitude on covered benefits. In any case, the Trump administration said the plan was not final, describing it as a “work in progress.”

Nearly 90 percent of Covered California enrollees rely on federal premium subsidies and many could drop coverage if they lose thousands of dollars in government assistance. And the ones who do stay insured are likely to be the sickest and costliest patients, according to some experts.

In response, health insurers would be forced to significantly raise rates in the individual market, both on and off the exchange. It could mark a return to the double-digit rate hikes routinely seen before the 2010 health law.

“The worst possible thing is a market that tends to just have sick people,” California Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones said. “That is exactly where the Republican proposal is taking us. It’s a recipe for disaster.”

Peter Lee, executive director of Covered California, predicts a downward spiral if only the sickest customers hang onto coverage. The net effect of the Republican proposal “would be to increase the costs for everyone in the individual market since the lower-income people that do enroll are likely to be sicker and costlier — raising the premiums paid by everyone covered.”

Under Obamacare, premium subsidies are tied to income and the local cost of coverage. The less people earn, the more financial assistance they receive. The Republican plan pegs premium tax credits only to age, starting out at $2,000 a year for people under 30 and increasing to $4,000 for those over 60.

Those credits begin to phase out for people making $75,000 a year or more.

The chief executive of Molina Healthcare, an insurer in Covered California and other exchanges, said the GOP’s age-based tax credits are inadequate for people to maintain insurance. Dr. J. Mario Molina said premium rate hikes could reach 30 percent next year in California and other states if Congress and the Trump administration don’t do more to stabilize the marketplaces. This year’s increase in California was an average of 13.2 percent.

“This bill is not making me more optimistic about the future of the marketplaces,” Molina said. “There is nothing here providing any comfort or relief.”

The Blue Cross Blue Shield Association, which represents California’s Anthem Blue Cross and other big insurers, expressed similar concerns in a letter this week to House Republicans.

“The flat tax credit which is adjusted by age, but not by income or premium, does not give healthy people enough incentive to stay in the market, especially in absence of an individual mandate,” the group wrote.

For more information go to Kaiser Health News.

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Progressive Missionary Baptist Church of Berkeley Celebrates 90th Anniversary

Dr. Earl C. Stuckey, Sr., who has served as Progressive Missionary’s pastor since September 1977, said the church also delights in the fact that it has hosted only five pastors in its 90-year history, including Pastors James E. Moore, H. A. Green, F. Douglas Farrell, and Edward Stovall, who served for 37 years.

Published

3 weeks ago

May 16, 2025

Oakland Post

Progressive Missionary Baptist Poster. Dr. Earl C. Stuckey, Sr., Pastor of Progressive Missionary Baptist Church in Berkeley with his wife, Kay Frances Stuckey.

By Oakland Post Staff

The Progressive Missionary Baptist Church of Berkeley is celebrating its 90th church anniversary on Sunday, May 18 at 10 a.m. at 3301 King Street in Berkeley.

The celebration will feature Pastor Darnell Manuel of the Union Baptist Church in Vallejo as guest speaker, along with many other special presentations.

Those who wish to share in Progressive’s history can purchase a 100-page full-colored souvenir book for $25.

The church boasts a number of notable people who either regularly attended or became members of the church since its inception, including former Alameda County Supervisor Keith Carson, Oakland mayoral candidate Loren Taylor, and one of the organizers of the Gospel Music Workshop of America, Helen J. H. Stephens.

Pastor Stuckey often remarks how longevity flourishes at the church — it boasts 13 centenarians (people who have reached 100 years or more). Currently, it has one centenarian who is still surviving, Mrs. Dorothy Chambers, and 14 members who have reached 90 years or more.

Recently, on Feb.17, the pastor and his wife Kay Frances, celebrated their 73rd wedding anniversary.

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Activism

Faces Around the Bay: Author Karen Lewis Took the ‘Detour to Straight Street’

“My life has been a roller-coaster with an unlimited ride wristband! I was raised in Berkeley during the time of Ron Dellums, the Black Panthers, and People’s Park. I was a Hippie kid, my Auntie cut off all our hair so we could wear the natural styles like her and Angela Davis.

Published

1 month ago

April 28, 2025

Oakland Post

Karen Lewis. Courtesy photo.

By Barbara Fluhrer

I met Karen Lewis on a park bench in Berkeley. She wrote her story on the spot.

I got married young, then ended up getting divorced, raising two boys into men. After my divorce, I had a stroke that left me blind and paralyzed. I was homeless, lost in a fog with blurred vision.

Jesus healed me! I now have two beautiful grandkids. At 61, this age and this stage, I am finally free indeed. Our Lord Jesus Christ saved my soul. I now know how to be still. I lay at his feet. I surrender and just rest. My life and every step on my path have already been ordered. So, I have learned in this life…it’s nice to be nice. No stressing, just blessings. Pray for the best and deal with the rest.

Nobody is perfect, so forgive quickly and love easily!”

Lewis’ book “Detour to Straight Street” is available on Amazon.

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Activism

Golden State Warriors Program Is Inspiring Next Generation of Female Engineers

Breaking down barriers and biases that deter young girls from pursuing STEAM subjects is essential for creating a level playing field and ensuring equal opportunities for all. By challenging stereotypes and promoting a culture of inclusivity and diversity in STEAM fields, experts believe young girls can be empowered to pursue their interests and aspirations without limitations confidently. Encouraging mentorship, providing access to resources, and celebrating girls’ achievements in STEAM are all crucial steps in creating a supportive environment that fosters success.

Published

3 months ago

March 23, 2025

Oakland Post

Front Row: UC Berkeley Steel Bridge Team Back Row: Girls, Inc. Participants. Photo courtesy of the Golden State Warriors.

By Y’Anad Burrell

The Golden State Warriors and e-commerce giant Rakuten are joining forces to inspire the next generation of female engineers through Building STEAM Futures, part of The City Calls campaign.

Organizers say the initiative is founded on the idea that science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics (STEAM) are crucial fields for innovation and progress, and empowering young girls to pursue careers in these areas is more important than ever. Studies consistently show that girls are underrepresented in STEAM fields, resulting in a gender disparity that limits potential and hinders diversity.

On Saturday, March 8, International Women’s Day, the Warriors and Rakuten hosted 20 middle school girls from Girls Inc. of Alameda County at Chase Center’s Above the Rim for a hands-on bridge-building experience. The young girls from Girls, Inc. of Alameda County had an opportunity to design, build and test their own bridge prototypes and learn the fundamentals of bridge construction from the Engineering Alliance and the UC Berkeley Steel Bridge Team.

This STEAM experience for the girls followed the first session in January, where they took a behind-the-scenes tour of the Golden Gate Bridge, learning about its design and construction from industry experts. The City Calls campaign, tipped off with the unveiling the Warriors’ new bridge-themed City Edition jerseys and court design earlier this year.