Elections
Tiffany Smiley: I’m running for Senate because there’s still so much worth fighting for
On the most recent episode of “The Sara Carter Show” podcast, Republican Senate candidate Tiffany Smiley said she’s challenging Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA) because the senator “has put Washington DC ahead of Washington state” and has “forgotten the struggle.” Murray was Washington state’s first female senator and has been in office for nearly 30 years. Smiley is the only Republican candidate in the race, thus far.
“I refuse to sit on the sidelines and watch my children’s future be diminished,” Smiley said. “We are a family that had been affected by bad policy.”
Sixteen years ago, Smiley’s husband Scotty lost his eyes in combat. During his recovery, the Smileys came to see that Veterans Affairs had many shortfalls. Smiley took her complaints straight to the White House. After fighting for attention on the issue she got customer service training for the VA and cut back on red tape around grants.
“In what other country could you stand up to the government to advocate for something better and see it happen?” Smiley said.
Smiley says while some might see her as an underdog, lately every senate race counts. “This race has national implications because we have a 50/50 senate,” Smiley said.
You can follow Jenny Goldsberry on Twitter @jennyjournalism
Senator Elizabeth Warren of Massachusetts, a longtime supporter of the Affordable Care Act, commonly known as Obamacare, is now acknowledging the unintended consequences of the healthcare legislation, particularly its impact on industry consolidation and rising healthcare prices.
Warren, who has been a vocal proponent of Obamacare, has recently had what the Wall Street Journal reported as an “epiphany” regarding the consequences of the healthcare law. In a letter addressed to the Health and Human Services Department inspector general, Warren, along with Senator Mike Braun of Indiana, expressed concerns about vertically-integrated healthcare companies potentially increasing prescription drug costs and evading federal regulations.
According to reports from Fox News, the bipartisan letter highlighted issues with the nation’s largest health insurers allegedly bypassing Obamacare’s medical loss ratio (MLR). According to Warren, these insurers, through vertical integration, have manipulated the system, leading to “sky-high prescription drug costs and excessive corporate profits.”
The senators detailed how conglomerates, like UnitedHealth Group, with ownership across various healthcare sectors, could inflate medical payments to pharmacies and, by realizing those payments on the pharmacy side, appear to comply with MLR requirements while retaining more profits.
Moreover, despite the Democrats’ argument that the MLR would benefit patients, it has incentivized insurers to merge with or acquire pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs), retail and specialty pharmacies, and healthcare providers. This, in turn, has made healthcare spending less transparent, as insurers can allegedly shift profits to their affiliates by increasing reimbursements.
Warren, who has consistently voted against Obamacare repeal efforts, notably advocated for a “Medicare for All” proposal during her 2020 presidential campaign. Despite her prior support for the healthcare law, Warren’s recent concerns about its unintended consequences have raised questions about the long-term effects of Obamacare and its impact on the healthcare industry.
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