← Here's the Scoop
Here's the Scoop
Devastating Earthquakes Shake Venezuela; What’s Driving a Drop in Medicaid and ACA Enrollment?
00:19:47
Loading summary
Transcript60 lines
- [00:00]
A
The car had been parked in the sun and we came back and the midday heat had cracked the window of the car. That just gives you an idea of how hot it is.
- [00:13]
B
Hey, everybody, and welcome to here's the scoop from NBC News. I'm Yasim Basugin. Today on the show, Parisians aren't the only ones that are melting in a record breaking heat wave. We're going to hear why air conditioning has become a heated political battle inside Europe. Plus, enrollment in Medicaid and Affordable Care act plans is down by more than 5 million. So are more Americans choosing to just go without health care altogether? Up first, though, multiple earthquakes struck Venezuela overnight, devastating the northern part of the country. Experts are calling them the strongest to hit there in over 100 years. As of now, nearly 200 people have been killed, 1500 injured, and over 150 more are missing, according to the Venezuelan government. And those numbers are expected to keep rising. NBC News contributor Ana Vanessa Herrero is in Caracas, Venezuela, at the center of this devastation. Ana, first, I want to start with you. Are you okay? Where were you when this earthquake hit?
- [01:13]
C
Yeah, Yes, I am. My family is okay. Thank you for asking. I was actually returning from New York when this happened, maybe three hours before it happened. I got home from, from the airport that is now destroyed. I got a little bit of rest and I woke up in the middle of the ground shaking. And I took refuge quickly. I looked for My son, my 9 year old, and we went outside. At the beginning, we didn't really know what the situation was. Of course there was an earthquake. It was big. But we didn't really know the extent of the damage until the electricity came back and then the lines came back again. And we saw the videos from all over the place. Not only Caracas, but also La Guaira and other states around the Miranda, which is the main state where Caracas is. And we got to see the full destruction. People on the ground recording what they were experiencing and living. And it was heartbreaking. People started crying. They started to hug each other. They praise God that they were okay. And then, you know, slowly we started to learn well that the situation got really, really bad really quickly.
- [02:37]
B
So we lost Ana at this point. She actually had to go inside to get back. Connection here is where we picked up with her. So I want to talk about the rescue efforts because you mentioned there are folks that are still under the rubble and the death toll is likely going to go up significantly. There is an interim Venezuelan government. The acting president, Delsey Rodriguez is in place because the US Took out then Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro. Delsey Rodriguez has called for unity amongst the Venezuelan people, for calm that they can overcome this tragedy together. How are the rescue efforts going there amidst this quake?
- [03:15]
D
Well, so rescue operations started immediately after the earthquake ended and when we all knew and understood that this was going to be a very complicated situation, an unprecedented one. So you have first responders, firefighters, paramedics who are working nonstop, but they're working without any gear, without any tools, without any machinery. So they're working with basically have the strength that they would have if they had the proper tools to start, you know, the engines on the recovery and the rescue of the survivors. So this is, this is interesting because now we are seeing the effects of years of the government just isolating these groups. The government not providing not only resources, but everything that they needed in case of an emergency. And now we are facing a nationwide tragedy and our responders don't have what it takes to really face the challenges that come. And what happened was that bystanders were asking they could help and indeed they volunteered to just start moving around the pieces of the buildings that fell to try to find survivors. So I just spoke to one of them and he said that they are hearing some noises underneath all the bricks, but that they have. No one is really expecting right now to explode in a process with good news. But still people are trying. So what we are seeing is people who are not trained, people who are trying to help and that absolutely necessary in order for or their responders, their first responders to really get things going on and moving.
- [05:14]
B
Ana, did you say you have a friend that's missing?
- [05:18]
D
I do have a friend that is missing. She is. She's in La Guaira and I don't know where she is. I've been trying to. I've been trying to locate her. I'm texting her since yesterday and we have no answer. I mean and I talked to another person who knows her and his mom is also missing thing she's also in awaita. So they have no idea idea where they are and all the buildings there collapse in that area. So you know, we're just, we're praying and waiting to see because she has a baby. And so, you know, it's just the uncertainty part that really that is killing everyone. Someone gave me access to this WhatsApp group that is only for people were looking for others for their loved ones, for the missing in La Guaira. And let me tell you something, I have received at least a thousand messages in less than an hour. There are at least between 600, 500 and 600 people in that chat alone. That is only one of the chats that are being created. And in that chat, the amount of messages, pictures, context, desperation, people just asking and crying to hear something from their loved ones and it's really overwhelming and it's really sad. But you know, I'm texting her every hour but the message don't go through and well, you know, we need to wait and see.
- [07:01]
B
Ana Vanessa Herrero, thank you for bearing with us through all of these tech issues as I know you yourself, your friends, your family, your country is dealing with a lot right now and certainly our thoughts and prayers are with you all.
- [07:15]
D
Thank you, thank you, thank you as usual.
- [07:20]
B
All right, we are going to take a very quick break and when we are back, there has been a massive decrease in healthcare coverage in the U.S. what is behind this drop off? That's next. And while we're taking a little bit of a breather here, how about you think about all the reasons you love listening to this podcast here. Here's the scoop and then leave us a review. We want to hear your thoughts. I'll see you on the other side.
- [07:46]
E
Refresh your next pasta night by shaking up your red sauce routine with Bertolle Alfredo, America's number one selling Alfredo sauce. Bertolli Alfredo is made with fresh cream, real butter and aged Parmesan cheese. And just like all Bertolli sauces, it's inspired by Tuscany and rooted in over 160 years of Italian traditional. Rethink pasta night. Take the Alfredo Bertolle. Buy now at a grocer near you. Source Circana Total US multi outlet white sauce dollars units pound sales calendar year 2025 the Colonels cooked up a new
- [08:19]
F
$10 bucket of the day just for you. Monday 24 nuggets for $10 Tuesday 8 piece fried chicken for $10 Wednesday 10 wings for $10 Thursday 8 tenders for $10 Friday 24 nuggets for. Oh, you guessed it, didn't you? $10 finger licking machine the $10 bucket of the day deal every weekday only at KFC, it's finger licking goo prices
- [08:44]
E
and participation variable supplies. Last amount available on third party ordering platforms.
- [08:46]
G
Tax extra Parents, have you heard your kids say I'm not a math kid? Well, with Mathnasium, every kid can be a math kid. They customize their math instructions so kids who are struggling are able to catch up and get ahead. And advanced kids are challenged to reach higher. Mathnasium makes math fun so kids learn to love it. Parents say that Mathnasium has not only improved their kids grades, it's given them a new level of confidence in math and in school overall. Visit mathnasium.com to find a location near you.
- [09:21]
B
And we are back with here's the scoop from NBC News. So healthcare has been a huge talking point on the campaign trail and it might become more so. A new report from the advocacy group Protect Our Care shows that the number of people enrolled in Medicaid and the Affordable Care act plans fell by more than 5 million in the past year. The group says the biggest factors behind the drop are Medicaid cuts in President Trump's big beautiful bill and the expiration of enhanced ACA subsidies. So I want to better understand how this is impacting those people and what the change could mean for access as a whole. So I wanna bring in Berkeley Lovelace Jr. He is a health and medical reporter with NBC News. Hey, Berkeley.
- [10:02]
F
Hey. How are you doing?
- [10:03]
B
Good. It's good to have you. How have these two pieces of legislation, how have they led to this massive drop in enrollments?
- [10:13]
F
Yeah, so for the Affordable Care act, it really has to do with the enhanced subsidies or tax credits. If you recall, Democrats and Republicans had a huge saga last year which led to a government shutdown. And health experts at the time were warning if these tax credits not extended, this will lead to people's premiums doubling or even tripling in some cases. And that's exactly what happens. And so now we have over a million people who were forced to drop coverage because they could no longer afford their monthly bills for the Medicaid. There's a lot of factors going on. So Medicaid there was what's called an unwinding. And so states were removing those pandemic era restrictions that they had that protected people from getting kicked off. So there's that factor. There is the Medicaid cuts. There is a rule in place right now for the Medicaid cuts that is restricting how much states can fund their Medicaid programs. The biggest consequence later on will be next year with the Medicaid work requirements. And there's also something called the chilling effect. So this has to do with the Trump administration's immigration enforcement. So it's people who are eligible for Medicaid. These are legal immigrants or people who are US Citizens, but they have family members who may not be U.S. citizens or who are afraid to sign up for Medicaid coverage due to their fear of crackdown on immigration or deportation.
- [11:33]
B
Overall, how many people right now in this country are without coverage. And what other options do they have?
- [11:38]
F
About 10% of the population is going without in health insurance. The biggest factor here also is that it's also. This is just an early sign. So the Congressional Budget Office estimated last year that the number of people who could go uninsured could rise by 15 million people by 2034. In terms of options, especially if people can't afford their premiums, they're really forced into two options, which is if they're under the Affordable Care act, they have to move into what are called these bronze plans. Also, there's an option called a catastrophic plan. These are plans with incredibly high deductibles. We're talking about $10,000, $13,000. I've seen in one case, so literally
- [12:20]
B
paying out of pocket that much money before you even get any kind of coverage.
- [12:24]
F
Correct. People have to pay that amount out of pocket before their coverage actually kicks in. And so people are maybe keeping their health insurance, but they're having much worse coverage. And then there are other people who are just simply going uninsured. I've actually spoken with a few people who've decided to go uninsured, and they are negotiating with hospitals or healthcare providers for their health care costs. And so that's where we are right now in terms of coverage in the U.S. there are people who are just deciding, I can't afford my health care, and so I'm just gonna have to take it into my own hands who's
- [12:56]
B
most affected and where? And I ask where? Because states vary, right? In some states, they're down 10, 20, up to 200,000 who are now no longer enrolled in these plans. But there are also some other areas, like in Texas, for instance, where enrollment has actually gone up by 200,000.
- [13:15]
F
Yeah. So Texas is an interesting case. Texas did not expand Medicaid like the vast majority of other states under the Affordable Care Act. So residents in Texas rely a lot more on the Affordable Care act than they do on Medicaid. So that's one reason. Another reason is that in Texas, a lot more people actually qualified for the standard subsidies under the Affordable Care Act. So the enhanced subsidies were really for middle class families. There's also another subsidy for people with very low incomes. And so people in Texas actually qualified for those standard subsidies. So more people in Texas could afford those monthly premium bills, as we were discussing before.
- [13:54]
B
So basically it benefited them because they made less money. There's more people in Texas that make less money. So they're benefited by that in signing up for These kind of more basic subsidies.
- [14:04]
F
That's right. I find that very interesting. There's at least 10 other states that didn't expand Medicaid, but Texas in particular was an interesting case.
- [14:12]
B
So you mentioned the cbo, the Congressional Budget Office and their estimation that the number of uninsured people could actually go up by 15 million by 2034 because of the big beautiful bill and ACA subsidies expiring. How could we actually see this reverberate within the health care system overall?
- [14:32]
F
Yeah, I think it's really important to note that this is going to likely impact everybody in some way or form. Of course, people who are uninsured, they're likely to delay or skip care. So these people will likely get sicker or wait for their conditions to get worse before they show up to the hospital. They may die before they make it to the hospital. Another factor here for people is hospitals. So if someone who doesn't have insurance goes into the emergency room, somebody has to pay for that. So hospitals will end up, you know, taking on that cost. And the fear here, especially for areas like rural hospitals, is that those hospitals will actually close down because they're not getting the money for their services as well.
- [15:11]
B
Berkeley Lovelace Jr. Thank you.
- [15:14]
F
Thank you so much.
- [15:17]
B
All right, coming up, Parisians are feeling so very hot. How they're beating the heat after a very quick break.
- [15:25]
G
Parents, have you heard your kids say, I'm not a math kid? Well, with Mathnasium, every kid can be a math kid. They customize their math instruction so kids who are struggling are able to catch up and get ahead. And advanced kids are challenged to reach higher. Mathnasium makes math fun, so kids learn to love it. Parents say that Mathnasium has not only improved their kids grades, it's given them a new level of confidence in math and in school overall. Visit mathnasium.com to find a location near you.
- [15:56]
H
Traditional home security only alerts you after a break in. And that's too late. Simplisafe is changing that.
- [16:02]
E
Stop.
- [16:02]
F
This is Simplisafe.
- [16:04]
E
Police are on the way.
- [16:05]
H
We don't just alert, we stop crime before it starts. Simplisafe plans starting around a dollar a day. Save 50% on your new system with professional monitoring at SimpliSafe.com sxm or with promo code sxm.
- [16:18]
F
Outdoor deterrence requires a Simplisafe active Guard Outdoor protection plan starting at $49.99 a month. Visit simplisafe.com licenses for alarm license information.
- [16:23]
A
Tennessee 2012 how does America stay so beautiful at 250 by getting its Beautyrest
- [16:30]
B
this July 4th, save up to $1,000 on Beautyrest Black mattresses and adjustable base sets featuring pocketed coil technology for our most advanced motion separation. Visit a Beautyrest retailer today. And we are back with Here's a scoop from NBC News. So Paris is burning almost literally. The city is experiencing record heat waves. Temperatures are over 100 degrees Fahrenheit. School closures, power knocked out dozens of deaths. And France is not alone. We have Spain, the U.K. germany and Poland, some of the other European countries that are feeling this heat. So I want to bring in NBC News international correspondent Danielle Hemanjian. She's joining me from the relative comfort of an air conditioned car in Paris. Because, Danielle, it is just so darn hot outside that the equipment can't even manage in this heat. Right.
- [17:23]
A
I can't. I mean we're steps away from the Eiffel Tower and that was my plan A. But the phones are melting. The laptop will not survive. In fact, while I'm here in the car with air conditioning, I just, you won't be able to see it. But behind me is a crack in the window which we noticed yesterday coming back from hours shooting. The car had been parked in the sun and we came back in the midday heat had cracked.
- [17:52]
B
Wow.
- [17:52]
A
The window of the car. That just gives you an idea of how hot it is.
- [17:57]
B
I mean some of the temperatures yesterday in France were topping 110 degrees. I believe in one city it was 112 degrees Fahrenheit. That is unbelievable and unprecedented for France. Walk us through that. Right. The nature of what France is experiencing right now.
- [18:19]
A
So this is unprecedented. It is a historic heat wave. And Today there are 51 million people across this country who are under a red alert warning and that is three quarters of the population. As I say, it is unprecedented. So it's not just concern for the elderly and vulnerable people. This is for the public at large. And as you know, there have been drownings all week. Dozens of people, at least 48 people have drowned trying to cool off just in the past 24 hours. Authorities are saying that there have been at least 25 cases of cardiac arrests in and around Paris. Also, very tragically early this week, two children were found dead in a car. A four year old and a two year old who had slipped out of the house, locked themselves in the car and they were found dead. A tragic, horrible case. But just in the past 24 hours, another three year old was found. And the prosecutor's office says the mother had gone to take a nap with the baby. The father was working in the shed, told the boy, go take a nap. He took a nap, but woke up and then ventured outside, got in the car where the doors were unlocked, locked himself in, and by the time the father realized he couldn't see his son, it was too late. Really horrifying stories, but authorities are really urging people to be vigilant, to be cautious in this weather that is just
- [20:00]
B
so awful to think about. You don't have to be a parent to see how incredibly horrendous that is. It speaks to kind of how this is impacting life in incredibly big, monumentous, life changing ways, like the story you just talked about, but also impacting life every day. Does it feel as if Paris is in a way shut down because of this heat wave?
- [20:26]
A
Here in Paris, I could tell you that there is a lot of traffic and the reason being is that people are going in their cars for some air conditioning because they don't have it at home. On the issue now of air conditioning, this is a hot topic now. It is the debate du jour here. It is not as common to have an air conditioning unit in your house here in Europe. In France, it's about 1 in 5. In the UK it's about 1 in 10. It's kind of seen as a luxury. And now this heat wave has propelled the debate onto the front pages. TV panels are talking about whether or not there should be air conditioning for all, considering these weather phenomenons are becoming more intense and more common.
- [21:12]
B
What are you guys doing to stay cool? You and your crew as you have been there for a few days now,
- [21:19]
A
I'm not gonna lie, not Superwoman here. Yesterday, come 11pm, I started feeling quite dizzy having drank a lot of water. Maybe I didn't eat enough. I'm used to being in the field for hours and hours and hours still, you know, you're not a machine. And so it is very easy to think you're fine and then the next thing you know, you need to sit down. But I think most people by now know, hydrate, try not to move much, and hope this thing passes as quickly as possible.
- [21:50]
B
Danielle Hamamjan, Stay cool, my friend. Thank you.
- [21:55]
A
Will do. Thanks, Yasmin.
- [21:58]
B
All right, that is gonna do it for us. Here's the scoop from NBC News. I'm Yasim Vesugin. We'll be back tomorrow with whatever the day may bring. And if you like what you heard, subscribe wherever you get your podcasts and you can also subscribe to our daily newsletter, the Inside Scoop. It is a deeper dive on the main stories of the day that comes out every weeknight straight to your inbox. You can sign up for the Inside Scoop as part of our paid subscription@nbcnews.com we'll see you tomorrow.
- [22:34]
H
In the US there's a break in every 26 seconds, but when intruders step near Simplisafe, home security steps up.
- [22:41]
E
Stop.
- [22:41]
F
This is Simplisafe.
- [22:43]
E
Police are on the way.
- [22:44]
H
Using AI alerts, US based live agents help deter break ins. SimpliSafe no long term contracts. Save 50% on your new system with professional monitoring at simplisafe.com sxm or with promo code sxm.
- [22:56]
F
Outdoor deterrence requires a Simplisafe Active Guard Outdoor Protection plan starting at 49 99amonth.
- [23:00]
E
Visit simplisafe.
- [23:01]
F
Com licenses for alarm license information tennessee2012.