No it won’t. If Trump just continues to try-and-fail on Obamacare repeal, he will completely hamstring himself. I wouldn’t expect any new proposals for quite a while. This one’s gonna sting for a bit.
Pelosi, Obama, Reid, Reich, Brown’s successor in CA, VT has tried, MassHealth, Hillarycare
Lots of people pushing it as final step since ACA is obviously an intermediate step which hasnt really covered everyone, hasnt led to more choice, hasnt lowered pricing.
But to clarify, are you saying a universal basic care coverage that all participate in, with riders available on private market; or something different?
I confess to fearing government compulsion of nearly anything, due to its ineptitude. But a charitable side of me laments the richest country ever, making people choose between healthcare and other necessities. Looking at price comparisons with other countries makes me agree with the author’s accessment - Americans pay much greater prices for identical services and drugs than the rest of the world.
What the market will bear has a different meaning, when diminished health or death is the alternative to paying the going price.
What astonishes me the most is that the House Republicans didn’t say “fuck you” to Trump and go with just repeal and leave nothing.
But, ya, I don’t actually find this all that amusing. The Republicans seemingly had one goal in mind throughout most of Obama’s Presidency- kill Obamacare.
They control the legislative and executive branches of government and fail utterly at it.
The fact that they didn’t bother coming up with a more palatable replacement doesn’t bother me, since I don’t recall “repeal and replace” even being a thing until Trump became nominee. I doubt a real replacement was even a thing Republicans considered until Trump became President and started spouting off statements totally at odds with what the Republicans were selling previously.
Can the Republicans even manage to control themselves enough to exert their will? If no… fuck, who’s going to run the government for the next four years?
With the rip-roaring start of “not-repealing” Obamacare (talking point #1 for seven years), it looks like we’re in for a great string of “not doing” things. We can not-pass tax reform, not-build the wall, not-worry about Russia, etc…
Yes, with emphasis on basic. Also, fee-for-service (ie, you pay the doc directly for services rendered).
A lot of people (not saying you) confuse govt option with single payer. As you know, they are radically different approaches. I for one would not support single-payer.
I appreciate your openness, and would point out 1) the vast majority of Americans feel similarly, and 2) the tension between these conflicting feelings has contributed to the bind we are in vis a vis funding healthcare. That is, we as a people are very reluctant to accept the consequences of a free-market-based approach to health care (ie, poorer people dying for lack of being able to afford care). The result is that we end up delivering de facto universal care–but in a slapdash, inefficient manner. Would be so much more sensible (financially) if we were to agree to ‘own’ our charitable side, and institute a govt option.
I belong to a Christian medical sharing plan instead of carrying insurance. There are subtle differences and it is basically - self funded medical with a safety net of sharing outsized expenses. It costs $85/mo to be in the mid category which is l cover $1000 for each unrelated incident.
This past year, it cost me out of pocket $1000 and group paid difference on initial consult, xray, mri, review by different orthopedic, and ultimately injection in spine by neurosurgeon for 2 herniated discs. Of course, ‘msrp’ for this was very high, but 1000$ was quite a bit less than the several 1000$ cash price l paid before reimbursement. And a full surgery would have been multiples higher.
It is a reasonable method to me, and so l also donate to build the fund for assisting big or ongoing costs that members incur above their plan limits - cancer, multiple surgeries, etc.
It can sting Trump, but who cares. He isn’t the legislature. If Congress sends him a bill in a month he will have to either sign or veto it. Trump has a massive ego. If Congress manages to put together a good repeal bill and make it seem as if Trump helped, he will sign it in an instant.
With the egg that’s all over Ryan’s face right now? No way he’s going to put his ass on the line again for Trump over healthcare. At least not for awhile and not before they have some wins in their column.