Post by Deleted on Jan 2, 2017 17:44:32 GMT -5
An opinion piece that sounds like a pretty likely outcome to cynical me. Thoughts? (I'm just posting a couple of snippets -- I recommend reading the whole piece in context.)
Why repealing ObamaCare will be a trainwreck for the GOP
For six straight years, Republicans have been promising to repeal ObamaCare. Come January 20, when President Trump and the new GOP congressional majorities arrive in Washington, they'll finally have the chance to do it.
Well, what's that old saying? Be careful what you wish for.
Unfortunately for the ObamaCare haters, the GOP can't agree on what to replace the health reform law with. The solution they seem to be coalescing around is to pass a repeal right away, and claim a political victory, but delay the repeal from actually taking effect for a while. As in, a long while: "House conservatives want a two-year fuse for the repeal," Sahil Kapur reported in Bloomberg recently. "Republican leaders prefer at least three years, and there has been discussion of putting it off until after the 2020 elections."
You can see where this is going: The GOP has had six years to figure out an ObamaCare replacement. If they haven't settled on one by now, there's no reason to think they will in another two or three or four years. Once their delay runs out, if they're still in power, the Republicans will just have to pass another delay. If the Democrats are back in power, they'll want to cancel the repeal outright, but the GOP won't let that happen. The compromise position will also be to pass another delay.
of course, all that uncertainty would not be good for the insurance companies in the market trying to set costs, nor will it be good for consumers in the market.
Obamacare has a lot of issues, but if the Republicans are going to repeal it, I think they need to have an entire viable plan first.
Why repealing ObamaCare will be a trainwreck for the GOP
For six straight years, Republicans have been promising to repeal ObamaCare. Come January 20, when President Trump and the new GOP congressional majorities arrive in Washington, they'll finally have the chance to do it.
Well, what's that old saying? Be careful what you wish for.
Unfortunately for the ObamaCare haters, the GOP can't agree on what to replace the health reform law with. The solution they seem to be coalescing around is to pass a repeal right away, and claim a political victory, but delay the repeal from actually taking effect for a while. As in, a long while: "House conservatives want a two-year fuse for the repeal," Sahil Kapur reported in Bloomberg recently. "Republican leaders prefer at least three years, and there has been discussion of putting it off until after the 2020 elections."
You can see where this is going: The GOP has had six years to figure out an ObamaCare replacement. If they haven't settled on one by now, there's no reason to think they will in another two or three or four years. Once their delay runs out, if they're still in power, the Republicans will just have to pass another delay. If the Democrats are back in power, they'll want to cancel the repeal outright, but the GOP won't let that happen. The compromise position will also be to pass another delay.
Now, maybe market reforms will bring down health care prices eventually. But right now, to get everybody the care they need, you have to spend at today's prices. Whether the money comes from premiums or government subsidies or wherever, the cost will be the cost. Which means the only way to spend less right now is for Americans to make do with less health care.
That's the brute economic reality the Republicans are about to run smack into, which is why they seem prepared to pretend to face that reality, but never actually do so, and to keep on pretending forever.
That's the brute economic reality the Republicans are about to run smack into, which is why they seem prepared to pretend to face that reality, but never actually do so, and to keep on pretending forever.
of course, all that uncertainty would not be good for the insurance companies in the market trying to set costs, nor will it be good for consumers in the market.
Obamacare has a lot of issues, but if the Republicans are going to repeal it, I think they need to have an entire viable plan first.
