Posted on 03/27/2015 8:45:40 AM PDT by Citizen Zed
Paul Ryan says Republicans must have a plan to replace Obamacare by late June, a deadline that coincides with a Supreme Court decision that could blow a huge hole in the controversial law.
The Wisconsin Republican is working with other House chairmen to craft the GOP’s long-awaited alternative to President Obama’s health reforms. Their Senate counterparts are meeting, too, ahead of the justices’ ruling at the end of this term.
“We have to have a plan in place by then,” Mr. Ryan told reporters.
The Supreme Court heard oral arguments in the closely watched case known as King v. Burwell, with challengers saying the administration is breaking the law by paying tax subsidies to customers in states that rely on the federal HealthCare.gov exchange. The law says subsidies can be paid to customers in exchanges “established by the state.”
If the subsidies are struck down, the law will be much less attractive to customers in at least 34 states that rely on the federal portal. Plans would no longer be affordable, and premiums could skyrocket if healthier enrollees drop coverage first.
Republicans are cheering on the case, as it provides their best opportunity yet to scale down Obamacare and present their own ideas ahead of the 2016 presidential election.
The opportunity comes with political peril, because the administration and its Democratic allies will hold the GOP responsible for the case’s fallout.
Administration officials say the law is fine as written, and there is no need to put a Plan B in place to deal with an adverse ruling.
Mr. Ryan said Republicans cannot take a similar stance.
“We need to have an alternative. That is the responsible thing to do,” he said. The president is saying that he had no back-up plan. I just don’t think that’s responsible.”
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtontimes.com ...
We’re in such good hands. GOD help us.
WHAT IN NAME OF ALL THAT IS GOOD AND DECENT IS WRONG WITH FREEDOM!? Sorry for shouting this morning, but I’m so tired of this canard. Let’s get rid of this ‘law’ and then worry about what we can do to fix the system; like get the government the blank out of the way, plus some tort reform.
RINO scum wants their greedy, grubby hands all over it...REPEAL EVERY LAST WORD OF THIS POS ILLEGAL OBAMACARE
Of course it’s all talk. Just a little red meat kabuki for the GOP base. No substantive engagement of the kenyan because progressive GOPers don’t want that.
The GOP will cave on another omnibus spending bill in the fall with a POTUS election on the horizon. If the GOP were going to fight obamacare it would have been this year. They didn’t. Case closed.
> ““We have to have a plan in place by then,” Mr. Ryan told reporters.”
Oh yes, the Ryan man with a plan.
The only replacement for Obamacare is THE FREE MARKET ECONOMY. Anything else is just more unconstitutional socialism.
Anyone else sick of Paul Ryan??? I can’t stand him.
There is no point in trying to design a better "nationalized" health plan.
Once implemented in will morph into socialism, central planning, government misconduct, corruption, political slush fund.
Ask Native Americans or military veterans about the competence and reliability of politicians and government bureaucrats.
Plan A: No plan. The free market.
Government has a place in resolving systemic abuse of customers in an industry, like making credit card companies apply payments to high-interest debt before low-interest debt (instead of the reverse), or making banks apply credits to accounts before debits and _then_ applying low/negative balance penalties (instead of applying debits, then penalties, then credits) - issues where free-market solutions aren’t working because customers have no alternative but submit to wanton abuse born of inability of upstanding players unable to compete with underhanded mischief.
Are there systemic problems in the health insurance industry? yes. Fix them with narrow legislation. Too many uninsured? require offering of low-cost “catastrophic” insurance. Pre-existing conditions? for every such case who leaves coverage for another insurer, must take on a similar case at same price. Costly torts? tort reform. All solvable with a few reasonable pages of legislation, no need for total takeover or other broad “replacements”.
I have always been wholly skeptical when that word "replacement" is bandied about. If Conservatives are serious they will Repeal it and repeal just about all other interferences in the Medical marketplace. Anything less is just playing socialist games.
Is Tyranny too much for you, try new and improved “Tyranny Lite” Now with 10-20% less Tyranny!
(some conditions apply, overall tyranny will still remain the same, just over a longer period of time, blame a democrat if tyranny lasts for more than 4 years.)
Another rhetorical question: If you had life saving surgery scheduled for a malignant cancer, would you demand that the surgeon first have a plan for something to replace it with in place?
Well, let’s get this show on the road.
And start out like this:
“No one is allowed to have an opinion on this matter stating that they want it all repealed with no replacement and wave their hands over their heads screaming that FREEDOM is the answer and the FREE MARKET is the answer if any of the following is true:”
1) They have no family member currently enrolled in any Federal medical program of any kind. This includes Medicare.
2) They have never been on Medicaid nor had a family member on Medicaid. (Note that the family member requirement is included because this absolved them from possibly helping that family member out of their own pocket. Ditto Medicare)
3) They have personally counted up all the people presently on Obamacare subsidies and determined that the total could not cost the GOP their majorities — because, simply, if you don’t win, your policies mean nothing.
There is no reason that a five or ten page bill, replacing the monstrosity known as the “Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010”, cannot be prepared by the date called for in June 2015.
Short, succinct, and using programs that functioned quite well for YEARS prior to 2010 for the majority of US Citizens, and leaving a safety net for those who cannot be, or for whatever reason, have never been covered, by which provisions may be made for pre-existing conditions, rare disorders, or exceptional expenses incurred before coverage could be obtained.
Knock out the tort law that depends on the “deep pockets” to pay, and change it to “loser pays” in all civil suits (not just medical challenges), and make the medical professions a viable career field once again.
The problem is that Obamacare destroyed what there was of a free market (and it was never really free) and there has to be at least a bridge plan in place to be able to move away from obamacare entirely. The Dems are going to blame the GOP for the chaos that would ensue with the revocation of obamacare if there is no other plan in place,and will probably then use it as an excuse to sceam for a fully socialized medical system - pbabaly imposed by “emergency” executive order.
It may sound great to bluster and just scream repeal, but for once, the GOP should have a variable plan. Otherwise, there is no chance whatsoever of any transition to a free or at least freer market, and we are virtually guaranteeing socialized medicine.
Last time I looked the pre-Obamaramacare medical care was the best in the world. Don’t throw the baby out with the scumwater
Dumber than Patty Murray Ryan can bite me.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.