Posted on 01/04/2018 5:51:46 AM PST by Kaslin
President Trump has perfected the art of antagonizing his opponents with provocative tweets. He demonstrated this skill recently in declaring that the tax reform act, by repealing the Obamacare mandate, had effectively repealed Obamacare.
This generated a number of stories from left-leaning pundits pointing out that there's a lot more to Obamacare than the mandate. Sarah Kliff, writing for Vox.com, noted that many Republican voters believed the president and hoped that would bring an end to efforts to undo the rest of Obamacare.
But many Republicans in Congress seem intent on continuing to fight for repeal of the controversial law. A skeptical report in The Hill noted that the GOP had tried and failed to accomplish that goal in 2017. In their view, "nothing significant has changed since then that would now make the path easier. In fact, the obstacles appear even greater now that Democrat Doug Jones has been elected to the Senate from Alabama."
It's true that there is more to Obamacare than the mandate. It's also true that, in a purely political sense, there's little reason to believe that Republicans will be able to repeal Obamacare in 2018.
But the repeal of the Obamacare mandate fundamentally changes the political dynamics in the real world far from Washington, DC.
Last year, an estimated 15 million Americans would have dropped out of Obamacare if they could. Now they can. Another 6.5 million paid a fine rather than sign up for coverage. This means that more than 20 million people directly benefit from the repeal of the mandate.
Most of these people would prefer to buy insurance that meets their needs, but the Obamacare mandate did more than say that people had to buy insurance. It said they had to buy a very comprehensive and expensive set of benefits. Especially for young people, it was often far more insurance than they needed and far more costly than they could afford.
The reality is that there is no one-size-fits-all solution to health insurance. Different people have different needs and preferences.
This reality will create a demand for a variety of insurance options to meet a variety of needs. Some people will prefer more comprehensive coverage and higher premiums. Others will opt for less coverage and lower premiums. All will be covered against catastrophic events but day-to-day coverage will vary.
Sooner or later, Congress will begin offering ideas to meet this demand. One proposal introduced last year would allow insurance companies to offer a variety of options so long as they offered at least one plan with the full Obamacare coverage. Once those plans are available, they will find plenty of eager buyers.
As younger Americans consider the alternatives, they will certainly take advantage of the fact that we live in an era of rapid technological innovation. Self-monitoring of their own health is leading millions to make better lifestyle choices. The ability to conduct EKG's on your smartphone is already here and soon people will be taking x-rays on the mobile devices.
Whether or not these innovations technically repeal all of Obamacare is really beside the point. They will accomplish something far more important -- bringing down the cost of health care while improving the health of the nation.
There's more to a building than its foundation but, rest assured, if you remove the foundation the building will crumble.
In order to purchase this plan , they must be walked through the ObamaCare option and have the wonderfulness of ObamaCare expalained to them in great detail so they can appreciate the value they are getting for their $1000 - $15000 per month premiums and $7500 deductible - now that they are paying the full price of the coverage and are not having the true cost of the coverage subsidized or hidden by the back door transfer of government money to insurance companies to cover the red ink, hide the true cost of the system from taxpayers and to guarantee profits to insurance companies.
This should expose the insanity of the system and absurdity of the ObamaCare scam to all Americans on an annual basis and act as a warning to those who think there is a free lunch because lying politicians tell them there is.
There’s more to a building than its foundation but, rest assured, if you remove the foundation the building will crumble.
The silver lining to Obamacare was that it forced a LOT of people to shop price for health CARE. The result is a dramatic dropping of the price for most treatments and surgeries. MRI’s are now advertised at $399 including results interpretation.
And the internet makes many of the tasks currently performed by MD’s obsolete. I’ve accurately self diagnosed several things as well as found natural, and effective, cures. I’ve not seen a doctor in six years. I’m 64.
I think as the government removes road blocks to effective health CARE, prices will go down considerably and we can start treating it more like car care, where insurance is not involved.
Especially for old people, such as pregnancy coverage for women who haven't had their cycle for thirty years.
Congress doesn't need to be in the business of 'selling' health insurance.
Republicans do not want to end ObamaCare, after all they helped pass it.
no they didn’t..you can slam them for lying about not repealing it but I believe (correct me if I’m wrong) not one R voted for Obamacare.
And the internet makes many of the tasks currently performed by MD’s obsolete. I’ve accurately self diagnosed several things as well as found natural, and effective, cures. I’ve not seen a doctor in six years. I’m 64.
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Same here. We’re 75 and 67. My husband has been amazed at how effective a few teas, supplements and old-fashioned treatments like wool/wool sox for chilblains are. He has a couple of issues that need meds, but we don’t even take many OTC compounds when an herb or an infusion works. His doc (now in one of those flat-fee practices) gives out two-years of scripts and I haven’t needed to see one for 6 years.
These guys figured it out a long time ago, 1997, as a matter of fact.
http://reason.com/reasontv/2012/11/15/the-obamacare-revolt-oklahoma-doctors-fi
That should have been done in the beginning, but all the rats were interested in shoving the not-affordable healthcare down the people’s throat. Also remember that no Republican voted for the 0bama care.
Under Obamacare, a person had to re-sign up every year. That alone created more confusion. Get a raise or promotion at work? That put you into a whole new Obamacare category.
Their votes were not needed for it.
If it wouldn't have passed without, say, one or two R votes, you may be sure that they would have turned up.
It’s a 3.9% tax on every dollar earned.
No pol in right mind would give that up.
IN the dark of night the Oregon legislature passed an initiative for the citizens to vote on, new taxes on health care premiums, hospitals and insurance companies!
The mail in ballots are due January 23, and I don’t even have my ballot yet. Guess who is for more taxes? The SEIU and other unions.
“no they didn’t..”
I can understand that you aren’t aware of this very fact that they DID help it pass. So, let me point out two of the ways Republicans in BOTH Houses helped pass ObamaCare.
1. Hard rule, a bill MUST get two votes from the Minority in order to be sent to the floor.
A. Republicans supported the passage by having two Republicans on the committee vote YES.
2. It’s required that in order to have a bill submitted on the floor as, “Read into the record” requires a unanimous vote by all concerned.”
A. Republicans were ordered by their leadership under severe penalties to not vote against this.
Here’s the scam, when a democrat holds the WH and congress they cut military spending and increase redistribution to social programs. Then when it’s reversed like now, military spending is increased BUT there are NEVER cuts on the social programs, not a dime.
That’s the game both parties run on us.
So spending increases, then they rinse and repeat on the next change in office.
I have long though that the best way to ditch Obamacare was little by little. Eventually you have an empty shell with none of the horrible aspects of the law.
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Sorry Scott R....as long as the "EHB's" ("Essential Health Benefits") mandates remain you won't get to have "a variety of insurance options", and removing the individual mandate in 2019 will cause rates to skyrocket even more. Health insurance won't be affordable for my family until I can buy an HSA type high-deducatable policy that covers NOTHING under $5K.
Why are the Feds deciding what kind of healthcare we should have and how we receive it?
“Why are the Feds deciding what kind of healthcare we should have and how we receive it?”
Probably because Americans have become fat, lazy and stupid. If I am wrong please advise.
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