Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Obamacare repeal is more likely, and now GOP needs an alternative
washingtonexaminer ^ | Nov. 17, 2014 | Philip Klein

Posted on 11/17/2014 9:08:26 AM PST by PROCON

This month, two developments have shaken the conventional wisdom that repealing President Obama’s healthcare law is an impossibility.

First, Republicans scored a historic election victory, not only taking control of the Senate but likely winning the most House seats since 1928 — the year before Ernest Hemingway published A Farewell to Arms.

Second, the Supreme Court took up another case on Obamacare, and if the justices rule against the administration, it would force a re-opening of the law.

This doesn’t even account for the recently released videos of one of Obamacare’s main architects, MIT economist Jonathan Gruber, conceding that Democrats misled the public to get the legislation passed, benefiting from “the stupidity of the American voter.”

The prospects of repealing Obamacare can now be better described, in the words of Rocco Lampone in The Godfather Part II, as “difficult, not impossible.”

(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonexaminer.com ...


TOPICS: Government; News/Current Events; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: 2014election; healthcare; obama; romneyagenda; romneycare; romneycare4ever; romneycare4you
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-6061-80 ... 121-133 next last
To: Signalman

Certain important aspects of this turkey of a law are never going away.

- We’ve permanently expanded the Medicaid rolls (unless you think the GOP actually has the stones to withstand the media onslaught from trying to pare them back)

- Junior is going to continue getting coverage till age 26 (unless you think they have the stones to repeal that as well)

- Mandated coverage of pre-existing conditions not going anyplace.

- I doubt they’ll even be able to claw back the free birth control from the Sandra Fluke crowd.


41 posted on 11/17/2014 9:36:00 AM PST by Buckeye McFrog
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: Theoria
Get rid of all Medicare
Why, it's not an entitlement? I paid into it for 45 years and still pay for it after I'm on it.
IIRC, annual Medicare fraud costs the government more than Medicare itself. That's what needs to be gotten rid of.
42 posted on 11/17/2014 9:36:27 AM PST by oh8eleven (RVN '67-'68)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 19 | View Replies]

To: Cicero

The Gruberment was in bed with insurance companies screwing up health care long before the Clintons occupied the Oral Office.


43 posted on 11/17/2014 9:36:29 AM PST by TigersEye (ISIS is the tip of the spear. The spear is Islam.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 7 | View Replies]

To: PROCON

I believe there were 2 or 3 alternatives proposed by Repubs in 2006 - 2008 and none of them got any air time.


44 posted on 11/17/2014 9:37:51 AM PST by CapnJack
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: PROCON

The alternative is competition. And government keeping their hands and noses at least 10 miles away at all times.


45 posted on 11/17/2014 9:38:21 AM PST by lurk
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: PROCON

At the time Obolacare was rammed through there were a great many alternatives to decrease health costs. Federally this included allowing Insurers to sell across state lines, allowing people to create tax sheltered HSA’s, and making medical treatment and devices tax free. At the state level it is all about tort reform.

The most difficult nut to crack is what to do about those who won’t get insurance and then can’t/won’t pay for treatment recieved. I have heard that even in the best cases hospitals still have at least a 20% no-pay rate, and in poorer areas the no pay rate can be well over 50%. That doesn’t even take into account underpayments from medicare/caide. Hospitals then must distribute the cost of treating these people to all those who do pay.

It may not be popular here on FR but if we as a society aren’t willing to tell those who can’t or won’t pay that their only option for treatment is private charity, then we invite the government into the health care business. Once that is accepted I believe the best thing to do is have clinics and hospitals run by local governments where those who can’t or won’t pay will get government standard treatmetn. Those who will pay will get to participate in the free market system. There is no way to give non-payers the same treatment as payers unless care for all goes down.


46 posted on 11/17/2014 9:38:33 AM PST by RightOnTheBorder
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: PROCON
Free market insurance

Money pulled from illegal alien welfare and put towards bolstering senior health care

Medical savings accounts

More money for Verterans Administration

pre-existing condition fix.

47 posted on 11/17/2014 9:39:15 AM PST by jetson (Can I catch you a delicious bass...)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: PROCON
Therein lies the pronlemo folks.

The Republicans are GREAT PONTIFICATORS but do we see ANYONE on the horizon with LEADERSHIP qualities and a SOLID PLAN?

48 posted on 11/17/2014 9:43:50 AM PST by VideoDoctor
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Eska

“My wife had brain tumor removed this past summer. I have over 300 thousand in medical bills”

WOW! My wife is a stroke survivor and so far insurance has held up its end and I’ve had deductibles to pay and that was it for as far as what the plan covered. The one draw back so far has been during times I pull in home care help as that is all out of pocket but luckily we’ve saved well for those times. There does need to be affordable solutions for people with extreme circumstances be it gov program or whatever.

I think what ocare has tried to do is just not sustainable though but at least it has people talking about how to make it better.


49 posted on 11/17/2014 9:44:22 AM PST by DonaldC (A nation cannot stand in the absence of religious principle.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 38 | View Replies]

To: DonaldC

Scenarrio 1:
I worked in a clinic. A patient will call, and state they want an appointment for a problem, and you quote them a price for that particular problem. They show up for the visit, and then when the doctor is in front of them, they add on more health problems than what they originally told the person who quoted them the price. This results in a longer visit. Then, when they get the bill, the patient is angry because they were billed at a higher rate than what was quoted. This is a major factor in why clinics will not give out pricing.
Scenario 2:
You are admitted in the hospital for an elective procedure. Patient A is younger, and recovers quickly and leaves the hospital in 2 days. Patient B has much more medical problems, , and winds up staying in the hospital for 7 days. Patient B should have to pay more, and hospitals do not have the ability to know in advance how a patient is going to recover from a treatment. That is why hospitals do not quote prices, because they do not know how long you will be in the hospital, and how many interventions you might need.


50 posted on 11/17/2014 9:44:34 AM PST by kaila
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 37 | View Replies]

To: cuban leaf
Alternative: Tort reform

Something like 26 states have tort reform limiting damages in medical malpractice cases. Can you provide any evidence that medical insurance premiums are less in any of those states compared to states without tort reform?

Alternative: Sever the relationship between your employer and your health care insurance. Make it like car insurance and homeowners/renters insurance.

My employer pays 90% of my healthcare premium costs. Remove that and my insurance costs go up my hundreds of dollars each month. Why should I be happy about that?

51 posted on 11/17/2014 9:46:33 AM PST by DoodleDawg
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 5 | View Replies]

To: dfwgator

I just completed a course of accutane for acne. I was told if I paid out of pocket- the cost would be $1200. My insurance covered everything except for a total of $50 copay. I was happy that my insurance paid so well for my treatment, but I would have willingly paid for it out of my own pocket. Acne is not a life or death disease. This is why insurance is so expensive, they are covering conditions that should not be covered.


52 posted on 11/17/2014 9:51:19 AM PST by kaila
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 40 | View Replies]

To: cuban leaf
I’d like to see employers offer their employees a cash alternative to buying their health care insurance.

You saw companies like Walgreens and Wal-Mart announce that they were planning on offering their employees a fixed amount and pushing them to the exchanges. But now that the exchanges are gone how would that work?

53 posted on 11/17/2014 9:52:15 AM PST by DoodleDawg
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 17 | View Replies]

To: RightOnTheBorder
The most difficult nut to crack is what to do about those who won’t get insurance and then can’t/won’t pay for treatment recieved.

The original RomneyCare / Heritage bill had a caveat that the non insured post a $100,000 bond or some such number as their self insurance. Ya that didn't make it beyond the Mass Legislature which at time was prolly as left as Gorby's Politburo....

54 posted on 11/17/2014 9:52:24 AM PST by taildragger (Not my Circus, Not my Monkey ( Boy does that apply to DC...))
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 46 | View Replies]

To: kaila

“Scenarrio 1:...”

Your point is well taken, so we can’t do this 100% but even if you could find standard services/testing prices it would help I think. There are certainly a lot of variables to consider with any solution. :)


55 posted on 11/17/2014 9:52:42 AM PST by DonaldC (A nation cannot stand in the absence of religious principle.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 50 | View Replies]

To: Theoria
Paying cash will take care of the rest.

So long as you don't need surgery, prescriptions, tests, or a doctor then it'll work fine.

56 posted on 11/17/2014 9:54:13 AM PST by DoodleDawg
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 19 | View Replies]

To: PROCON

Portability
Buy across state lines

Most importantly, do not pay for illegals’ care. Do not even admit or serve them. We cannot afford legions of Duncans.


57 posted on 11/17/2014 9:54:34 AM PST by combat_boots (The Lion of Judah cometh. Hallelujah. Gloria Patri, Filio et Spiritui Sancto!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Darksheare
HMO s came about in the wake of the 1993 Hillarycare attempt.

Actually they date back to the Nixon days.

58 posted on 11/17/2014 9:56:53 AM PST by DoodleDawg
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 26 | View Replies]

To: PROCON

An alternative plan means that you accept the premise that the lying Democrats put forth.

And they are liars. In case you haven’t been paying attention.

Just like Gruber inferred, if you think the Republicans need to offer up an alternative Federal solution to the Democrat lie of a healthcare crisis then you are stupid.


59 posted on 11/17/2014 10:00:33 AM PST by Noamie
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: DoodleDawg

My employer pays 90% of my healthcare premium costs. Remove that and my insurance costs go up my hundreds of dollars each month. Why should I be happy about that?


I never claimed you would be happy. A welfare mom is not happy when the government tells her they are going to stop paying her $1500 a month but they’ve found her a $1500 a month job instead.

The problem we now face in this nation is that too many of the voters vote their wallet, rather than long term common sense.

Remove health insurance from the employer and, over time, the cost will “re-center”. That is, the cost will reflect the fact that the people using it are the people paying for it. You may find that instead of paying 10% of $1,000 a month ($100), you are paying all of $400 a month (the new “centered” price), but earning $300 a month more.


60 posted on 11/17/2014 10:06:12 AM PST by cuban leaf (The US will not survive the obama presidency. The world may not either.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 51 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-2021-4041-6061-80 ... 121-133 next last

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.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson