Posted on 01/13/2015 7:50:38 AM PST by SeekAndFind
For nearly five years, Republicans have been fighting to repeal President Obama’s healthcare law.
But repeal is not enough.
Even if simple repeal were politically obtainable, Americans would still be left with a broken healthcare system. Government regulations would still be stifling competition and individual choice and government healthcare programs would still be driving the nation’s unsustainable long-term debt problem.
If Republicans achieved repeal without agreeing on a way to reform healthcare along free market lines, it’s inevitable that Democrats would eventually lead another overhaul of the system that would grant even more power to the federal government than the Affordable Care Act does. This would gradually morph the system into a full single-payer program.
Republicans have been unable to unite around an alternative approach on healthcare so far. But this year, there are several factors that could force their hand.
The GOP now has full control of Congress, giving the party more power to set the policy agenda.
Additionally, the Republican presidential campaign will provide an opportunity for leading figures within the party to hash out ideological differences when it comes to healthcare policy.
Adding further urgency is that a Supreme Court decision expected by late June could invalidate Obamacare subsidies for millions of Americans. If Republicans don’t have an alternative ready, congressional leaders will be under tremendous pressure to pass a simple “fix” that would allow the subsidies to continue to flow, thus further entrenching Obamacare before a Republican president theoretically is able to act in 2017.
For these reasons and many others it’s important for Republicans to unite around an alternative to Obamacare. But that is easier said than done.
(Excerpt) Read more at washingtonexaminer.com ...
But repeal is not enough …Aw, how cute; another implied “repeal and replace”, i.e. with some other kind of compulsory government “healthcare”/“insurance”. Statists never learn until they’re on the receiving end.
You mean the GOP regained the Senate on the strength of those alleged “aspects” that allegedly have “popular support”?
The gov should step get out of the way and let free enterprise happen.
“Repeal and replace” = “We can do socialism better than Obama.”
Get government out of the way. There no constitutional authority for such socialist meddling in the first place.
Well, the GOP was quiet so who knows what they stand for. People voted out of incumbent anger but until protests are seen in the streets, it has to be assumed ocare is here to stay just like social security.
You’re absolutely right....We need both house and the Presidency to get anything done.
Social Security wasn’t inaugurated with a huge “scru u” to America at large. It was a teeny weeny tax.
This is probably going to burst through people’s blasetude in another year or so, max.
If it just goes back to how it was, what can be done about the uninsured abusing emergency rooms? If insurance remains unaffordable, more and more will drop out and go for guaranteed free urgent care, including many who can afford insurance.
Would the healthcare system survive a move to free enterprise? It’s been decades since anything like that has existed.
” The GOP now has full control of Congress,”
From everything I have seen since the election, OBAMA has full control of congress.
:: Americans would still be left with a broken healthcare system. ::
!?! according to whom? Politicians?
Bugger off Phillip Klein.
Dan Qualye had tort reform on his short list of things to do, the media crucifyed him for it and his push for family values.
Repeal is addition by subtraction.
If Republicans put forward any sort of alternative THAT IS NOT “repeal and replace”, it will be harangued and dissed a hundred ways to Thursday. The “repeal” MUST come first. The current law is so freaking bastardized and each and every remnant of it must be wiped out. The billions and billions of dollars that were spent on ACA could have given every poor person better medical care than they will get under ACA for free, just as a grant. At this point, the ACA is so tied up into the IRS and is a generator of such bloated bureaucracy in the state exchanges that little or no good can come of it except at the expense of others who *can* pay their way.
There can be no rewarding in the form of continuance the multiple lies that were told to pass this cursed bill.
The downfall of medicine in the US started in the mid-sixties with the creation/expansion of federal programs that subsidized healthcare. Lucrative for some, but it was the beginning of the end. Just prior to zerocare, the system was expensive, convoluted, and topheavy with compliance with various laws but sorta worked in its own inefficient way. And prior to even then it was available and affordable. Now fast forward: To ‘fix’ the mess they made, the feds took it over lock, stock and barrel.
Well we know obama will stop that. Will any of the possible Rinos running in 2016 be any better for a repeal?
How about this as a good alternative:
Repeal Obamacare, and replace with a truly insurance open market - including the ability to shop across state lines.
Minimize regulation as much as possible with exceptions for things like banning companies from refusing coverage due to existing conditions (not to say a person’s premium might not be higher, but they should be able to get insurance).
Give that a try for a while.
So, how do we make healthcare more affordable? Up until recently, most consumers didn't feel the pain of expensive, maybe unnecessary treatments. “Who cares if a treatment costs $100K, the insurance is paying for it” was the attitude. Many people argue that this is free market but is very far from it.
So how do we make consumers to treat their health insurance like, for example, buying a car or a home or groceries? How do we make the consumer care about the costs and take their business elsewhere if they are not satisfied with the quality or costs?
The only reason there is this endless push for Federal involvement in the inherently local & immediate relationship between a patient & a physician, is the Leftist compulsion to force uniformity of condition on Mankind. We pay a terrible price for the neurotic compulsions of the Left. We have to learn to say no to their fanatic pursuits.
William Flax
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