As Republicans Debate Health Bill, Let’s Remember Why Americans Want Obamacare Repeal

daily signal ^ | Edmund Haislmaier

[aspasia]

Obamacare’s basic construct is to take control of private health plans and convert them into off-budget extensions of federal programs.

As one of the law’s supporters explained back in 2010, its design “transforms health insurance into a public accommodation,” and turns private health insurance into “a regulated industry … that, in its restructured form, will therefore take on certain characteristics of a public utility.”

The architects of Obamacare implemented that construct by imposing on private health plans new coverage requirements such as “essential benefits,” “preventive services,” and limits on plan cost-sharing.

They also enforced cross subsidies—such as limits on age rating, minimum actuarial value standards, and minimum employer contributions—and imposed mandates on individuals to purchase coverage and for employers to offer it.

[aspasia]

Yet, large swaths of the public do not, in fact, want their private health coverage turned into a regulated public utility.

Furthermore, that opposition has grown and hardened as more Americans personally experience negative effects from the law, such as higher premiums and deductibles and reduced plan choices and provider access.

Making matters worse, Obamacare destabilized the individual insurance market by allowing people to wait until they need medical care to enroll in coverage. The resulting adverse selection further drove up premiums, as the law’s “carrot-and-stick” approach of low-income subsidies coupled with a fine for not buying coverage failed to enroll enough healthy individuals.

In short, the “why” of repealing Obamacare is the need to undo the law’s regulatory takeover of private insurance and to reverse its cost-increasing effects. Viewed from that perspective, the “what” in the House bill, even in its latest iteration, still misses the mark.

[EagleUSA]

Totalitarianism does not get it with the REAL American public. The major reason the DemocRats lost.

[Morpheus2009]

Obamacare raises the tax expense on a company for a full-time employee, I would be upset about that.

[bigbob]

People voted for “repeal and replace”. The guy who promised to “repeal every word” lost.

Here’s the dilemma: Yes, allowing people to forego buying insurance until they have an actual need for it undercuts the economic basis of insurance and the providers have no choice but to jack up the premiums. But who can imagine our present set of Congress-critters agreeing to go back to pre-Obamacare, where a person could be denied care for a pre-esisting condition?

Who wants to see Chuck Schumer as the Senate Majority leader after the 2018 midterms? Or (God forbid), hear the words “Speaker Pelosi” again?

[RummyChick]

I saw where Dr Death’s (who Trump has met with at least three times) brother was Trump’s agent.

http://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/donald-trump-meets-ari-emanuel-inside-longstanding-relationship/story?id=43695132

[grania]

The contradiction both parties bought-and-paid-for pols face is insurance company involvement. The cost of health care won't go down when people are forced to purchase health insurance. Everyone in that DC swamp is more interested in protecting insurance company profits than in bringing health costs down.

The HOR fakes seem quite satisfied with Paul Ryan as Speaker. He's their firewall, their excuse for not keeping their campaign promises.

Get rid of the mandate, with a 90 day (or so) freeze on dropping care. Then, let them figure it out.....without propping up CEOs (etc) who rake of hundreds of millions of dollars.

grrrr....

(PS: Ryan should step down as Speaker)

[momincombatboots]

VETERANS.. RINOS, Swampcare just screwed your service. As if yesterday, if you are a veteran, eligle for VA care.. and you *choose* to go elsewhere, you lose your subsidies. This is Tumps pass or I will punish you bill. The illegals are getting coverage and you will comply with the VA healthcare, or else. What say taxpayers?

[Robert DeLong]

Mr President, as a staunch supporter of yours I strongly urge you to read this as this is exactly what the people want. Not that piece of garbage concocted by the RINO's in the Republican Party. You do not want the Republican plan to be passed as your remedy for an already terrible heath care plan, as it is no better than the A.C.A. a.k.a. Obamacare.

Wake up Mr. President, they are trying to lead you into ruination, because they hate you even more than they hate us conservatives. This is not the way to Make America Great Again, and I believe that is truly your desire.

[Robert DeLong]

One more thing Mr. President, do not threaten those who are against this plan, because they are the ones who are in your corner.

[Robert DeLong]

But who can imagine our present set of Congress-critters agreeing to go back to pre-Obamacare, where a person could be denied care for a pre-esisting condition?

From the article:
What is needed is for the legislation to make the ban on pre-existing (sic) condition exclusions contingent upon individuals maintaining continuous coverage—the same rules that Congress established for employer group coverage 15 years before Obamacare.

It is the only sane way to deal with preexisting conditions that is fair and equitable to all parties. The government can offer assistance to those who have preexisting conditions and no money to afford a plan. But they still must contribute what they can, to have as they say, skin in the game.

[Lurkinanloomin]

There are many federal agencies created by Obamacare that are not eliminated by Ryancare.
It also does not repeal the federal control of medical records.
Those are the parts that the Uniparty eunuchs are trying to preserve.

[aspasia]

One more thing Mr. President, do not threaten those who are against this plan, because they are the ones who are in your corner.

So far. They are more beholden to their views than to the man.

[Robert DeLong]

While that may or may not true, it is irrelevant, as they would be helping President Trump, even if by serendipity. 8>)

My point is that even if they are not in his corner, on this issue they would be because it would benefit him and his Presidency, and he needs to recognize that fact. This health care plan is not a beautiful anything. It is a monstrosity that needs to be tossed out and they need to go back to the drawing board.