I don’t think half of the Republican senators care to repeal any part of the deal. I think Lobbyists pretty much control this agenda.
What will go on for about ten more years...is steady decline of participants (figure 10 million today don’t play, and by 2020, figure roughly 40 million won’t play).
So, the next solution/fix will come up by that point where most Americans say that by adding up the monthly costs and deductible....it’s impossible. Medicare-plus will then come, my humble bet, and Republicans will probably back it....because there is nothing else.
Single payer is coming. It’s just a matter of timing. A doctor friend of mine explained it to me in clear terms recently. He said they should have just expanded Medicare to include those 50 or older, and provided some sort of catastrophic coverage for young people, who tend not to need conventional insurance. It would have cost much less in the long term and still accomplished the goal of covering more Americans.