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With ObamaCare Collapsing, What Do We Do Next?
Forbes ^ | November 10, 2016 | By Steve Forbes

Posted on 11/10/2016 10:09:15 AM PST by Brad from Tennessee

WITH THE OBAMACARE exchanges collapsing and millions of people being battered by ghastly increases in health insurance premiums, what’s to be done?

Forgetting that socialism doesn’t work–never mind that it’s deeply immoral–Democrats are addicted to the idea of government-dominated health care. They see ObamaCare’s terminal crisis as the perfect opportunity to realize their age-old ambition of socialized medicine, hence the current mouthing of such slogans as “a single-payer system,” “Medicare for all” and the offer to consumers of “a public option,” i.e., subsidized policies from a health insurance company run by Uncle Sam.

Republicans should be ready with proposals that will help health care ultimately become a normal market, where patients are in charge, not such third-party payers as health insurers, Medicare and Medicaid. Currently, the patient isn’t the “customer,” which is why so many thousands of them die unnecessarily from infections received at hospitals or from medical errors. The current system works to make the patient as passive as possible. A consumer revolution won’t be achieved overnight, but several ideas will help.

– Nationwide shopping for health insurance. Bust up the Balkanized, state-by-state arrangement we have today. We’re one country, after all. There’s no reason that a resident of, say, New Jersey shouldn’t be allowed to buy a policy offered in Wisconsin. Let scores of companies compete for your business instead of the handful you now have. . .

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


TOPICS: Editorial
KEYWORDS: aca; healthcare; repealandreplace; trumpagenda
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To: Brad from Tennessee; All

The crooks long ago figured out that getting themselves elected as federal lawmakers and then making unconstitutional tax laws to rob people’s money is much better than robbing banks for a living.

“Congress is not empowered to tax for those purposes which are within the exclusive province of the States.” —Justice John Marshall, Gibbons v. Ogden, 1824.

21 posted on 11/10/2016 10:23:46 AM PST by Amendment10
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To: deadrock

Nope.

There are lots, and lots, and lots of Americans for whom our “insurance” was anything but.

Repeal (AND REPLACE) Obamacare.

Don’t bring back the failed healthcare system we had before. It was almost as bad.

Everyone needs coverage.

Everyone.


22 posted on 11/10/2016 10:24:16 AM PST by cba123 ( Toi la nguoi My. Toi bay gio o Viet Nam.)
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To: cba123

“Obamacare was successful, because the GOP had done nothing, for the entire last generation.”

Yes, but isn’t that true of virtually everything? The Repubicans have been an unqualified disgrace, even when they had sufficient majorities to do the things they said they were going to do! Trump needs to clear the leadership decks in Congress in both Houses and get some real leaders in place who will work effectively to advance his agenda. But look for the GOPers to continue to hold out for their 1% benefactors. President Trump has his work cut out for him and it’s a bigger problem with “his own Party!”


23 posted on 11/10/2016 10:24:39 AM PST by vette6387
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To: BRL
Repeal it now effective 12 months out. Congress has 12 months to figure out replacement

But repeal the penalty immediately.

24 posted on 11/10/2016 10:26:04 AM PST by MUDDOG
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To: Brad from Tennessee
There’s no reason that a resident of, say, New Jersey shouldn’t be allowed to buy a policy offered in Wisconsin. Let scores of companies compete for your business instead of the handful you now have.

Why would they want to sell it to me? And why would I want to buy it from them?

Require hospitals and clinics to post their prices for all treatments, medications and services. The disparity in pricing can be astonishing.

Already available online. If people won't be bothered to look for it now, why should we think they'll look for it in the future.

Reveal each year what Medicare recipients–hospitals, clinics, practitioners–receive in payments from the Medicare program. Such information would be hugely useful in ferreting out fraud, as suspicious patterns and practices would be quickly apparent.

If the government isn't using this information to combat fraud already then why should we believe they'll suddenly start?

(I shouldn’t have to buy policies with pregnancy services.)

By that token I shouldn't have to buy policies that cover prostate cancer. But bringing coverage down to such a level of where it could be tailored so specifically would be impossible for the insurance companies. They won't do it.

Repeal Obamacare, period. Forget this "replace" nonsense. The longer Obamacare goes on the less likely Congress will be to repeal it. They'll try to replace it, and will wind up with something as expensive or more, and which will make the situation worse.

25 posted on 11/10/2016 10:27:20 AM PST by DoodleDawg
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To: cba123
Repeal, and REPLACE Obamacare.

Fixed it.

26 posted on 11/10/2016 10:28:36 AM PST by DoodleDawg
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To: Brad from Tennessee

It helps that it’s collapsing, hyper-expensive, and terrible coverage.

That makes it easier to repeal and replace.

The new program needs 4 elements.

1. Full repeal of the old Obamacare with its thousands of pages of socialist death panels, doctor guns reporting, etc.

2. A new law that permits purchase of health insurance across state lines.

3. A new provision for a pre-existing condition pool, and a new provision for a impoverished American CATASTROPHIC plan.

4. Doctors running cash medical care patients exempt from lawsuit by those same patients.

That’s it.

That will provide great American health care for everyone.


27 posted on 11/10/2016 10:30:03 AM PST by xzins
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To: Brad from Tennessee

Kill it with fire. Big mistake to believe you have to salvage or replace ANY of it.


28 posted on 11/10/2016 10:30:27 AM PST by Theophilus (The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom)
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To: MountainWalker

Run!


29 posted on 11/10/2016 10:30:36 AM PST by max americana (fired every liberal in our company at every election cycle..and laughed at their faces (true story))
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To: chud
...send each American a voucher and let them buy their own health care with it.

Isn't that basically what they're doing with Obamacare premium subsidies? And wouldn't your plan be even more expensive?

Put people with pre-existing conditions in a sort of "high risk" pool like they do for auto insurance, and have the insurance companies share the risk in covering those folks too.

As states found out, "high risk" pools are very expensive. The premiums were prohibitive, the coverage was very limited, and that's why many states never got into the high risk pool business to begin with.

30 posted on 11/10/2016 10:31:48 AM PST by DoodleDawg
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To: Brad from Tennessee
socialism doesn’t work–never mind that it’s deeply immoral
31 posted on 11/10/2016 10:37:20 AM PST by T Ruth (Mohammedanism shall be defeated.)
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To: BenLurkin
> Oh, I don’t know....how about doing the American thing and have a Free Market?

This. The prices of medical services will roll backwards when the market course corrects itself and the government doesn't impede their particular market with so much bureaucratic red tape...

32 posted on 11/10/2016 10:37:57 AM PST by jsanders2001
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To: cba123

“Nope. We need to pay attention to the people who need it.”

Oh, you mean, to each according to their needs?


33 posted on 11/10/2016 10:38:33 AM PST by Timpanagos1
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To: Brad from Tennessee
Some interesting ideas from Forbes, but I'll raise a big warning flag on one of them:

Any move towards a "national health insurance market" model would be in explicit violation of the U.S. Constitution. It's not just a formality, either ... there is a well-documented Supreme Court ruling that says an insurance policy is a contract, not "interstate commerce," and is therefore covered under state contract laws.

This is why all areas of insurance are regulated at the state level -- as it should be under the 10th Amendment. There's no reason why an insurance company in Wisconsin can't sell an insurance policy to a New Jersey customer, but it will have to meet all of New Jersey's regulatory requirements.

Whatever the Republicans in Congress decide to do with ObamaCare, I'll have a very dim view of them if they try to shove an unconstitutional change in front of us.

34 posted on 11/10/2016 10:40:45 AM PST by Alberta's Child ("Yo, bartender -- Jobu needs a refill!")
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To: cba123
Technically, insuring pre-existing conditions is called a “benefit.”

“Insurance” is for situations not currently a concern.

35 posted on 11/10/2016 10:42:44 AM PST by ConservativeMind ("Humane" = "Don't pen up pets or eat meat, but allow infanticides, abortion, and euthanasia.")
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To: IYAS9YAS
Repeal ObamaCare and let individual states do whatever the hell they want. If some states want to force insurance companies to cover pre-existing conditions, then so be it. If other states want to outlaw deductibles, then that's fine too.

This is the United States of America, not Empire USA.

36 posted on 11/10/2016 10:43:23 AM PST by Alberta's Child ("Yo, bartender -- Jobu needs a refill!")
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To: Brad from Tennessee

I have a suggestion. It is in fact a government option. If you want private insurance — buy it ( across state lines)
If you have pre existing , or no money, you elect government option. Similar to the Veterans Administration with salaried Doctors and bulk purchasing of medical supplies and drugs, in provided adequate facilities, If You are on the option, You pay a percent of your net disposable income but never less than $30 copay. that system should be adaquately funded so that no one falls through any crack. If you don’t want a customer # and a two hour wait for a government doctor, work hard to provide your own private plan. 50 employee rule still applies but the employer can buy private or take the public option.( If the employee doesn’t like the insurance, seek other employment that has what you want.
What happens here is freedom and choice. Great new health care system — as good as you can buy or at least the fall back to a safety of something. Otherwise just go to the ER.


37 posted on 11/10/2016 10:43:57 AM PST by WENDLE (Julian Assange must be granted safe harbour and a pardon!! He must get AMNESTY!!)
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To: Timpanagos1

I think healthcare will be a big battle, for the new administration.

There is a split, among even republicans.

Half are like, “get back what we had”. Like half of the people here are.

Then there are others who want government to be involved, in the areas where the old system failed to protect people.

That will I believe, be a big battle.

Both sides, I believe, believe strongly in the opinions, and both sides supported Trump 100%.

You and I seem to be on opposite sides on this issue. I believe representing the two views.


38 posted on 11/10/2016 10:44:18 AM PST by cba123 ( Toi la nguoi My. Toi bay gio o Viet Nam.)
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To: cba123
Then let them buy the d@mn coverage.

You just gave the same excuse as to why everyone shouldn't have to work, as well. “Everyone should get a check for doing nothing. Everyone should have a BMW. Everyone should have free cable. Everyone should have a slave. Everyone should...”

39 posted on 11/10/2016 10:47:08 AM PST by ConservativeMind ("Humane" = "Don't pen up pets or eat meat, but allow infanticides, abortion, and euthanasia.")
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To: Brad from Tennessee

Most will be covered at work or by medicare.

Those with Obamacare coverage are mostly without real coverage because of extreme deductibles.

If they want coverage they can secure catastrophic coverage on the market that is probably less than Obamacare.

it’s no biggie


40 posted on 11/10/2016 10:48:24 AM PST by bert ((K.E.; N.P.; GOPc;WASP .... Hilary is an Ameriphobe)
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