As much of an Obamacare opponent as I am, we have to be careful about these polls. People want effective, affordable healthcare. They know Obamacare isn’t delivering it to them. But that doesn’t mean that the population has turned into laissez-faire conservatives either. We are going to end up with something that gets rid of a lot of Obamacare but leaves some in place. The trick will be how to pay for the mandate to cover pre-existing conditions. I highly doubt that will be dropped.
If coverage is mandated then preexisting conditions must be accepted and covered, but the cost associated with this is more than working poor and middle class can afford to pay. That, along with noncitizens by the millions coming in and being covered at the highest level of subsidy, is why it doesn’t work and isn’t accepted. It costs way more than the so-so plans it largely replaced, but nothing was gained for average citizens. The deductible is just as high if not higher, the copays are too, and the monthly bill is, what, triple by now compared to what it was prior to Obamacare? We’re talking people who were already stretched thin, it’s not as if they had extra money lying around every month. This bit to the bone for a lot of people.
Good affordable healthcare...reminds of the argument for diesel engines...where people wanted good gas mileage, dependable engines, clean output, and engine power. The diesel freaks can only have three out of the four. The minute you say you want clean exhaust fumes, then the whole game is off.
I think in the vision of saying “good” and “affordable” healthcare, you end up with a deadend. You can have affordable healthcare but probably by dumping various technologies of the past decade, and a number of high-cost drugs. Or you can have good/great healthcare at a price which makes it remarkably impossible for half of the nation to readily afford the premiums or deductibles.