Obamacare Replacement: Waiting for Godzilla

americanthinker.com ^ | March 25, 2017 | Howard Hyde

[Helicondelta]

Whether you are cheering the principled holdout for a better bill or lamenting the circular firing squad led by the Freedom Caucus, the fact is that the first attempt to put a bill through the House to repeal and replace ObamaCare has landed short. Something of a civil war has broken out among various camps of The Party That Finally Has to Govern. Conservative critics called the American Health Care Act "RyanCare" when they were polite, "Obamacare Lite", "Obamacare 2.0" and other names not fit to print when they are feeling less so. Why the hysteria?

With Republicans firmly in charge for at least two years, there should be plenty of opportunity to amend, reinforce, and extend whatever reforms we lead with. Why not use this bill as a beachhead and continue from there? Why let the Perfect be the enemy of the Good?

...

Which is why, if we are true to our conservative, free-market, limited-government principles, we shouldn't have to get too exercised about the bill to replace Obamacare and instead simply proceed to propose, debate and vote up or down in separate, incremental bills all of the specific policies we believe should be implemented. Is competition across state lines without interference in the civil rights of citizens by state insurance commissars a good thing, or isn't it? That does not depend upon whether or not the FDA should fast-track approval of certain experimental therapies for desperately-ill patients. Those two do not need to be, indeed they do not really belong, together in the same bill.

[ez]

Ladies and Gentlemen, Phase One is dead but Phase Two is STILL OPERATIVE.

Phase Two consists of the Secretary of HHS using the plain language of the bill to make changes. In fact, the Secretary has a LOT of power in this area.

The changes made by Sibelius right after passage of the bill can all be rolled back. In fact, and I hate to suggest this, but the Secretary COULD actually SABOTAGE the bill if they so chose.

[Vlad The Inhaler]

LITTLE RYAN AT THE BAT

The outlook wasn’t brilliant for the GOPE that day.
The vote stood more than 20 shy; the looming clouds were gray.
But when Moderates shook their fists and conservatives said "No bill!"
A pall-like deathly silence fell upon the Rulers Of The Hill.

A sneer appeared on Ryan’s lip, as he gazed up at the clock,
He pounds with cruel authority, his gavel on the block.
And now the clerk calls for the vote, and now he adds it up,
And now the air is shattered by the force of Ryan's "NO !!!"

Oh, somewhere in this favoured land the sun is shining bright,
The band is playing somewhere, and somewhere hearts are light;
And somewhere men are laughing, and somewhere children shout,
But there is no joy in Swampville—Little Ryan has struck out.

[KC_Lion]

We need to pull a Godzilla on Deathcare and burn it to the ground.

Just send up a full repeal and be done with it.

[ez]

Phase Two...pressure should now be brought to bear of Secretary Price to use the powers granted him by the bill to make appropriate changes. Let’s start by removing all the exceptions made for Pelosi and Reids’ districts.

[Gaffer]

I remember reading that there are over 1400 instances of “....at the [HHS] secretary’s discretion......”

The Democrats were expecting a Democrat administration to continue the ACA abortion until it was irrevocably embedded in our system.

[Sirius Lee]

Then Step 1 of Phase 2 needs to be to rescind all of the homobamacare exemptions: for Congress and muzz slimes,

[ez]

I remember reading that there are over 1400 instances of “....at the [HHS] secretary’s discretion......”

The Democrats were expecting a Democrat administration to continue the ACA abortion until it was irrevocably embedded in our system.

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Yes! Was the Congress given an exemption to Obamacare in the bill itself, or is that a change Obama or SIbelius made later? How many exemptions were given? All the exemptions can be removed and possibly Congress can be made to join the party.

[ez]

I remember reading that there are over 1400 instances of “....at the [HHS] secretary’s discretion......”

The Democrats were expecting a Democrat administration to continue the ACA abortion until it was irrevocably embedded in our system.

---

Yes! Was the Congress given an exemption to Obamacare in the bill itself, or is that a change Obama or SIbelius made later? How many exemptions were given? All the exemptions can be removed and possibly Congress can be made to join the party.

[Gaffer]

I remember at first they even tried to make a deal with Missouri or some such state where they were excused from any added medicare/Medicaid payments at all. The blew up in their face and the deal was cancelled, but I remember it.

[ez]

Then Step 1 of Phase 2 needs to be to rescind all of the homobamacare exemptions: for Congress and muzz slimes,

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I totally agree. Let’s get everybody on board and apply pressure to the Secretary to get this done.

[mastertex]

Why do we now have to wait for Phase 2. If the HHS can put in the The HHS can take it out...right!!

[Pollster1]

Which is why, if we are true to our conservative, free-market, limited-government principles, we shouldn't have to get too exercised about the bill to replace Obamacare and instead simply proceed to propose, debate and vote up or down in separate, incremental bills all of the specific policies we believe should be implemented.

I agree 100%. This is the way I would like to see all legislation done, since it avoids the horse trading where two sides agree to support something bad in return for the other's support on their own bad bill.

[outofsalt]

"Phase Two consists of the Secretary of HHS using the plain language of the bill to make changes."

Grant a nationwide "waiver" to anyone wishing to opt out and allow Obamacare to continue for those who want to stay in. That competition of ideas which will allow the market to sort out what works.

[ez]

Why do we now have to wait for Phase 2. If the HHS can put in the The HHS can take it out...right!!

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Well, that IS Phase Two. Once the Secretary begins making changes, Phase Two has begun. Maybe it has begun already...

[ez]

Grant a nationwide “waiver” to anyone wishing to opt out and allow Obamacare to continue for those who want to stay in. That competition of ideas which will allow the market to sort out what works.

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Perfect.

[Helicondelta]

“Grant a nationwide waiver to anyone wishing to opt out and allow Obamacare to continue for those who want to stay in.”

I believe that was already done.

Healthy people will get out and that will drive up premiums for those who stay in. Also known as the death spiral.

[MSF BU]

That is a brilliant idea. Maybe I have missed it but yes, all of the specific exemptions need to be removed. Congress needs to be put onto this monstrosity.

[Mr Ramsbotham]

But a lot of the AHCA's proponents' (including Trump's) arguments had a "take-it-or-leave-it" tone, or worse, "Last Chance!" (before the coming 2018 midterm massacre). Why? If we drink Coke today, can we not drink Pepsi tomorrow?

Experience is the great teacher. If the Congress tells you that you can drink Pepsi tomorrow, you can be sure of three things: (1) Death; (2) Taxes; and (3) you will not be drinking Pepsi tomorrow.

[ICCtheWay]

There is NO NEED for an Obamacare replacement ... what is needed is a Market Place approach and the whining liberals be damned ...

Fund large scale public clinics for the poor ... LEAVE WORKING MIDDLE CLASS AMERICANS ALONE...