Posted on 03/27/2017 12:39:26 PM PDT by davikkm
I am just a political junkie, but from what I understand, Obamacare can not be replaced lock stock & barrel because such bill can be filibustered in senate. And with 52 senators, we are 7 or 8 short. AHCA, on the other hand can be passed with reconciliation because it deals only with budget items, which can be passed with simple majority.
The devil is in the details. Without knowing the details, we hear lots of fake news.
I hope turtle face has enough courage to get him approved with the nuke option. I am willing to bet, Gorsuch will NOT receive 60 votes. The liberals are, as usual, UNITED. Conservatives, OTOH, seldom are.
I like to hope Trump is playing the long card game.
When all other roads are exhausted, he could pop out his own plan.
I just hope it’s not a Socialist plan.
He is a Capitalist with a capital C, I expect a Capitalists plan. I voted for a Capitalist.
I did do some thinking on it:
AHCA still contained these items that are in Obamacare:
1) Mandate to have continuous coverage or a 30% premium penalty paid to the insurance company (section 133). (Replaced the mandate to pay the IRS).
2) “EHB” (Essential Health Benefits) were left as is for people buying insurance on the Obamacare exchanges...only change I could find was to eliminate EHB for Medicaid recipients after Dec. 31, 2019. (section 112). I could not find any text eliminating the employer EHB mandate...you have a link?
3) Durable medical device tax elimination. Good! (part of the 15% good stuff) but leads to a quicker “death-spiral” of Ryancare/Trumpcare.
4) Medicaid reforms. Good, part of the 15% good stuff.
Ryancare/Trumpcare might actually have a quicker “death-spiral” than Obamacare due to a smaller risk pool & less taxes supporting it (see #3 above). AHCA would certainly lead to higher premiums for consumers that buy on the marketplace (and they are already outrageous). Smaller risk pool (by millions-CBO) due to lack of IRS penalty (just a 30% penalty when/if you buy insurance on the exchange). Along with leaving in the EHB mandates and “children” until age 26, and pre-existing conditions in the AHCA bill dooms it price-wise for consumers.
Also, the PP defunding had a “bait & switch”: a “sunset” after a year.
https://twitter.com/RepThomasMassie/status/846007730901061634
Terrible bill, the GOP house could have a good bill in a week if they wanted to, but lobbying pressure by insurance companies is too much I guess.
https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/BILLS-115hr1628rh/xml/BILLS-115hr1628rh.xml
But still adults have to grow up and realize there should be no free ride regarding healthcare unless they are elderly or extremely disabled.
Obamacare has been going not only by taking major policy increase chunks out of average or better workers, but also there were huge block grants made out of the Treasury that just vanished.
There is no free ride and making it seem free for a while by taking down productive people through accessing their pay will only IMO reduce the number of productive workers who pay taxes.
“Implying Trump didn’t plan it this way in the first place. He’s not as dumb as you assume.”
You are right. Ryan set the priorities for house calendar. This is Ryan’s loss.
It’s nothing more than Ryan was trying to use Trumps honeymoon as cover to get his crap sandwich pushed thru, you know goodwill and all the associated BS!
They couldn't find anything on Gorsuch, so the only reason they have to block him is that he is a Trump pick.
Absolutely right. That is the main reason I selected Trump over the other 16 in primaries, because he was least likely to be beholden to his big donors. The career politicians, must kowtow to their big donors to stay in the race.
My biggest worry now is that we are stuck with Obamacare for many years. I always had continuous health insurance since 1963, so there would be no penalty for me anyways. On the other hand, since Obamacare became law, my employers health insurance premiums rocketed up, due to compulsory stipulated coverages, many of which I do not need. AHCA had more flexibility in what coverages I want and need, so I could shop for cheaper insurance. But of course the AHCA is not what I wished for. My profile page written in 2010 when Obamacare became law will elucidate what I want. Also, my understanding is that AHCA deals only with budget items, and thus can be passed with reconciliation (simple majority in House & Senate) thus not subject to filibuster.
Much more of Obamacare could have been undone even under reconciliation. Furthermore, the senate parliamentarian need not have had the final say on other provisions, as far as I have read. What was lacking was conservative principles and political will in the republican leadership. Tired of abiding he Marquess of Queensberry rules against democrats who are back alley muggers
OK, so we can agree conservative principles and political will in the republican leadership are lacking. So what is the solution? Why members of freedom Caucus did not run for leadership roles such as the Speaker? Actually I heard most of them voted for Paul Ryan as Speaker. So why cry foul now? Do you have any suggestions to anoint better persons in leadership roles?
I’m not saying I have any better ideas about how to get out of this mess. I guess you could categorize my statement under “feckless lamentation.” Pardon my bellyaching.
“The best lack all conviction, while the worst
Are full of passionate intensity.”
Have a good night.
Good night as well. I am optimistic better things are to come from Trump admin, in the form of legislation, in addition to the Executive Orders.
There is one important distinction between Obamacare and Americare; no one was allowed to see the specifics of Obamacare before it was forced on us. Being able to see some of what the Republicans had in mind gave people the opportunity to reject it or accept it, depending on their political bent.
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