Posted on 07/17/2017 7:59:21 PM PDT by springwater13
This is breaking on McConnel's twitter feed. Statement to abandon repeal/replace for a straight repeal with a 2 year delay to replace.
(Excerpt) Read more at twitter.com ...
“2 year delay to replace”
That should be enough time for the states to get together and pass an appropriate Constitutional amendment.
Trump can lead the process.
The power over healthcare not specifically delegated to the federal government is given to the states or the people. Amendment X.
Repeal now with a promise to replace sometime before the sun burns out.
Someone with the know how and guts should form a new party...CSP....is my vote....Common Sense Party....I’m in...
They don’t zip. They always want to be ready to go.
Typical. Kick that can down the road.
Are you sure the current GOP Hill crowd could get anything big done in 2 years?
Whatever they were doing that just failed was under reconciliation which requires only a majority.
The are saying that simple repeal can’t be done under reconciliation.
But others are saying what McC is proposing is identical to bill they passed via reconciliation in 2015 that Obama vetoed.
Collins and Kirk (replaced by rat) were the only GOP Senators that voted it against it, but of course they knew it would be vetoed.
[ Yeah, like get the government out of the health care business, altogether. ]
Absolutely. Private healthcare was much better with competition.
McConnell’s only proposing this because he knows there isn’t a chance in hades of a full repeal making it through the senate. It would be surprising if it even makes it to the Senate floor, because the majority of the spineless senate doesn’t want to be on record for voting against it.
Well they do have to stand up, pull up there panties and pants and then button.
Do it!
“Two years?!
Wow. I wonder how long it takes these guys to zip their own flies after peeing - an hour or two?”
Depends...
Unless the Senate rules are changed, which is unlikely, 60 votes are needed to call the vote on a bill to repeal Obamacare (only 50 + Pence are needed for it to pass).
Unless the Senate rules are changed, which is unlikely, 60 votes are needed to call the vote on a bill to repeal Obamacare (only 50 + Pence are needed for it to pass).
= = = = = = = = = =
They would have to have an ‘open’ vote..complete repeal would mean the RINOs that have been campaigning on and feigning repeal would have to stand up and say no as they would not be able to hide behind a lack of comma or period etc.
The ‘NOES’ should be the LEAD TARGET for getting ‘fired’.
However, everyone has been focused on only one aspect of the problem: who pays and how. More important in my mind is to attack the cost side of the equation. If costs weren't so wildly out of control this endless battle over health insurance wouldn't be such a big deal.
Currently, we have a system in which so many hospitals and healthcare networks have merged and consolidated that we essentially have a healthcare/health insurance cartel. There is zero competition, there is zero pricing transparency (entering an emergency room is like handing them a blank check), and there is collusion and price-fixing galore occurring. CEOs in the health sector are the highest paid of any business sector in the entire country, many being paid in the tens of millions per year. Other administrative staff are paid similarly stratospheric amounts, and their primary goal is to maximize revenue with little concern for anything else, even though most hospitals are ostensibly non-profit.
If ever there were an industry that desperately needed a healthy dose (no pun intended) of competition, it is the healthcare industry. We also need to get the third party payers out of the mix to the greatest extent possible. Similar to the housing bubble and the current higher education bubble, third party money just drives unwarranted inflation and disincentivizes efficiency and cost containment. Force the providers to price their product according to what individuals can actually afford to, or are willing to pay (something we used to call a "market") and the situation would change rapidly. If one hospital or network wants to continue to fleece its patients, then there should also be dozens of competitors eager to take their business away from them and to do a much better job of serving their patients in the process. Until all of this happens, the bickering over Obamacare will not really solve anything.
No, he can't. Trump heads up the Administration. He has no authority over the Congress. Separation of Powers.
I like your tagline.
Yes, Trump should use his bully pulpit to demand that members of congress and their staff get exactly what the American people get, no exceptions or exemptions. They are the people’s representatives, not our lords. Short of Trump speaking up, short of him vetoing any exceptions and exemptions, congress will protect themselves and continue to screw us.
You are correct.
The actual fight is going to be over the private option, and you need to decide, now, what you want and will support along those lines.
The original Hillarycare bill banned private care, or, more exactly, had a $50 000 fine and five years in prison for any doctor who a) was enrolled to take payments from Hillarycare who then b) treated a patient for a fee not paid by the government using rules other than those approved by the government. Under this kind of single payer, obviously, independent practice would effectively cease.
But single payer does not need to be that way. President Trump's position, stated repeatedly during the campaign, was "we are going to take care of everybody". Making up the losses of private insurance companies who agree to "take care of everybody" under politically acceptable terms is very expensive, and ripe for corruption.
The Medicaid/uninsured population (which includes deadbeats, drug addicts, but also includes the working poor and the uninsurable) are going to get a National Health Card that gives them access to a large but limited menu of services. This is inevitable and it's foolish to fight it.
Anyone else who wants this card can get it also, if they are in legal status. If it's well-designed, the uptake may be rather high. Perhapswe will send one to everyone. The card will be free and will pay for care at the point of service with zero patient responsibility and zero bills.
The key is, private practice will have to be allowed (or, more accurately, allowed again), with certain enabling conditions:
1) Any patient, National Health Card or not, can see any doctor, any time, under mutually agreeable payment arrangements including cash, private insurance, or National Health, however, if a provider takes taxpayer dollars that will be payment in full.
2) Doctors can set their own fees and their own terms, however, access to hospital admission and operating facilities may have conditions such as taking service patients (as was always true).
3) For doctors who do not admit to hospitals and control outpatient surgery resources, and who therefore have no service obligations, they will have to sign up as National Health Care providers OR remain out of the system, but if they remain out, they must arrive at agreeable payment arrangements with National Health patients that do not include taxpayer dollars. This will constrain but not eliminate the "completely private" option, and will make it contingent on the willingness of a population to pay for care this way.
4) No more "free care". Most people will have National Health Cards to pay for hospitalization, surgery, etc. Others will have private insurance, or will be rich. But if you refuse National Health on principle and don't buy insurance because you "don't need it", then you will have to work it out if (when) you want a provider to treat you for free.
5) Medicare will be repealed and the Center for Medicare services will be abolished. All Medicare taxes paid will be refunded.
6) Providers may choose to use electronic or paper records, however, all incentive payments for EHR will cease and all rules about HOW EHR is to be used will also cease. The National Health payment system may sent minimum standards for documentation to receive taxpayer dollars, however.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.