It’s hard to know what “Trumpcare” is, but whether it’s “repeal” or “repeal and replace with something terrific,” it was and is going to fail. It was either going to fail to be enacted by Congress, or if it was enacted, it was going to set off such a bipartisan backlash it would be repealed, either by a chastened Republican Congress or a new Democratic Congress and president.
The reason Trumpcare was doomed was that health care is not like global warming or police shootings or use of military force in foreign countries: It is an issue a large majority of Americans agree on, and it is an issue voters can assess with their own eyes in their own kitchens.
Republican voters are almost identical to Democratic voters in what they want in a health care system. They want comprehensive coverage, low out-of- pocket costs and affordable premiums, freedom to choose their own doctors (they could care less about freedom to choose between Aetna and Humana), and freedom from interference by bureaucrats (be they public or private). Obamacare became a liability for Democrats because the public clearly perceived that the ACA could not meet those requirement for millions of Americans. The public now clearly perceives Republicans want to enact legislation that would be even worse than the ACA.
These facts — Americans want the same thing in a health care system regardless of party, and it’s difficult for politicians to fool the public about the success or failure of a health care bill — were obvious to thinking people even before the new Republican-controlled Congress began writing their “repeal and replace” legislation. But it was not obvious to Trump and most congressional Republicans. For some reason they thought they could remove 20-30 million people from the ranks of the insured, hand most of the savings over to the rich, and the public wouldn’t mind.
Now they know. The public has a little problem with that.
The good news is that Trump and the Republicans learned before enacting their dreadful “repeal and replace” bill that the public doesn’t like it. The bad news is that Trump is the president, he has the power to accomplish repeal by sabotage, he doesn’t seem to care what happens to the Republican Party now that they elected him king, and he might well force the country to undergo a rough equivalent of repeal without the formal consent of Congress. In that event, we will have to watch Trumpcare die AFTER it harms millions of people who have insurance now, and after it inflicts much damage on the GOP.
Trumpcare was and is doomed. The only question before us is how it will die.
Categories: Uncategorized
“our nation’s health spending continues to be the number one cause of a citizen’s need for declaring bankruptcy.”
Quoting The Hill “But the alleged link between health costs and bankruptcy is about as real as the tooth fairy. The overwhelming body of research shows that medical costs play little or no role in the vast majority of U.S. personal bankruptcies.”
“Republican Party now that they elected him king, and he might well force the country to undergo a rough equivalent of repeal without the formal consent of Congress. “
A bit overstated…not a bit… a lot overstated. Trump isn’t King and certainly hasn’t received fealty from the Republican Party that permits him to act unilaterally. The Republicans voted to repeal the ACA many times but were vetoed. The President said he would sign such a bill. He also said he would sign the replacement bills that left significant parts of the ACA so I am not sure what your point is.
“It seems the Republican thrust is primarily governed by its commitment to reduce our nation’s health spending that is paid by the Federal treasury.”
It’s all paid for by the treasury. Employer insurance is tax deductible. As is campaign contributions and charity donations (if you itemize).
The hard-right neo-Randian fringe now essentially controlling the GOP denies the very moral legitimacy of a “commonwealth,” of ANY sense of mutual social obligation, e.g., “social insurance.” They comfortably spout this fatuous crap from behind the protection of the mightiest military on the planet and the 24/7 at-the-ready availability of the panoply of police, fire, and disaster response services.
It seems the Republican thrust is primarily governed by its commitment to reduce our nation’s health spending that is paid by the Federal treasury. In the meantime, our nation’s health spending continues to be the number one cause of a citizen’s need for declaring bankruptcy. Meanwhile, we have no means to improve each community’s Social Capital as basis for mitigating the social adversity’s that effect the health of many citizens.
“The good news is that Trump and the Republicans learned before enacting their dreadful “repeal and replace” bill that the public doesn’t like it. ”
I have not seen much evidence of this in what they have said in public, though maybe they believe this in private. The poll numbers on the AHCA have been in the tank since it came out and they still pursued it w/o much change. I think what they really learned is that they shouldn’t elect RINOs. Expect primary challenges for the Senators who voted against.
Steve