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There are better ways to improve health insurance (like allowing policies to be sold across state lines).
No doubt.
But like fixing the underlying conflict with the illegal immigrant problem (by first fixing the 14th)
that would require Constitutional Change. That don't come easy.
The actual completion of the Uniting of the Several States that should have been done before or
at the very least during the previous hot opportunities of 1776 or 1789 or 1826 or 1864 is needed.
The secessionist are more likely to have their wet dream happen first.
Which is why we aren't arguing about implementing a Universal Health Insurance Plan of some sort.
The problem with the ACA is that is designed to be built on top of the existing system.
It's designed to be inadequate and problematic because the foundation was built by Escher.
That the existing system is completely EFF'ed Up is little more than background noise.
We're stuck with what we have because warts and all... most seem to prefer that to real change.
(I suspect that actual improvement scares them)
Frankly, the American people have been sold a "bill of goods." Propagandized, lied to, defrauded, ripped off. Period.
I think ObamaCare should be repealed and tossed on the trash heap of bad ideas. There are better ways to improve health insurance (like allowing policies to be sold across state lines).
Not an available choice. There are decision that cannot be reversed and this is one of them. The populace will not put up with reinstating the prior condition clause. And that basically dooms the prior system.
I would think there are things easily fixed...the part time problem for instance. Don't see it happening soon though as it would require bipartisan will.
So Obamacare runs its course and in three years or so we decide whether we can live with it or want a big modification. Off hand the only one available will be single payer.
Not an available choice. There are decision that cannot be reversed and this is one of them.
The populace will not put up with reinstating the prior condition clause.
And that basically dooms the prior system.
...and in three years or so we decide whether we can live with it or want a big modification.
Off hand the only one available will be single payer.
That sounds about right in principle and we would be lucky if UHC of some sort came to pass.
But I don't think single payer will happen. Don't know what will though.
Figures that you won't hear on the nightly news programs:
318 million= population of the United States
80%= unaffected by the PPACA, mostly due to employer group policies
3%= a wash, have to buy new policy but pretty much matches old policy
14%= currently uninsured who will gain access to insurance and/or subsidized policies
3%= people with "cancelled policies", must purchase more comprehensive plans as outlined in the PPACA
That sounds about right in principle and we would be lucky if UHC of some sort came to pass.
But I don't think single payer will happen. Don't know what will though.
Eh, I think there are four realistic possibilities, two good (1 & 4), one bad (2), one disastrous (3)
1. Things turn around and Obamacare functions decently within a year or two. In this scenario it becomes part of the legal and medical landscape and after the Obama administration is over Republicans swallow their pride and start helping to pass small, common-sense tweaks to make it work better still.
2. It continues to not work, the Republicans want it dead, the Democrats refuse to repeal it. The individual insurance market is substantially more expensive than pre-ACA but continues to limp along.
3. It continues not to work, Republicans and Democrats combine together to pass a poison-pill which the Democrats think will push the political damage out past the next election and the Republicans think will make the bill collapse all the harder in the long term (like what's being considered with people being able to keep their existing insurance -- killing the existing plans was something that was needed to make it work and everyone with some knowledge of the system knew that from the start), both occur, but then the Democrats won't repeal when it goes even more to hell, result that the country will just not have a viable individual insurance market (nor a public alternative -- people without insurance from their jobs or access to Medicare/Medicaid will be screwed and that will be the new normal).
4. It continues not to work and gets repealed wholesale. Return to pre-ACA status quo with some of the more popular elements that can stand alone (like kids staying on their parents' plans until 26, no rescission once a policy gets approved, etc.) retained.
edit: whatup other people posting in the city-data ACA free speech zone
Eh, I think there are four realistic possibilities, two good (1 & 4), one bad (2), one disastrous (3)
1. Things turn around and Obamacare functions decently within a year or two. In this scenario it becomes part of the legal and medical landscape and after the Obama administration is over Republicans swallow their pride and start helping to pass small, common-sense tweaks to make it work better still.
2. It continues to not work, the Republicans want it dead, the Democrats refuse to repeal it. The individual insurance market is substantially more expensive than pre-ACA but continues to limp along.
3. It continues not to work, Republicans and Democrats combine together to pass a poison-pill which the Democrats think will push the political damage out past the next election and the Republicans think will make the bill collapse all the harder in the long term (like what's being considered with people being able to keep their existing insurance -- killing the existing plans was something that was needed to make it work and everyone with some knowledge of the system knew that from the start), both occur, but then the Democrats won't repeal when it goes even more to hell, result that the country will just not have a viable individual insurance market (nor a public alternative -- people without insurance from their jobs or access to Medicare/Medicaid will be screwed and that will be the new normal).
4. It continues not to work and gets repealed wholesale. Return to pre-ACA status quo with some of the more popular elements that can stand alone (like kids staying on their parents' plans until 26, no rescission once a policy gets approved, etc.) retained.
edit: whatup other people posting in the city-data ACA free speech zone
1. is the only viable option of the ones you present. People make the mistake of thinking the ACA is all about insurance. There is so much more in those 2000 pages. It fundamentally changes healthcare delivery in the US. Hospitals, medical practices, insurers, employers and virtually every stakeholder with the possible exception of the insured in individual markets who are seeing it now have changed in ways that can't and won't be reversed. The law has been in effect for three years and has wormed its way into the entire system and changed it forever. Republicans voted four dozen times for repeal because they know they can't win and the vote is harmless political theatre. If it seriously started to look like ACA would be repealed, all hell would break loose in the medical economy.
Figures that you won't hear on the nightly news programs:
318 million= population of the United States
80%= unaffected by the PPACA, mostly due to employer group policies
3%= a wash, have to buy new policy but pretty much matches old policy
14%= currently uninsured who will gain access to insurance and/or subsidized policies
3%= people with "cancelled policies", must purchase more comprehensive plans as outlined in the PPACA
Liberal mentality: repeal the 2nd Amendment because it might save one child's life but if a few million lose their insurance, it's for the good of society as a whole.
You really can't make this stuff up.
Last edited by TrapperJohn; 11-17-2013 at 06:22 PM..
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