Thursday, May 4, 2017

With House passage of AHCA, Republicans now own healthcare

We knew last week that despite improvements thanks solely to the Freedom Caucus, the Obamacare repeal/replace bill (AHCA) was still pretty lousy. Now, that unscored and unread lukewarm Republican bill has passes through the House...
TheResurgent: After making campaign promises after campaign promises, a seven-year effort to replace Obamacare was passed Thursday. Along party lines, House Republicans passed the American Health Care Act (AHCA) 217-213. For better or for worst, Republicans now own healthcare.

With 1/6th of the economy at stake, the vote happened after the CBO did not score the bill. The text of the AHCA was posted late Wednesday evening. The GOP House has a rule that text of a bill must be posted for three days prior to voting. Yet, House Republicans ignored their own standard and barreled forward.

As far as the bill itself, it does not completely repeal Obamacare. The MacArthur-Meadows amendment did move the bill in the right direction which grants states the right to seek waivers on some regulations. However, this is only a partial withdraw which still maintains a number of mandated Obamacare rules. ...

Republicans have improved the bill since March, but this still falls way short of what should have happened. Congress should have fully repealed Obamacare and gotten rid of mandated regulations and rules that keep Washington in control of healthcare decisions.

Like I wrote over a month ago, that is disappointing. We need true reforms to Medicaid and an actual free market solution that drives down premiums. Health saving accounts and insurance that is portable across state lines would also be nice. Instead, Republicans in Washington continue to disappoint with lukewarm reforms. After Democrats jumped off a cliff with Obamacare in 2010, House Republicans are now doing the same in 2017.
Speaker Ryan claimed in his big speech before passage of the Obamacare reform bill that this 'delivers' on Republican promises. What do you think?

TRS: Can you believe the audacity of Ryan? He claims this bill delivers on the promises Republicans made to the American people. Sure, it’s better than it was earlier this year, but it’s FAR from delivering on their promises to repeal and replace Obamacare. Heck, they couldn’t even agree that the EHBs and the Community rating system should be removed from every state. They had to get this watered down amendment just to give states the ability to opt out. For Ryan to act like this bill delivers on Republican promises is a slap in the face to the American people...
I wholeheartedly agree with the Speaker that we should end this failed experiment...but that means FULL REPEAL, not partial; it means free market solutions, not remaining under Washington control.

Related links: BREAKING: House passes Obamacare reform package
In Iowa, Obamacare Is Repealing Itself

ADDENDUM: Here's one caveat that I have absolutely no problem getting behind!
WZ: Congress will no longer be exempt from the healthcare laws they pass!

ADDENDUM II: Oh, Jeeze...


Come on!

Related link: Swampcare 2.0: Treating The Corpse While The Sick Die