Insert the parenthesis in the title as you wish.
I was reading the news over lunch, and I’m incensed that the GOP is at it again — this time, attempting to tie repeal of the Affordable Care Act to funding the government. They keep trying to repeal the ACA, and they keep failing. Now the ACA isn’t perfect — even in California, we’re starting to see some of limitations of the approach, but at least it is an attempt to solve the problem.
Perhaps this is why I’m incensed: Instead of saying “Let’s fix the ACA” or “Here’s another way to solve the problem”, the current GOP seems to want to just toss it out, and go back to the old approach for healthcare, which was generally agreed to be problematic.
If the GOP in the House really want to get rid of the ACA, they simply need to propose a plan that:
- Protects consumers from the abuses of the Insurance Industry — such as the problems with preexisting conditions, coverage denials, and coverage caps
- Ensures that affordable insurance is available to all citizens of the US
- Controls healthcare costs (which has a direct impact on the budget)
- Makes Americans healthier
That’s not much, is it? It is not requiring the US to be the insurer. It is not requiring the US to dictate what is covered or what isn’t. It will require insurers to not be capricious and be focused on health. The four goals above, I believe, were addressed by the ACA. If the GOP wants to get rid of it, propose something better. If you can’t come up with something better, then sit down, shut up, fund the government, and do your job addressing the other problems this Nation faces.
[P.S.: The reason the ACA requires everyone to be covered is not because there is a belief that everyone should be insured. It is because the insurance companies indicated that in order to remove limitations on pre-existing conditions, the pool of people paying premiums had to be larger. Insurance works by having the premiums from the healthy cover the costs for the sick, so if the potentially sick pool is larger, you need more premiums.]
I agree that the ACA isn’t perfect. There are those who think it goes too far; I feel it doesn’t go far enough. I think we should have some form of a Medicare/VA-style universal health care system. Other countries do not have the insurance company red tape that we have, and they have more efficient systems than we do. What does that tell you?
The obvious answer that meets all your criteria is to extend Medicare to all citizens, as in Canada. But of course, that is ideologically repugnant to Republicans. Not only is it socialism, but it would irreparably harm the insurance industry, an important donor.
“The obvious answer that meets all your criteria is to extend Medicare to all citizens, as in Canada. ”
Whenever I see a suggestion like this, I know that the person has no idea how Medicare is funded.
It makes as much sense as saying we should extend Social Security coverage to everyone at all ages.
I have my doubts about the hypothesis that sending all the Republicans to the moon would improve matters. However, I am also a firm believer in the use of the scientific method to obtain observable evidence. So my proposal is that we test that hypothesis, just to be sure.
“Protects consumers from the abuses of the Insurance Industry — such as the problems with preexisting conditions…”
Can we do something to protect consumers from the abuses of the auto insurance industry. If I have a car that has been totaled in a wreck, why can’t I buy collision insurance at an inexpensive price and get it fixed?