The Final Nail in the Coffin for Obamacare?

[Clyde]

CBO estimates 4M will lose EMPLOYER-based coverage next year.

[mcpapa]

A few million here and a few million there; pretty soon we're talking about real people.

 

I'm assuming that this would result in a substantial reduction in cost for us. Otherwise, why throw millions off the rolls?

[ggclfan]

A few million here and a few million there; pretty soon we're talking about real people.

 

I'm assuming that this would result in a substantial reduction in cost for us. Otherwise, why throw millions off the rolls?

 

I just heard from one of the talking heads on the news that most of the 22 million that will "lose" coverage are actually people that CHOOSE to not have coverage rather than be forced to have it (which Obamacare did). Again, not saying it is totally accurate but it actually makes some sense.

[ggclfan]

One other thing regarding the CBO...why do so many people believe anything it says? Does it have a track record of being accurate? I think it was WAY OFF about Obamacare in terms of costs, etc...

[mcpapa]

I just heard from one of the talking heads on the news that most of the 22 million that will "lose" coverage are actually people that CHOOSE to not have coverage rather than be forced to have it (which Obamacare did). Again, not saying it is totally accurate but it actually makes some sense.

 

That does make some sense, if accurate. I'd like to know what percentage of the 22 million that involves.

[Clyde]

The votes to pass are not there.

 

Sen McConnell has pushed the vote back to after July 4th.

[newarkcatholicfan]

Seems like another promised put on hold.

Not shocked but still funny now watching the news and seeing these secret planners backtracking and making excuses.

[Clyde]

Seems like another promised put on hold.

Not shocked but still funny now watching the news and seeing these secret planners backtracking and making excuses.

 

I think it would be a mistake to assume this cannot pass.

 

The senator from KY knows how to get votes.

[Clyde]

Report this morning says Sen McConnell will make changes to the bill. His challenge is he's got some saying no because it cuts too much and others saying there are not enough cuts.

[Pioneer.Pride]

CBO estimates 4M will lose EMPLOYER-based coverage next year.

 

How many of those uncovered are so by choice? How many now pay the tax penalty in lieu of purchasing insurance?

[newarkcatholicfan]

GOP health care bills are massively unpopular, poll after poll finds [Video]

[littleluck55]

GOP health care bills are massively unpopular, poll after poll finds [Video]

 

I am not sure I trust any polls any more.

 

Clinton Holds 11-Point National Lead Over Trump: NBC/WSJ Poll - NBC News

[StrongSide]

GOP health care bills are massively unpopular, poll after poll finds [Video]

 

Who are they polling? We know how telling the polls can be... keep trying though.

[Habib]

There just isn't a silver bullet that will solve the healthcare problem. But Republicans have been promising a silver bullet solution for roughly eight years now, and that’s created a problem for them now that they have to act.

 

Our healthcare system is a complicated mess, and Obamacare was an elaborate stop-gap of plugs and bandages meant to fix specific problems without starting over from scratch. But all of those bandages are interwoven, and you can't rip one off without ripping them all off.

 

You can't get rid of the individual mandate and keep protections for preventive care, pre-existing conditions, or caps on costs for the elderly, among other popular issues. You can’t slash funding for Medicaid and insurance subsidies and expect more people to afford coverage. It’s hard to improve health outcomes when fewer people have insurance, less care is covered, and the government takes a more passive role in health, like Obamacare’s role in reducing hospital readmissions (and it’s harder to keep long-term costs down without some of these measures or encouraging people to be healthier).

 

That's the predicament Republicans are in now. There’s no way to improve the healthcare people are getting or their access to basic care without something that looks a lot like Obamacare (or taking on an even more drastic overhaul). While Republican voters nominally want Obamacare gotten rid of, a lot more people like the essential benefits of Obamacare. So, Republicans are stuck between rhetoric and reality.

 

That’s how you end up with a bill no one seems to like but still seems inevitable, one that had to be written behind closed doors in a matter of weeks, with no hearings and no amendments, or its chances of passing would plummet. And the bill’s sales pitch sounds a lot more like damage control than an attempt at persuasion. It’s like a slick-talking car salesman saying “I know, the wheels are falling off, but gas is cheap!” Who is buying that?

 

I suspect McConnell just wants to get this over with one way or another, and I think he’d be happy throwing up his hands and saying “we tried” and moving on.

[Hatz]

How many of those uncovered are so by choice? How many now pay the tax penalty in lieu of purchasing insurance?

 

In 2015 the number was 7.5 million taxpayers according to this article.

 

http://www.cnbc.com/2015/07/20/irs-more-paid-obamacare-fine-than-expected.html

 

10.5 million according to this article in 2016.

 

Many See I.R.S. Penalties as More Affordable Than Insurance - The New York Times