Republicans in Congress have vowed to repeal Obamacare, and tried to do it more than 60 times. Now that they’ll soon control the White House as well as both houses of Congress, they’re all set to take away our health insurance in January.
There’s just one problem… They won’t have any way to blame the horrific consequences of their actions on the Democrats. And Aits existing state-level marketplaces will balk — imperiling the same marketplaces that Republicans would be counting on continuing until they figure out what to do next.’
Republicans in Congress will also wind up cursing the governors who accepted the Medicaid expansion. Voters who benefit from the joys of having access to their doctors and prescription drugs are unlikely to give up their Obamacare without a fight.
Plus, the GOP still hasn’t come up with a replacement plan. Why? Because you can’t cut costs without cutting out the health insurance companies and letting Medicare bargain down drug prices and/or by insuring fewer people. There’s no way Republicans will do the former, yet they don’t want to admit they want to do the latter.
‘The cold, hard realities of repeal are especially hitting home for Republicans from states that opted to expand Medicaid, a provision of the health law that extends coverage to additional low-income Americans. Medicaid expansion has been particularly successful in Trump strongholds like Kentucky and West Virginia, where residents are more likely to be poor and sick.’
So now, the Republican Party is in between a rock and a hard place and Barack Obama gets the last laugh.
GOP may delay Obamacare replacement for years
Republicans are setting up a high-stakes deadline to replace the health care law.
By RACHAEL BADE and BURGESS EVERETT 12/01/16 05:10 AM EST on politico.com
Prepare for the Obamacare cliff.
Congressional Republicans are setting up their own, self-imposed deadline to make good on their vow to replace the Affordable Care Act. With buy-in from Donald Trump’s transition team, GOP leaders on both sides of the Capitol are coalescing around a plan to vote to repeal the law in early 2017 — but delay the effective date for that repeal for as long as three years.
They’re crossing their fingers that the delay will help them get their own house in order, as well as pressure a handful of Senate Democrats — who would likely be needed to pass replacement legislation — to come onboard before the clock runs out and 20 million Americans lose their health insurance. …
“The blame will fall on the people who didn’t want to do anything,” McCarthy said, foreshadowing a likely GOP talking point should Democrats block a replacement plan.
But Democrats said the GOP plan to put the onus on the minority party won’t work.
“They break it, they buy it,” said Sen. Patty Murray (D-Wash.), a Democratic leader.
The time frame leaders choose will undoubtedly affect their leverage with Senate Democrats. Ten Senate Democrats in red or purple states that went for Donald Trump are up for reelection in 2018. The pressure on those Democrats to negotiate could increase if chaos from the expiring Obamacare system occurs just as they’re trying to keep their seats.
“You might have one line of thinking to at least go along with the Republicans to see where you can work together with some fixes,” said Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.)
If Republicans choose to wait until 2019 or 2020, however, they could find themselves with a larger majority, picking up seats in the 2018 election — though it’s not likely they’d win the nine needed to get to 60 votes and avoid having to work with Democrats.
This all hinges on insurance companies staying in the ACA market. Given what we’ve been seeing in terms of “healthy” people opting out of the pool of the insured (Many See I.R.S. Penalties as More Affordable Than Insurance By ABBY GOODNOUGH JAN. 3, 2016, NYT) and how it affects insurance companys’ bottom line, I have strong feeling that insurance companies are going to bail as soon as possible if Congress repeals the ACA.
JUST IN: GOP Congressmen Announce REFUSAL To Repeal Obamacare On Day One (DETAILS)
Hearseeno 