I still think Donald Trump could have a big win by replacing Obamacare with single-payer health insurance, but I’d be happy if the GOP would just make a bunch of improvements to the ACA and call it Trumpcare.
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5 Comments
Thing is, the Freedom Caucus (ugh) seems entirely opposed to anything that resembles decent healthcare even if Obama’s name isn’t attached. Chances are any Republican who works with Democrats to pass something of quality will be primaried from the right. There really is a significant chunk of America opposed to sick people being cared for.
They also seem to be ready to kick some of the most important parts of the ACA to the curb, such as pre-existing conditions. I doubt anything that actually works will make many happy because there is a core group that is firmly against any type of government program like Social Security, Medicaid and the ACA.
As I’ve said, I think there is a way out of this. Trump should introduce Medicare for All. Doesn’t matter if the Freedom Caucus hates it, between moderate Republicans (what’s left of them) and Democrats, it could pass easily. Trump has absolutely no ideology, he just wants to “win” and be popular. And this would be a huge win for him. It would instantly increase his favorability ratings.
You would need to add a premium to “medicare for all” Right now it is just for the six figure incomes. It needs to be graduated for all incomes as is the ACA. Anyone who doesn’t NEED to file a tax return is on Medicaid with no insurance premium.
People file tax returns 1) because they claimed zero to “get a bigger refund” out of stupidity and 2) to get the earned income credit for working that year. They are often not required to file as they have no tax obligation to the IRS or state. those are the ones that should pay no premium. And they are the big spenders proportionately to their incomes.
I know Trump has mouthed the words in the past, and during the campaign, that he believes or wants every American to have health insurance, but I don’t see him being committed to it, at least not presently. It’s certainly not something that he pushed for in the AHCA that I’m aware of. As you say, the man is totally without ideology and principles, beyond his own personal and financial aggrandizement and he follows the path of least resistance to that end.
In that regard, expecting him to push for, in effect, single-payer universal coverage is wishful thinking, imho, given the resistance he would undoubtedly encounter along that path.
For example – Warren Davidson, teapartier from Ohio who replaced Boehner, had this exchange at a recent townhall meeting:
WOMAN: “My son did not have health insurance for four years, until the ACA when Medicaid was accepted. He didn’t have health insurance because he’s in the service industry. And that industry pays minimum wage and they keep their employees below a certain number of hours so that they cannot — so that they don’t have to pay health insurance. So, many of the people that are on Medicaid are working, and they are the working poor. Under Trumpcare, one of the major ways to make health insurance affordable is to bring back catastrophic insurance, which is basically no insurance at all. Given that, given that preventative health care is the number one way to keep people healthy in our society. Can you explain why my son and millions of others in his situation are not deserving of affordable, decent healthcare that has essential benefits so that he can stay healthy and continue working?”
DAVIDSON: “OK, I don’t know anything about your son, but as you described him, his skills are focused in an industry that doesn’t have the kind of options that you want him to have for health care. So, I don’t believe that these taxpayers here are entitled [sic] to give that to him. I believe he’s got the opportunity to go earn those health benefits.”
http://bit.ly/2oWfAAo
And there’s a lot more where he’s coming from.
Now I could argue that Davidson is also in the service industry. As an elected official, he is in service to his constituents, yet his healthcare (gold level, by the way) is paid for by us taxpayers. But I guess that’s stretching the definition of service beyond his and his party’s conception.
For a party who essentially doesn’t believe in Medicare to begin with, it’s hard to imagine them supporting extending anything like it to the general population.