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The prevailing liberal reaction to the plan has been to dismiss it. It isn't a serious alternative to the Affordable Care Act, they say, because it doesn't provide health insurance to as many people or offer the same protections to those with pre-existing conditions. Obamacare supporters expect the law to increase the number of people with insurance by 25 million. The Lewin Group has estimated that a tax deduction would increase that number by only about 9 million.
These criticisms are partly right. The Republicans should replace their tax deduction with a tax credit, which would have a higher value for people with low incomes and thus do more to extend insurance. Increasing the number of people with health insurance may not do much for their health — the evidence that it would is pretty weak — but it will make them more financially secure. That's especially worth doing because federal policy, by tying insurance to employment, has locked a lot of people out of health insurance markets and thus made them less secure.
Republicans should make two other modifications to the plan. People who have access to employer coverage shouldn't be allowed to use the tax deduction or tax credit to purchase health insurance on their own. Eventually we ought to move toward a system that's much less dependent on employers, but we should minimize the disruptiveness of this transition.
And medical malpractice reform, as popular as it is among Republicans, shouldn't be done at the federal level. Medical torts have traditionally been regulated by states, and states have the incentive to set their policies on it the right way because their residents will pay the price if they don't.
Even with these flaws, though, the Republican plan is superior to Obamacare. It's less coercive. It requires fewer taxes. It doesn't have as much potential to reduce full-time employment. And it's more likely to control costs, relying as it does on the power of competition rather than the guidance of Washington-based experts.
LOL Leave it to the GOP for bringing "Too little too late" to new heights.
Where were they during the AHC negotiations? No where, they refused en mass.
So... fewer poor people benefit, but rich people get more money out of it. Sounds like the Republicans.
So the GOP solution is a tax deduction and a tax credit.
Wow nice policy analysis. You sound like you really care about the cost of health care.
For one thing, be more specific. For another, the point of reforming health care is to control health care costs, not to just hand out health care to poor people.
It is more than that.
Actually the problem we have IS the 25 million who don't have insurance. That drives costs up all by itself because we all pay for them anyway.
Actually the problem we have IS the 25 million who don't have insurance. That drives costs up all by itself because we all pay for them anyway.
Actually the current Affordable Care Act looks remarkably like what Bob Dole and Bush senior hammered out in the early 90s.
Their republicon plan is now law...
Go figure...
For one thing, be more specific. For another, the point of reforming health care is to control health care costs, not to just hand out health care to poor people.
It looks as if prices are rising, rather than falling. And it also looks as if the uninsured numbers aren't going to drop much, either. CBO: Obamacare Will Leave 30 Million Uninsured | CNS News So we will still be paying for the uninsured in the ER anyway.It's to make it affordable for everyone. That might just mean that its costs will be progressive, and you personally might not pay less. You can afford it. I can, too. Suck it up and stop whining.
It looks as if prices are rising, rather than falling. And it also looks as if the uninsured numbers aren't going to drop much, either. CBO: Obamacare Will Leave 30 Million Uninsured | CNS News So we will still be paying for the uninsured in the ER anyway.
Obamacare was supposed to cover everyone--at least that is what I thought I heard was the reason for changing our health care system.. At the time I thought I heard this, there were 30 million people who weren't covered by insurance. Now that Obamacare is the law of the land, there are still 30 million who will not be covered. What mischief is that 30 million up to, anyway?
No, it wasn't. It hasn't since we gave the Republicans yet another concession and took out the public option. Both your and Humbolt's complaints would be solved if that hadn't happened. Congratulations. You made this bed. Now sleep in it. And maybe find out what you made before you start complaining.
They're still going to the ER for everything, and apparently they'll continue in like numbers in spite of the program heralded to fix that and the rising cost curve.Obamacare was supposed to cover everyone--at least that is what I thought I heard was the reason for changing our health care system.. At the time I thought I heard this, there were 30 million people who weren't covered by insurance. Now that Obamacare is the law of the land, there are still 30 million who will not be covered. What mischief is that 30 million up to, anyway?
Greetings, humbolt. :2wave:
No, it wasn't. It hasn't since we gave the Republicans yet another concession and took out the public option. Both your and Humbolt's complaints would be solved if that hadn't happened. Congratulations. You made this bed. Now sleep in it. And maybe find out what you made before you start complaining.
I'm not sure I understand this public option thing. The way I see it, the state and federal exchanges are public options. Are they not?
I'm not sure I understand this public option thing. The way I see it, the state and federal exchanges are public options. Are they not?
Concessions? This ACA belongs to the political left. You own it. Nobody on the right voted for it. Everybody on the left did, and it bears the president's signature. It's your baby. If Obama, Reid and Pelosi had wanted the public option, they could've legislated and passed it. They didn't. What we now have is their product. The left is so desperate to distance themselves from this mess they've resorted to calling it Heritagecare, Romneycare, and maybe they'll get around to Gingrichcare when the smelling salts start to kick in.No, it wasn't. It hasn't since we gave the Republicans yet another concession and took out the public option. Both your and Humbolt's complaints would be solved if that hadn't happened. Congratulations. You made this bed. Now sleep in it. And maybe find out what you made before you start complaining.
It's to make it affordable for everyone. That might just mean that its costs will be progressive, and you personally might not pay less. You can afford it. I can, too. Suck it up and stop whining.
We can't afford it. We need the federal government to subsidize our purchase. That's not "affordable." That's called propping up unaffordability. It makes more people dependent on the federal government.
A better policy would do more to actually control the astronomical costs, not subsidize them. That one of the reasons why HR 3121 is a better policy.
They're still going to the ER for everything, and apparently they'll continue in like numbers in spite of the program heralded to fix that and the rising cost curve.
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