'Repeal and Replace' Obamacare -- With the Free Market
Jan 5, 2017 09:41:30 #
One of President-elect Donald Trump's major campaign promises is to "repeal and replace" Obamacare.
Vice President Joe Biden recently dared him to do so. Biden knows that 20 million Americans have health insurance that didn't before Obamacare, and they represent 20 million stories on CNN, MSNBC and The New York Times -- in the entire "health care is a right" crowd -- when and if Trump follows through.
Sure, despite President Barack Obama's promises to the contrary, some people lost their health care coverage and some people lost their doctors. And no, the average family did not save $2,500 per year as Obama insisted would be the case. And yes, health insurance premiums, copays and deductibles are going up even though Obama promised that his plan would "bend the cost curve" down.
All that matters to the anti-Trump media is that there is now an entire class of people to exert pressure against the repeal of Obamacare. Many Republicans say they want to keep "the good parts of Obamacare," specifically the prohibition against denying insurance based on a pre-existing condition and forcing insurance carriers to keep a "child" on his or her parents' policy until the child is 26. Republicans promised to not only repeal but to "replace" Obamacare. How can they do this -- and replace it with what?
Republicans, despite their unanimous opposition against Obamacare, bought into at least two premises that its proponents argued. The first is that health care is a right -- or, if not a right, at least something whose costs the federal government should reduce. The second is that, having made the decision to intervene in health care, the federal government possesses the knowledge, wisdom and judgment to reduce its costs to make it "affordable." The feds, promised Obamacare advocates, can even make health care affordable without reducing quality.
For Obamacare to "work," it is particularly important for young people to "buy in," because while they are forced to (SET ITAL) spend (END ITAL) on health care insurance they are unlikely to (SET ITAL) consume (END ITAL) health care services. Obamacare t***sfers money from the pockets of young people (with a net worth smaller than that of seniors, by the way) into the pockets of older, health care consuming Americans.
If the goal were truly to make health care more affordable, Obamacare would be as laughably wrongheaded as other Obama boondoggles like "cash for caulkers" or "cash for clunkers." No, the real goal is taxpayer-paid health care. Both ex-DNC chair Howard Dean and ex-Senate leader Harry Reid said so.
To reduce costs in health care, or, for that matter, in (SET ITAL) any (END ITAL) commodity, is to unleash the free market. Health care is particularly shackled by restrictions and regulations too numerous to mention. Here is just one example.
In the biographical movie "Hacksaw Ridge," a World War II medic, Private Desmond Doss, a pacifist, refused to carry a rifle. In the midst of the carnage, during the Battle of Okinawa, Doss carried wounded soldiers and rappelled them down a cliff face to safety then treated them alongside the medics. He was awarded a Medal of Honor for saving scores of lives.
If, however, after the war, Pvt. Doss had opened an office with a shingle saying "Doss' trauma unit," authorities would have thrown him in jail for practicing medicine without a license. His sk**ls were good enough for the soldiers on the battlefield, but not good enough for civilians when Doss returned stateside.
On a question-and-answer website, this question was recently posed: How do Marines feel about Navy corpsmen?
Here are some of the responses: "Personal experience -- I had my middle finger sewn back on by an E-5 corpsman. When a real doctor first saw it, he shouted, 'Who did this?!' I asked why and the Doc said that it was the best he had ever seen. I have full use and feeling in that finger and that was 40 years ago."
"Personal experience -- I was shot in the leg. An E-4 corpsman, assisted by an E-5, treated me. No doctor could have done any better than they did."
"History: Beginning in WWII, most ships the size of destroyers and smaller had enlisted men -- corpsmen -- as their only medical expert. Usually it was a Chief Petty Officer, but often was an E-6 and some had only an E-5.
"Then, as now, they did everything -- surgery included. In WWII and every war since then, U.S. soldiers have had a higher survival rate than any other country's military (enemy or allies) and most of that medical triage and vital systems treatment was by enlisted corpsmen.
"Outside the service, enlisted corpsmen are by far the preferable hire for civilian EMT and rescue jobs."
If Congressional Republicans were serious about making health care affordable, they should sell the v**ers on the free market. Where's the slogan for that?
http://townhall.com/columnists/larryelder/2017/01/05/repeal-and-replace-obamacare--with-the-free-market-n2267365?utm_source=thdaily&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=nl&newsletterad=
Vice President Joe Biden recently dared him to do so. Biden knows that 20 million Americans have health insurance that didn't before Obamacare, and they represent 20 million stories on CNN, MSNBC and The New York Times -- in the entire "health care is a right" crowd -- when and if Trump follows through.
Sure, despite President Barack Obama's promises to the contrary, some people lost their health care coverage and some people lost their doctors. And no, the average family did not save $2,500 per year as Obama insisted would be the case. And yes, health insurance premiums, copays and deductibles are going up even though Obama promised that his plan would "bend the cost curve" down.
All that matters to the anti-Trump media is that there is now an entire class of people to exert pressure against the repeal of Obamacare. Many Republicans say they want to keep "the good parts of Obamacare," specifically the prohibition against denying insurance based on a pre-existing condition and forcing insurance carriers to keep a "child" on his or her parents' policy until the child is 26. Republicans promised to not only repeal but to "replace" Obamacare. How can they do this -- and replace it with what?
Republicans, despite their unanimous opposition against Obamacare, bought into at least two premises that its proponents argued. The first is that health care is a right -- or, if not a right, at least something whose costs the federal government should reduce. The second is that, having made the decision to intervene in health care, the federal government possesses the knowledge, wisdom and judgment to reduce its costs to make it "affordable." The feds, promised Obamacare advocates, can even make health care affordable without reducing quality.
For Obamacare to "work," it is particularly important for young people to "buy in," because while they are forced to (SET ITAL) spend (END ITAL) on health care insurance they are unlikely to (SET ITAL) consume (END ITAL) health care services. Obamacare t***sfers money from the pockets of young people (with a net worth smaller than that of seniors, by the way) into the pockets of older, health care consuming Americans.
If the goal were truly to make health care more affordable, Obamacare would be as laughably wrongheaded as other Obama boondoggles like "cash for caulkers" or "cash for clunkers." No, the real goal is taxpayer-paid health care. Both ex-DNC chair Howard Dean and ex-Senate leader Harry Reid said so.
To reduce costs in health care, or, for that matter, in (SET ITAL) any (END ITAL) commodity, is to unleash the free market. Health care is particularly shackled by restrictions and regulations too numerous to mention. Here is just one example.
In the biographical movie "Hacksaw Ridge," a World War II medic, Private Desmond Doss, a pacifist, refused to carry a rifle. In the midst of the carnage, during the Battle of Okinawa, Doss carried wounded soldiers and rappelled them down a cliff face to safety then treated them alongside the medics. He was awarded a Medal of Honor for saving scores of lives.
If, however, after the war, Pvt. Doss had opened an office with a shingle saying "Doss' trauma unit," authorities would have thrown him in jail for practicing medicine without a license. His sk**ls were good enough for the soldiers on the battlefield, but not good enough for civilians when Doss returned stateside.
On a question-and-answer website, this question was recently posed: How do Marines feel about Navy corpsmen?
Here are some of the responses: "Personal experience -- I had my middle finger sewn back on by an E-5 corpsman. When a real doctor first saw it, he shouted, 'Who did this?!' I asked why and the Doc said that it was the best he had ever seen. I have full use and feeling in that finger and that was 40 years ago."
"Personal experience -- I was shot in the leg. An E-4 corpsman, assisted by an E-5, treated me. No doctor could have done any better than they did."
"History: Beginning in WWII, most ships the size of destroyers and smaller had enlisted men -- corpsmen -- as their only medical expert. Usually it was a Chief Petty Officer, but often was an E-6 and some had only an E-5.
"Then, as now, they did everything -- surgery included. In WWII and every war since then, U.S. soldiers have had a higher survival rate than any other country's military (enemy or allies) and most of that medical triage and vital systems treatment was by enlisted corpsmen.
"Outside the service, enlisted corpsmen are by far the preferable hire for civilian EMT and rescue jobs."
If Congressional Republicans were serious about making health care affordable, they should sell the v**ers on the free market. Where's the slogan for that?
http://townhall.com/columnists/larryelder/2017/01/05/repeal-and-replace-obamacare--with-the-free-market-n2267365?utm_source=thdaily&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=nl&newsletterad=
Jan 5, 2017 10:36:13 #
His first throw out of options Trump is considering include:
First, Trump would repeal Obamacare. As he correctly notes, “No person should be required to buy insurance unless he or she wants to.”
Second, he’d get rid of restrictions on the interstate sale of health insurance.
This has been a standard in many free-market reform plans. At present, people buying on the individual market are captive to their state’s insurance regulations.
Be able to deduct health insurance premiums from their income taxes...you know like businesses do and have all along....
This one I like but only saw a bit on it early which probably means it's not being considered...embrace age-based refundable health insurance tax credits, which every American would be able to claim and use to purchase coverage, regardless of income or tax liability....
Since healthcare costs often increase with age, these credits should do the same: $1,200 for those aged 18 to 35, $2,100 for those 35 to 50, and $3,000 for anyone over 50. Families should also receive $900 for each child covered....
Promote tax-advantaged Health Savings Accounts, which have been available since 2003. His plan notes that “the flexibility and security provided by HSAs will be of great benefit to all who participate.”
Trump is also calling for federal block grants to states for Medicaid.
Currently, the feds pick up as much as 75% of a state’s Medicaid tab — no matter how large. This arrangement encourages states to spend without restraint. As a result, Medicaid consumes about 15% of U.S. health spending.
By switching to block grants, the government can challenge states to spend their Medicaid dollars wisely. States could tailor their programs to meet the specific needs of their state’s low-income population....
He also wants free trade on pharmaceuticals and the right to buy drugs from outer countries as long as regulated is off same quality of ours and " f**es" can't be sold at the cost of lives to Americans.. it would k**l pharmacy companies investing in and funding the research of competetive or better drugs needed for serious illnesses or even the advancement of drugs better drugs...
Trump’s new health reform plan is a marked departure from what he has supported in the past. Within the last year, he’s been an advocate of government-run single-payer healthcare, a champion of Obamacare’s individual mandate, and now apparently a supporter of market-based reform...
Nothing in writing yet not even agreement of what the replacement option is to BO , anything done to remove that "mandate of coverage" BO saddled the citizens with is better than what is on the board right now!!
Ironic how none of the plans I have read remove the "tax bill" itself..Are we to assume if we go the free market choice and individual choice of having insurance or not that tax penalty goes by the unenforceable standard too?? Or will it be kept to insure everyone still has to have insurance??
First, Trump would repeal Obamacare. As he correctly notes, “No person should be required to buy insurance unless he or she wants to.”
Second, he’d get rid of restrictions on the interstate sale of health insurance.
This has been a standard in many free-market reform plans. At present, people buying on the individual market are captive to their state’s insurance regulations.
Be able to deduct health insurance premiums from their income taxes...you know like businesses do and have all along....
This one I like but only saw a bit on it early which probably means it's not being considered...embrace age-based refundable health insurance tax credits, which every American would be able to claim and use to purchase coverage, regardless of income or tax liability....
Since healthcare costs often increase with age, these credits should do the same: $1,200 for those aged 18 to 35, $2,100 for those 35 to 50, and $3,000 for anyone over 50. Families should also receive $900 for each child covered....
Promote tax-advantaged Health Savings Accounts, which have been available since 2003. His plan notes that “the flexibility and security provided by HSAs will be of great benefit to all who participate.”
Trump is also calling for federal block grants to states for Medicaid.
Currently, the feds pick up as much as 75% of a state’s Medicaid tab — no matter how large. This arrangement encourages states to spend without restraint. As a result, Medicaid consumes about 15% of U.S. health spending.
By switching to block grants, the government can challenge states to spend their Medicaid dollars wisely. States could tailor their programs to meet the specific needs of their state’s low-income population....
He also wants free trade on pharmaceuticals and the right to buy drugs from outer countries as long as regulated is off same quality of ours and " f**es" can't be sold at the cost of lives to Americans.. it would k**l pharmacy companies investing in and funding the research of competetive or better drugs needed for serious illnesses or even the advancement of drugs better drugs...
Trump’s new health reform plan is a marked departure from what he has supported in the past. Within the last year, he’s been an advocate of government-run single-payer healthcare, a champion of Obamacare’s individual mandate, and now apparently a supporter of market-based reform...
Nothing in writing yet not even agreement of what the replacement option is to BO , anything done to remove that "mandate of coverage" BO saddled the citizens with is better than what is on the board right now!!
Ironic how none of the plans I have read remove the "tax bill" itself..Are we to assume if we go the free market choice and individual choice of having insurance or not that tax penalty goes by the unenforceable standard too?? Or will it be kept to insure everyone still has to have insurance??
Jan 5, 2017 11:24:13 #
All we hear about is the cost of insurance!
That is only part of the problem.
Big Pharma needs to be reigned in! It is where most of the costs are.
That is only part of the problem.
Big Pharma needs to be reigned in! It is where most of the costs are.
Jan 5, 2017 11:39:23 #
bilordinary wrote:
All we hear about is the cost of insurance!
That is only part of the problem.
Big Pharma needs to be reigned in! It is where most of the costs are.
That is only part of the problem.
Big Pharma needs to be reigned in! It is where most of the costs are.
I agree but support regulated price control, uniform in nature, pharmaceutical costs are a joke and rape the people and insurance companies in price fixing of Their own!! The fraud is also astounding from research to the final product from one company to the other...
They need to very seriously hit fraud period, from hospitals and Drs to people who shouldn't be on Medicaid, to prices charged for set procedures, CT scans, MRI is etc., totally out of hand..!!
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