Saturday, June 17, 2017

Republicans may inadvertently be paving the way for single payer health care.

Courtesy of Vox:  

On Friday, McConnell reportedly “delivered a private warning to his Senate Republicans: If they failed to pass legislation unwinding the Affordable Care Act, Democrats could regain power and establish a single-payer health-care system.” 

History may record a certain irony if this is the argument McConnell uses to successfully destroy Obamacare. In recent conversations with Democrats and industry observers, I’ve become convinced that just the opposite is true: If Republicans unwind Obamacare and pass their bill, then Democrats are much likelier to establish a single-payer health care system — or at least the beginnings of one — when they regain power. 

“I will tell you,” says Len Nichols, director of the Center for Health Policy Research and Ethics at George Mason University, “Democratic politicians I never thought would utter the words have mentioned single-payer to me in a non-joking way of late.” 

If Republicans wipe out the Affordable Care Act and de-insure tens of millions of people, they will prove a few things to Democrats. First, including private insurers and conservative ideas in a health reform plan doesn’t offer a scintilla of political protection, much less Republican support. Second, sweeping health reform can be passed quickly, with only 51 votes in the Senate, and with no support from major industry actors. Third, it’s easier to defend popular government programs that people already understand and appreciate, like Medicaid and Medicare, than to defend complex public-private partnerships, like Obamacare’s exchanges.

Even worse for the Republicans would be if they successfully pass Trumpcare, which even Donald Trump seems to want to abandon, since it will likely cause even more Americans to lose their health care, or be forced into substandard policies, and that outcome will be traced directly back to the GOP with no chance remaining to blame Obama.

Ultimately all of this might be exactly the shot in the arm that Democrats need to put forward a policy that actually covers ALL Americans and which leaves the health insurance companies right where they belong, on the ash heap of history.

I think all of this is more than just possible, I think it is quite probable.

27 comments:

  1. Anonymous6:24 AM

    Republicans are so dumb. Um, I'm pretty sure passing the extremely unpopular bill will definitely make them lose the house and probably the senate. So -- go ahead dummies. Do ir

    ReplyDelete
  2. Anonymous6:24 AM

    Republicans are so dumb. Um, I'm pretty sure passing the extremely unpopular bill will definitely make them lose the house and probably the senate. So -- go ahead dummies. Do ir

    ReplyDelete
  3. Anonymous6:40 AM

    California.....
    http://www.truth-out.org/opinion/item/40949-the-single-payer-breakthrough-in-california-robert-pollin-on-the-economics-of-universal-care

    ReplyDelete
  4. I hope I live long enough to see it. As a 60-year-old woman who has survived Stage IIIc breast cancer thanks to Oregon's expanded Medicaid, I will lose coverage. I went without insurance for 8 years. My cancer was discovered in 2011 after I was covered thanks to the ACA. I had surgery, chemo and radiation. I continued to work throughout my treatment. The only days I missed were surgery days and chemo days. I live in a rural agricultural area. It is a 200-mile round trip to the cancer center. Emergency rooms cannot treat cancer. Cancer patients, like me, will die under Trumpcare.

    ReplyDelete
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    1. Anonymous7:17 AM

      I am fighting this battle now, Deni, hugs to you! My husband has been on SSDI for three years, and our daughter (fibro) has already had her main meds taken away. It is SCARY.

      I was raised not to hate, but these @-holss are making it difficult not to. Vote them OUT.

      Delete
  5. Anonymous6:50 AM

    OT? RETRIAL:
    http://www.politicususa.com/2017/06/17/bill-cosby-retried-jury-deadlocks-sexual-assault-trial.html

    ReplyDelete
  6. Anonymous6:51 AM


    Either that or scrap it all and go back to the days of trading eggs and homemade jam for your physical

    ReplyDelete
  7. Anonymous6:54 AM

    VOX spoke to Lisa Murkowski and what she said leads me to believe that this time she hasn't made a private deal with Senator Fuckyou to support his shitty deal. He's having a hard time getting to 51 votes and it doesn't seem that there is even an actual draft bill at this stage.

    ReplyDelete
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    1. Anonymous7:34 AM

      I guess we all have to wait and see if any Republicans have the courage to reject this egregious bill. Before the vote, some of them talk bravely but then their names are called. . . .
      Beaglemom

      Delete
    2. Anonymous8:49 AM

      Beaglemom, the LAST word I think of when someone says "Republican" is courage. Gryph probably wouldn't let through my choice!

      Delete
  8. Anonymous7:32 AM

    After the GOP "unwinds" the ACA and leaves millions of people more vulnerable than ever, I sure hope voters put Democrats in power to fix all of the wrongs being done to the country and the world by this totally insane 21st century GOP.

    Last evening we watched a very sad movie called "The Patience Stone" about life in a war-torn unnamed (but probably Afghanistan) country. No food, no medical care, no care at all for families left destitute because the men had been busy for decades killing one another in the name of religion. I wonder if the wealthiest among us here in the US would like the country to collapse into complete chaos like the unnamed country in the film. What good will it do the very wealthy to have employees too sick to work, fields and rivers and lakes and forests too polluted to use, to have the coasts losing land to ever-encroaching oceans, to have hoards of people around the world vying for what little food will be available? At some point, even the wealthiest in this country and on the planet will go hungry or sick but there will not be anyone to work for them. Then what - what good is counting your money then?
    Beaglemom

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    1. Anonymous1:08 PM

      That's Putin's plan, alright... to isolate the US and sully our natural beauty to make it a shithole like Russia.

      Delete
  9. Anonymous7:35 AM

    I really think that all usa citizens must be on same healthcare system. I believe our taxes should own the healthcare system, research, pharma, and facilities. Eliminate the insurance. And create American owned Healthcare system. I would bet the cost would come down, progress in cures and research. This would create a healthy society, pharma under control etc. If we want a healthy society we must include everyone and eliminate division and divide of who deserves healthcare and who does not. We want everyone to be healthy.

    ReplyDelete
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    1. Anonymous10:21 AM

      A single payor system would greatly benefit all Americans and American business. But it's a hard sell. Recently I had a conversation with my doctor and she's convinced that nothing good would come of it. I tried to tell her about our European friends who are treated well and at very minimal cost whenever they are ill. Well, doctors won't like it when their patients disappear because they can't afford the bills.
      Beaglemom

      Delete
  10. Anonymous7:41 AM

    Trump betraying all his health care promises is the biggest Trump scandal of all

    It’s out in the open. And it’s a huge deal.

    ...He was going to protect Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security from cuts and replace the Affordable Care Act with a “terrific” new system that would “cover everyone” and offer the lower premiums and deductibles the American people wanted.

    Pence speaking Tuesday offered reassurance that nothing has changed, promising only “historic flexibility to reform Medicaid in ways that will best serve the most vulnerable in their communities” and thanking the HHS staff for the “leading role in making the best health care system in the world even better.”

    The only problem is that it’s all lies. Trump’s health care plan doesn’t protect Medicaid, it loots it to finance hundreds of billions of dollars in tax cuts. The new “flexibility” it gives to states will ensure that the most vulnerable are the most hurt. In addition to slashing the Medicaid rolls by millions, the Trump health care plan will see millions more lose coverage, and the remainder will face higher premiums for plans that cover less.

    There’s nothing remotely terrific about it, unless you happen to be one of the small number of high-income Americans who can expect to reap a large tax cut paid for by the suffering of millions of newly uninsured people. It’s an enormous con perpetrated on people Trump duped into believing they were in on the scam. And while the Russia situation is certainly a big deal, Trump has at least never made a secret of his admiration of Vladimir Putin — his up-is-down approach to health care deserves to be seen as the biggest Trump scandal of all.

    https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2017/6/16/15807806/trump-breaking-health-promises

    Here’s Ezra on the potential unintended consequences of repealing Obamacare.

    https://www.vox.com/2017/6/16/15817738/the-weeds-republican-stealth-care

    ReplyDelete
  11. Anonymous7:48 AM

    http://static1.businessinsider.com/image/582f0f03e02ba71b008b51bb/markets-are-beginning-to-realize-a-trump-fueled-economic-boom-may-not-be-coming.jpg

    ReplyDelete
  12. Anonymous7:50 AM

    The fight over healthcare is leading some to consider something radical

    http://www.businessinsider.com/us-single-payer-debate-comparisons-to-canada-uk-germany-2017-6

    ReplyDelete
  13. Anonymous9:25 AM

    ot:
    http://www.rawstory.com/2017/06/ohio-school-employee-investigated-for-threatening-to-turn-pride-parade-into-another-boston-marathon/

    ReplyDelete
  14. Anonymous9:30 AM

    Trump, Pence, Brownback, Christie, Jindal, Walker, Snyder as governors have all decimated their states finances. Pence would never have been re-elected in Indiana, so he had nothing to lose by going with Drumpf. However, if he ends up charged with collusion or some other egregious behavior he may well wish he had never cozied up to Russia and Drumpf. Time will tell.

    I find the Rethugs, some previously long time friends, but no more, are uninformed, refuse to honor facts and think only the right wing despots like Faux Noise and NRA deserve their attention. Idiots all!

    Single payer for ALL!

    ReplyDelete
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    1. Anonymous10:18 AM

      Snyder is our governor in Michigan and he's not cared about the people at all. Michigan, surrounded as it is by Great Lakes, should have been the first state to announce its adherence to t he Paris Climate Accord but, of course, it hasn't - not with the GOP in charge.
      Beaglemom

      Delete
  15. Anonymous9:58 AM

    Democrats May Shut Down The Senate Next Week To Break Open GOP’s Health Care Bill Secret

    http://www.politicususa.com/2017/06/17/democrats-shut-senate-week-break-open-gops-health-care-bill-secret.html

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    1. Anonymous10:16 AM

      I never like the idea of shutting down the government but I agree with the Democrats that drastic measures are needed to get this anti-health care bill out in the open. From what I've read, over 20 million people will eventually be w/o health care and over 825 billion dollars will go in tax cuts to insurance companies, pharma firms and individuals almost all earning over $200,000 a year. This outrageous bill needs to be made public and it needs to be debated - seriously - so that the people most susceptible to its malevolence can understand who is responsible.
      Beaglemom

      Delete
  16. Anonymous10:00 AM


    Democratic and GOP Governors Urge Senate To Rethink Health Care Bill
    Seven governors express concern about Medicaid cuts, ask for help stabilizing insurance markets.

    http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/democratic-and-gop-governors-urge-senate-to-rethink-health-care-bill_us_59442a7ee4b01eab7a2d8cb9?ncid=inblnkushpmg00000009

    ReplyDelete
  17. Anonymous10:16 AM

    3 Republican governors sign on to letter rejecting 'Trumpcare'

    http://www.businessinsider.com/gop-healthcare-bill-ahca-kasich-charlie-baker-2017-6

    ReplyDelete
  18. Anonymous11:08 AM

    Mitch McConnell Hits A New Low By Refusing To Tell Sick People What Is In The Healthcare Bill

    Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell turned down an offer to meet with more than 15 patient advocacy groups to keep the details of his healthcare bill a secret from people with preexisting conditions.

    http://www.politicususa.com/2017/06/17/mitch-mcconnell-hits-refusing-sick-people-healthcare-bill.html

    ReplyDelete
  19. Anonymous8:32 PM

    Special Counsel Mueller is now following the money. Trump should be terrified.

    ...The bigger threat, however, is that digging into the shady dealings of Kushner, Manafort, and crew will ultimately lead investigators to Trump himself. What little we know for certain about Trump's financial dealings is that he operates with little regard for the law and doesn't much care how he makes money. He reportedly has a host of legally fraught international business holdings, including "a hotel in Azerbaijan that appears to be a corrupt operation linked to Iran's Revolutionary Guard."

    The president has gone to great lengths to avoid public scrutiny of his businesses, so I can't imagine that Justice Department scrutiny would be especially welcome.

    http://theweek.com/articles/706111/special-counsel-mueller-now-following-money-trump-should-terrified

    ReplyDelete
  20. Anonymous8:35 PM

    California shows that the road to universal, publicly funded health care runs through the states

    https://www.jacobinmag.com/2017/06/medicare-for-all-single-payer-healthcare-bernie-sanders-california

    ReplyDelete

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