Obamacare Repeal Might Have Just Died Tonight

Something big is happening in the Senate right now: The Republican plan, affirmed again today by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, is facing dire peril from Republican defections. Republicans need a House majority, 50 Senate votes, and soon-to-be President Trump to pass repeal and delay.

If Republicans lose three Senate votes, that drops them to 49, and repeal-and-delay cannot pass. At least three Republican senators (in addition to all the Democrats) now oppose repeal and delay. Rand Paul, of all people, has demanded that Congress repeal Obamacare at the same time it passes a plan to replace it. Paul has announced that he spoke with Trump and secured his agreement on this. Trump has not said so himself, confining his comments to date to a vague assurance “That’s all gonna work out.”

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I hope they can at least get rid of the individual mandate and the employer mandate. If they don't even accomplish that, then I'm afraid we were all completely played for suckers.

As an example of how incredible this situation is, consider the following.

Here's what Trump might do:

Stop defending lawsuits: Trump could take action on several court cases right away.

Here's one example: He could end the administration's defense of a case involving cost-sharing subsidies that insurers must provide for low-income enrollees. House Republicans sued the Obama administration, arguing they never appropriated the funds to reimburse insurers for lowering the deductibles and co-payments of these policyholders.

However, if Trump dropped the administration's defense, it would end the reimbursements to insurers. That would wreak havoc in the individual market. Many insurers depend on these cost-sharing payments -- without them, they might leave the market, which could lead to fewer choices and higher premiums for consumers. Such a move would be at odds with the "orderly transition" Pence stressed as important to the incoming president.

How Trump could use his executive power on Obamacare

I think that should be repeated...

Trump can give a victory to House Republicans in their fight against Obamacare, but he may not want to. Does that mean that their fight was just for show all along?

None of us can predict the future, but it looks like the "it doesn't matter who the POTUS is" crowd could still be right.

a reply to: Profusion

If thats how it works, then how did most peoples premiums greatly increase under obamacare?

Sure, nobody wants it to get even worse, but it just seems the insurance industry is pulling the wool over our eyes for like the 10th time.

a reply to: Profusion

They still need the presidents signature unless you want to revamp the constitution. That will be the next step of the traitors and anti christs.

a reply to: Profusion

Well, seems like the fools who want insurers involved with medical care are still fools.

Just for clarity, any solution to medical care provision that requires medicine to resemble a business, will always fail, always be expensive, and will NEVER serve peoples needs correctly, fairly, or equally. Time for a root and branch removal of anything remotely smelling of business, from the entire medical industry? Just a thought.

a reply to: Profusion

Rand Paul, of all people, has demanded that Congress repeal Obamacare at the same time it passes a plan to replace it. Paul has announced that he spoke with Trump and secured his agreement on this.

Sounds reasonable, no?

"Repeal and replace" has, after all, been the ongoing mantra - not just "repeal".

originally posted by: Profusion
I hope they can at least get rid of the individual mandate and the employer mandate. If they don't even accomplish that, then I'm afraid we were all completely played for suckers.

You cannot get rid of the individual mandate without removing the pre-existing conditions clause, period. cant be done. Is trump gonna push a single payer mandate? no. lol
the Obamacare stuff is simply the GOPs plan via Clinton era mixed with Romneycare..its a conservative plan. this was their baby in the 90s. It only became terrible when Obama picked it up and said 'sure..lets do this then instead of nothing"

Therefore, the only way O-care goes away is completely and we go back to pre-08, and you will see about 30ish million people lose their health insurance overnight, many without the ability to get any back.

There will be no viable "replace". It will be repeal and run. then hopefully 4 years is up so Trump and team can escape the hoards of angry voters.

originally posted by: DupontDeux
Sounds reasonable, no?

Ahh, so after typing that, do you see the flaw in the statement given current politics?

originally posted by: SaturnFX

originally posted by: Profusion
I hope they can at least get rid of the individual mandate and the employer mandate. If they don't even accomplish that, then I'm afraid we were all completely played for suckers.

You cannot get rid of the individual mandate without removing the pre-existing conditions clause, period. cant be done. Is trump gonna push a single payer mandate? no. lol
the Obamacare stuff is simply the GOPs plan via Clinton era mixed with Romneycare..its a conservative plan. this was their baby in the 90s. It only became terrible when Obama picked it up and said 'sure..lets do this then instead of nothing"

Therefore, the only way O-care goes away is completely and we go back to pre-08, and you will see about 30ish million people lose their health insurance overnight, many without the ability to get any back.

There will be no viable "replace". It will be repeal and run. then hopefully 4 years is up so Trump and team can escape the hoards of angry voters.

You watch too many Liberal Talking Heads on the news
Thats what I garner from your post above.

originally posted by: Gothmog
You watch too many Liberal Talking Heads on the news
Thats what I garner from your post above.

I watch none
Simple math and its the reality thats been stated since the 90s by both left and right. preexisting conditions will require a mandate. This subject has been studied to death and it always returns the same result, if you want to keep people insured, if you want to cover pre-existing conditions, then you need a mandate.

thank you for sharing your feelings though. To be honest, I dont really care about them, but I imagine it was cathartic for you.

It may be impossible to eliminate the mandate without getting rid of the pre-existing clause.

If that's the case, then why bother with this farce?

The mandate is the sticking point with me.

Might as well just pack it up and go home, nothing to see here, move along.

Obama, Trump . . . . what difference does it make?

Don't get lost in the minutia and newspeak of politicians...

The affordable care act will be gone by march...

Trump has a force of will heretonow unknown in the halls of the Washington establishment...

He will find a solution or simply repeal it until such time a replacement can be forged...

Trump will not allow Washington's apathy/contempt for the governed masses to corrupt his mandate...we the people will not be ignored...

-Chris

a reply to: Profusion

Oh there's the crux huh.

Employers who are so greedy they can't see having to pay half the premiums on a health insurance policy.

Wow.

a reply to: pirhanna

Insurance premiums were slated to go up regardless of Obama care.
Pluheeeze.

Trump may not have gotten that during the campaign. Or he just ignored that because the other narrative served him better .

a reply to: Christosterone

There are really only two ways to fix the insurance issue. Universal healthcare or widescale regulations placed on the medical industry. Both of those solutions are anathema to Trump's supporters.

So how exactly do you think he'll be able to fix anything?

originally posted by: Sillyolme
a reply to: Profusion

Oh there's the crux huh.

Employers who are so greedy they can't see having to pay half the premiums on a health insurance policy.

Wow.

I think you are misunderstanding. My employer pays a little over half my premium but my cost and deductibles have sky rocketed. And who is paying the half that aren't working or don't get health care through work? Oh that's right, the tax payer.

Why should businesses be made to carry the government's screw-up? This is why so many small businesses go bankrupt.

originally posted by: Sillyolme
a reply to: Profusion

Oh there's the crux huh.

Employers who are so greedy they can't see having to pay half the premiums on a health insurance policy.

Wow.

Most employers pay more like 70-80%. The benefits of providing the aditional coverage exceed the cost of doing so.

I have no idea where this idea that employers owe health insurance to their employees comes from. It became a fad to attract talent, then all of a sudden people think its a right that a business owner should foot the bill for. To be honest, i can't believe it actually has to be pointed out.

a reply to: DupontDeux

UNTIL it's just repeal and # the bleeding masses.
Trump has a reputation of ummmm lying all the time.

originally posted by: Profusion

I hope they can at least get rid of the individual mandate and the employer mandate. If they don't even accomplish that, then I'm afraid we were all completely played for suckers.

No law lacking the mandate can force insurers to cover pre-existing conditions. So either way, people have been played for suckers.

a reply to: Gothmog

AND You don't watch enough. That's what I get.

originally posted by: Xcalibur254
a reply to: Christosterone

There are really only two ways to fix the insurance issue. Universal healthcare or widescale regulations placed on the medical industry. Both of those solutions are anathema to Trump's supporters.

So how exactly do you think he'll be able to fix anything?

Quite simply he will bully legislators into action...for once they are beholden to the governed as he has the power to unseat them by targeting their seat in the house and/or senate...

Trumps power to reach the governed is unprecedented and if legislators fail to act upon the mandate they were given in the 2016 election then he will use the power of his bully pulpit to point out hypocrisy to their constituency…

And they will be voted out of office to be sure…trump is nothing if not dedicated to defeating those who would fight his mandate from the people...

The only thing the Washington elite understands is job security...threaten this and presto, you have thelaw repealed...

-Chris