Yesterday, I saw Senator Coons, Democrat from Delaware, say he couldn't vote for the Graham-Cassidy health care replacement bill because it didn't have a clear definition of "adequate" and "affordable" for those with preexisting conditions. What a joke!
The Affordable Care Act (ACA) was an over 2,000-page bill (that most hadn't read when they voted on it) with massive numbers of mandates and twenty new taxes. I don't recall Democrats asking for definitions, let alone on subjective terms like "adequate" and "affordable."
President Obama went around repeating that everyone would be able to keep their plans and doctors if they liked and that premiums would go down an average of $2,500 per family. These were obvious lies, but I don't recall Democrats or reporters questioning Obama. Jonathon Gruber said they had to lie to get it passed. Obama bribed states with 100% Medicaid reimbursements and there were specific kickbacks to buy votes, but Democrats and reporters didn't care. There were no questions about affordability. The CBO even pretended it would reduce the deficit.
Senator Coons came into office in November 2010. As Obama continually added regulations, changed the law without going through Congress, illegally transferred money around to cover ACA costs, and reimbursed insurance companies without appropriations from Congress, and as the costs skyrocketed to taxpayers, not once do I remember Senator Coons worrying about affordability.
As choice and competition have been continually reduced the last seven years, and as premiums and out-of-pocket expenses have skyrocketed for most individuals and businesses, I do not recall Senator Coons or any Democrat worrying about adequate coverage or affordability. Not once have I seen Democrats come forth with ideas how to fix the ACA or make it more affordable, other than throwing more money into its pit.
But now, when Graham-Cassidy offers to give more choice back to the people and more control back to individuals, businesses, and states, Senator Coons all of a sudden has problems, because there is not a specific definition for subjective terms like adequate and affordable. The problem for Coons and all Democrats is actually transferring power back to the states and the people. They actually want to maintain and expand the power of the federal government and get to Medicare for all. They will vote against anything that reduces the power of the master. The destruction of choice and the private health insurance industry obviously doesn't matter to them.
The actual solution to the cascading disaster of the ACA and out-of-control costs is to go back where the truly small minority of people who couldn't buy insurance could get it through high risk pools subsidized by the taxpayers. The taxpayers could also subsidize the truly poor and needy with an expansion of Medicaid. Individuals and businesses should have the choice as to what type of insurance to buy with a choice of benefits. If they want a Mercedes plan, they can buy it, but if they want a catastrophic plan, they can buy that also, or if they want to self-insure, they should also have that choice. Insurance companies must be allowed to underwrite and limit risk, or few if any will survive.
If the ACA concept were applied to auto insurance, everyone with a car would have to insure it as though it were a brand-new Mercedes, no matter if it were a brand-new Mercedes itself or a 1978 Chevette or Gremlin. The amount of risk would make no difference. People wouldn't have the choice to have liability-only insurance even if the car were worth $100.
A major culprit in the ACA health care mess we have today is the significant majority of reporters who just go out and repeat Democrat talking points. They never cared and still don't care that Obama continually lied to get the ACA passed and that the disastrous premium and cost increases are because of Democrats.
The story will be written that Republicans and Trump caused the collapse even though that is demonstrably not true.
http://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2017/09/democrats_will_use_any_excuse_not_to_give_power_back_to_the_states_or_the_people.html
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