# The Repeal of Obamacare/ACA: Step-bystep, Inch-by-inch **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [January 2, 2017, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-repeal-of-obamacare-aca-step-bystep-inch-by-inch/776146 "2017-01-02T17:06:13Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 39
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2017, 4:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-repeal-of-obamacare-aca-step-bystep-inch-by-inch/776146/761 "2017-05-31T16:31:11Z")
> [@Buck\_Godot](#): > > If the Republicans are going the repeal and replace route a [recent poll](http://kff.org/health-costs/report/kaiser-health-tracking-poll-may-2017-the-ahcas-proposed-changes-to-health-care/)makes it very clear that the AHCA bill currently passed by the house isn’t going to be it, unless law makers are suicidal. > > Only 8% want it passed unchanged. > > Overall 55% have unfavorable views of AHCA as compared to only 31% that have favorable views. Compare this with Obama care whose unfavorable rating never exceeded 53% and approval never fell below 33% and these were not reached at the same time. The worst net negative was for Obamacare was about 16 points as compared to the current 24 points for AHCA. > > Among those who feel strongly only 12% have strongly favorable views as compared to 40% who have strongly negative views. They are going to claim they are doing a new bill, but it will likely be the same bill with minor changes. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2017, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-repeal-of-obamacare-aca-step-bystep-inch-by-inch/776146/762 "2017-05-31T16:38:48Z")
“Root and branch”, right, Mitch? ---
**Author:** ![Leaper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/4bbf92/32.png) [@Leaper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaper)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2017, 2:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-repeal-of-obamacare-aca-step-bystep-inch-by-inch/776146/763 "2017-06-13T02:12:40Z")
The effort continues, and they’re trying to get it done so fast no one has a chance to stop them: [https://www.thenation.com/article/senate-republicans-hope-you-wont-notice-theyre-about-to-repeal-obamacare/](https://www.thenation.com/article/senate-republicans-hope-you-wont-notice-theyre-about-to-repeal-obamacare/) ---
**Author:** ![Blalron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/35a633/32.png) [@Blalron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blalron)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2017, 1:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-repeal-of-obamacare-aca-step-bystep-inch-by-inch/776146/764 "2017-06-13T13:18:18Z")
The depressing thing is that if they pass this, there’s absolutely nothing we can do to reverse it until January 20th, 2021. Even if the GOP gets crushed in the 2018 mid terms, Trump will veto any attempt to give people their healthcare back. Elections have consequences. All the liberals who couldn’t get off their asses to vote in 2016 should be taking a long look in the mirror right now. On the bright side, maybe the backlash from this will be what finally leads us to single payer. ---
**Author:** ![snoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/43a26b/32.png) [@snoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snoe)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2017, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-repeal-of-obamacare-aca-step-bystep-inch-by-inch/776146/765 "2017-06-13T14:41:49Z")
> [@Blalron](#): > > Elections have consequences. All the liberals who couldn’t get off their asses to vote in 2016 should be taking a long look in the mirror right now. > > On the bright side, maybe the backlash from this will be what finally leads us to single payer. Totally share your frustration on the “elections have consequences” bit. A tiny silver lining if implementation of AHCA is delayed until after 2020, but even then there’re going to be bad consequences in the insurance markets. On the single-payer front: I’m worried that the phrase has become a left-shibboleth. It’s not the only path to the ultimate goal of universal, affordable health care, and maybe not the best (for us in the US). Have you read Scott Lemieux on this topic? Examples: > **[The Path to Universal Healthcare I: Let's Clarify Our Terms - Lawyers, Guns...](https://www.lawyersgunsmoneyblog.com/2017/05/path-universal-healthcare-lets-clarify-terms)** > > The United States, as is well known, spends much more money to provide effective access to health care to fewer people than other comparable liberal democracies. This is an urgent moral issue. The Affordable Care Act was a major step in the right... > **[The Path to Universal Healthcare II: The Political and Policy Obstacles -...](https://www.lawyersgunsmoneyblog.com/2017/05/path-universal-healthcare-ii-political-policy-obstacles)** > > Let’s pick up on the discussion we started yesterday. Before we begin, read Charles Gaba’s piece, which is really good. Done? OK. Let’s assume the first can opener, congressional majorities that despite the skew of both the House and Senate towards... > **[Americans don't need single payer healthcare to get universal coverage |...](https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2016/feb/05/bernie-sanders-single-payer-universal-coverage)** > > Bernie Sanders, like a lot of progressives, conflates European-style healthcare with the UK system. But either his plan or Clinton’s can bring about real reform > [@](#): > > The key point is that, whatever the most useful shorthand for politicians trying to win elections, when we’re thinking about health care policy we really need to stop conflating “universal health coverage” with “single payer.” It’s not wise to close off viable paths is advance, particularly since there’s not really any reason to think that single payer models are inherently better than hybrid ones at providing equitable coverage. This is particularly true given the formidable political obstacles that still exist… I know I’m nitpicking about a phrase people use as political shorthand for “strongly progressive healthcare reform,” but I find the details of this topic fascinating. Sorry to derail. ---
**Author:** ![Fiveyearlurker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/da6949/32.png) [@Fiveyearlurker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiveyearlurker)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2017, 10:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-repeal-of-obamacare-aca-step-bystep-inch-by-inch/776146/766 "2017-06-13T22:38:08Z")
Trump read the House bill finally, and now decided [he doesn’t like it anymore](https://apnews.com/b5383189b4dc4dea94890f13846c2639/AP-sources:-Trump-tells-senators-House-health-bill-%27mean) because it’s too “mean, mean, mean”. He probably should have mentioned that when he told us it was “a great plan”. ---
**Author:** ![yornmine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/y/e480ec/32.png) [@yornmine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/yornmine)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2017, 4:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-repeal-of-obamacare-aca-step-bystep-inch-by-inch/776146/767 "2017-06-14T04:00:03Z")
> [@Blalron](#): > > The depressing thing is that if they pass this, there’s absolutely nothing we can do to reverse it until January 20th, 2021. Even if the GOP gets crushed in the 2018 mid terms, Trump will veto any attempt to give people their healthcare back. Good. Hopefully this gets the federal government out of the healthcare game entirely. ---
**Author:** ![Chimera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Chimera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chimera)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2017, 4:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-repeal-of-obamacare-aca-step-bystep-inch-by-inch/776146/768 "2017-06-14T04:11:21Z")
And right back into massive private profiteering like it should be? :dubious: ---
**Author:** ![mhendo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mhendo/32/3159_2.png) [@mhendo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mhendo)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2017, 4:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-repeal-of-obamacare-aca-step-bystep-inch-by-inch/776146/769 "2017-06-14T04:35:53Z")
> [@yornmine](#): > > Good. Hopefully this gets the federal government out of the healthcare game entirely. Yeah, why have a civilized system, like every other advanced, wealthy democracy, when you can funnel huge wads of cash into private hands and leave poor people without health care? ---
**Author:** ![Leaper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/4bbf92/32.png) [@Leaper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaper)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2017, 5:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-repeal-of-obamacare-aca-step-bystep-inch-by-inch/776146/770 "2017-06-14T05:29:09Z")
> [@Fiveyearlurker](#): > > Trump read the House bill finally, and now decided [he doesn’t like it anymore](https://apnews.com/b5383189b4dc4dea94890f13846c2639/AP-sources:-Trump-tells-senators-House-health-bill-%27mean) because it’s too “mean, mean, mean”. He probably should have mentioned that when he told us it was “a great plan”. I really do wonder what practical effect incidents like this have on the political game. ---
**Author:** ![JackieLikesVariety](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackielikesvariety/32/296_2.png) [@JackieLikesVariety](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JackieLikesVariety)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2017, 11:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-repeal-of-obamacare-aca-step-bystep-inch-by-inch/776146/771 "2017-06-14T11:46:05Z")
> [@mhendo](#): > > Yeah, why have a civilized system, like every other advanced, wealthy democracy, when you can funnel huge wads of cash into private hands and leave poor people without health care? sadly, that’s about the size of it ---
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2017, 12:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-repeal-of-obamacare-aca-step-bystep-inch-by-inch/776146/772 "2017-06-14T12:12:47Z")
> [@yornmine](#): > > Good. Hopefully this gets the federal government out of the healthcare game entirely. That’s like saying if you got rid of the coast guard the federal government wouldn’t be in the national defense game. ---
**Author:** ![QuickSilver](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quicksilver/32/7832_2.png) [@QuickSilver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/QuickSilver)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2017, 12:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-repeal-of-obamacare-aca-step-bystep-inch-by-inch/776146/773 "2017-06-14T12:24:32Z")
> [@yornmine](#): > > Good. Hopefully this gets the federal government out of the healthcare game entirely. Damn right. Gov’t has no business in working to improve people’s lives. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2017, 1:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-repeal-of-obamacare-aca-step-bystep-inch-by-inch/776146/774 "2017-06-14T13:33:02Z")
> [@](#): > > Quoth **snoe** : > > On the single-payer front: I’m worried that the phrase has become a left-shibboleth. It’s not the only path to the ultimate goal of universal, affordable health care, and maybe not the best (for us in the US). Personally, I’d be happy with Obamacare. I suspect that the end result would end up being single payer anyway, as the private insurance companies found it impossible to compete with the public option, but I have enough trust in the free market (if it’s actually implemented) to give them that chance. ---
**Author:** ![Blalron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/35a633/32.png) [@Blalron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blalron)\ **Post date:** [June 14, 2017, 5:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-repeal-of-obamacare-aca-step-bystep-inch-by-inch/776146/775 "2017-06-14T17:48:03Z")
> [@yornmine](#): > > Good. Hopefully this gets the federal government out of the healthcare game entirely. A substantial majority of the American public [disagrees](http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2017/01/13/more-americans-say-government-should-ensure-health-care-coverage/) with you: > [@](#): > > Currently, 60% of Americans say the government should be responsible for ensuring health care coverage for all Americans, compared with 38% who say this should not be the government’s responsibility I hope that this basic issue will become “settled” within the next few years. In the same way that Canadians, British, Australians, New Zealanders, French, Germans, Danish, et cetera don’t have to worry about losing their health insurance if the conservative party wins, I hope that universal healthcare becomes a bipartisan consensus. The alternative is that we will bicker about this endlessly. Every 4 to 8 years, we switch back and forth. When Democrats are in power, we have UHC. When Republicans are in power, we don’t. ---
**Author:** ![Leaper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/4bbf92/32.png) [@Leaper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaper)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2017, 7:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-repeal-of-obamacare-aca-step-bystep-inch-by-inch/776146/776 "2017-06-17T07:02:55Z")
Well, we could have a new health care system by the 4th of July… Only we have no idea what it’d be like… > **[Senate Republicans intend to ram through secret health care bill](https://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/senate-republicans-intend-ram-through-secret-health-care-bill-msna996796)** > > Several GOP senators have complained about the process, but none of them has used his or her power to change the party's strategy. ---
**Author:** ![GIGObuster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gigobuster/32/421_2.png) [@GIGObuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GIGObuster)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2017, 7:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-repeal-of-obamacare-aca-step-bystep-inch-by-inch/776146/777 "2017-06-17T07:31:31Z")
> [@Leaper](#): > > Well, we could have a new health care system by the 4th of July… Only we have no idea what it’d be like… > > [Senate Republicans intend to ram through secret health care bill](http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/senate-republicans-intend-ram-through-secret-health-care-bill) You know, the Republicans really look to be influenced by Russians. Yes, Putin’s party rams laws in their Parliament, but this looks more like if the Soviets had dictated the process. ---
**Author:** ![ElvisL1ves](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@ElvisL1ves](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ElvisL1ves)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2017, 11:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-repeal-of-obamacare-aca-step-bystep-inch-by-inch/776146/778 "2017-06-17T11:32:12Z")
> [@Leaper](#): > > Well, we could have a new health care system by the 4th of July… Only we have no idea what it’d be like… > > [Senate Republicans intend to ram through secret health care bill](http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/senate-republicans-intend-ram-through-secret-health-care-bill) You mean we’ll have to pass the law to find out what’s in it? ---
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2017, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-repeal-of-obamacare-aca-step-bystep-inch-by-inch/776146/779 "2017-06-22T17:43:31Z")
I know everyone is sick of hearing me, but please take action today. The Senate has released the text it’s been working on. Huge cuts to Medicaid funding, more than the House cuts. State Medicaid directors are making clear that this will have to lead to cuts in optional Medicaid services such as HCBS/LTSS, things that keep people with limitations from having to go into nursing homes. And they are also being clear that they will have to start adjusting eligibility for nursing homes, too, since they can’t stop spending there entirely. Raising the level of impairment needed to qualify, which just is a further blow to family caregivers. This is old people and people with disabilities dying for lack of care territory, people. This is sharp increases to Medicare expenses as people are forced into using ERs and acute care. If people want to shrink the cost and size of Medicaid, _make it unnecessary_. I can’t think of any person who wants there to be a need for poverty programs. ---
**Author:** ![JohnT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/johnt/32/15048_2.png) [@JohnT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JohnT)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2017, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-repeal-of-obamacare-aca-step-bystep-inch-by-inch/776146/780 "2017-06-22T18:18:40Z")
Oh, and pregnancy now makes one ineligible for Medicaid. But Viagra is still covered! [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-repeal-of-obamacare-aca-step-bystep-inch-by-inch/776146.md?page=38) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-repeal-of-obamacare-aca-step-bystep-inch-by-inch/776146.md?page=40)