# What Now For the ACA? **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [November 9, 2016, 3:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-now-for-the-aca/771208 "2016-11-09T15:00:35Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Leaper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/4bbf92/32.png) [@Leaper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaper)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2016, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-now-for-the-aca/771208/41 "2016-11-09T17:35:39Z")
As I have said repeatedly, I am not, repeat NOT, questioning that they will “follow through on their campaign promises”. They will at the least try, and will probably succeed. What I disagree with is that they will get away clean in the aftermath, that nothing will change from before the ACA, and everyone will blithely ignore all the consequences and the taste of having insurance and not even try to do anything about it that’ll affect DC. ---
**Author:** ![Fiveyearlurker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/da6949/32.png) [@Fiveyearlurker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fiveyearlurker)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2016, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-now-for-the-aca/771208/42 "2016-11-09T17:36:01Z")
> [@Leaper](#): > > Yeah, but here we’re talking being a public and proximate cause. Before the ACA, those people were victims of the status quo. Now, they’ll be a direct victim of whoever repealed their insurance. All those people are just going to die or go bankrupt quietly, and not make a ripple anywhere else? We wouldn’t have had the necessary political drive for the ACA in the first place if that were so, IMO, considering how unpopular it was and is. > > Either way, I do agree that the Republicans will likely get what they want, and a more interesting topic is the state of the system in general going forward. Republicans can tweak the ACA in ways that guarantee its failure, and then when it fails they can blame Democrats. ---
**Author:** ![Leaper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/4bbf92/32.png) [@Leaper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaper)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2016, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-now-for-the-aca/771208/43 "2016-11-09T17:37:40Z")
> [@Fiveyearlurker](#): > > Republicans can tweak the ACA in ways that guarantee its failure, and then when it fails they can blame Democrats. Yeah, they can, but as many posts above point out, “tweaking” it and letting it run its natural course is not what they promised to do, and it’s not what they or their voters want to do. That’s probably what they would’ve tried had Clinton been elected, and what they would’ve tried more of under Obama had they been smart, as opposed to the outright repeal attempts. But again, that’s not what their voters wanted. ---
**Author:** ![k9bfriender](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/k9bfriender/32/3283_2.png) [@k9bfriender](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/k9bfriender)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2016, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-now-for-the-aca/771208/44 "2016-11-09T17:57:47Z")
> [@Leaper](#): > > As I have said repeatedly, I am not, repeat NOT, questioning that they will “follow through on their campaign promises”. They will at the least try, and will probably succeed. > > What I disagree with is that they will get away clean in the aftermath, that nothing will change from before the ACA, and everyone will blithely ignore all the consequences and the taste of having insurance and not even try to do anything about it that’ll affect DC. Clean, no. I’m sure Huffington Post will write a very scathing Op.Ed. Losing any electoral power over it, I don’t think so. This election has taught me better than that. People don’t pay any attention to the actual going ons about the govt, just about the soundbites. Republicans will lie out through their teeth and blame the democrats for people losing their health insurance, and the right will just eat it all up. ---
**Author:** ![Leaper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/4bbf92/32.png) [@Leaper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaper)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2016, 6:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-now-for-the-aca/771208/45 "2016-11-09T18:05:28Z")
Okay, fine. What methods of suicide would you suggest for someone sick who’s about to lose their insurance? Seriously, what are you saying is the plan or the options now? ---
**Author:** ![amarinth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3be4f8/32.png) [@amarinth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amarinth)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2016, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-now-for-the-aca/771208/46 "2016-11-09T18:12:15Z")
> [@Fotheringay-Phipps](#): > > Partly because I don’t share the necessary premise that the Republicans don’t care about anyone’s suffering, and partly because it would be politically advantageous for them to avoid disruption to the extent possible, as well as keeping popular elements of the plan. You just need to share the premise that Republicans think that health care is not an essential government function. Whether or not they “care” about suffering is irrelevant to the position that government resources (time and money) shouldn’t be spent alleviating it. Their constituency deeply wants to get rid of ACA. The congressional delegation has run (and won) 4 elections straight on a promise to dump ACA. It’s most politically advantageous to them to repeal it entirely - exactly as their constitutents have asked, begged, cheered, and voted for. ---
**Author:** ![k9bfriender](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/k9bfriender/32/3283_2.png) [@k9bfriender](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/k9bfriender)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2016, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-now-for-the-aca/771208/47 "2016-11-09T18:15:55Z")
> [@Leaper](#): > > Okay, fine. What methods of suicide would you suggest for someone sick who’s about to lose their insurance? > > Seriously, what are you saying is the plan or the options now? You’re asking me??? I supported Obama. I supported ACA. I supported Clinton. It’s the other side that is leaving millions of Americans out in the cold. You may not believe that they can be that heartless, and I would hope that you are right, but history has shown differently. I am on the marketplace. I make too much to get a subsidy, but I am self employed. I have a few minor preexisting conditions that don’t harm my life too much, but made me uninsurable prior to ACA. I will lose my insurance one way or another if ACA goes away. I don’t know what other plans there are. I don’t know what I’ll do. You are asking these questions as if there is anyone in power that actually cares about the answers. If you want these answers, go ask trump. Go ask paul ryan. go ask mitch mcconnel. They are the ones who wish to take away insurance from myself and millions of others. Don’t ask me. ---
**Author:** ![amarinth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3be4f8/32.png) [@amarinth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amarinth)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2016, 6:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-now-for-the-aca/771208/48 "2016-11-09T18:20:21Z")
> [@Leaper](#): > > Okay, fine. What methods of suicide would you suggest for someone sick who’s about to lose their insurance? Well, Colorado approved Death with Dignity last night. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2016, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-now-for-the-aca/771208/49 "2016-11-09T18:23:31Z")
> [@Fotheringay-Phipps](#): > > I would be shocked if these predictions that the Republicans will just straight up repeal ACA come to pass. I’d be a tad surprised, myself. I personally figure they’ll suddenly come up with excuses to _not_ repeal it. ---
**Author:** ![Fotheringay-Phipps](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/d9b06d/32.png) [@Fotheringay-Phipps](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fotheringay-Phipps)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2016, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-now-for-the-aca/771208/50 "2016-11-09T18:33:33Z")
> [@amarinth](#): > > You just need to share the premise that Republicans think that health care is not an essential government function. Whether or not they “care” about suffering is irrelevant to the position that government resources (time and money) shouldn’t be spent alleviating it. > > Their constituency deeply wants to get rid of ACA. The congressional delegation has run (and won) 4 elections straight on a promise to dump ACA. It’s most politically advantageous to them to repeal it entirely - exactly as their constitutents have asked, begged, cheered, and voted for. None of that implies that pulling out the rug from under millions of people is the right or politically smart thing to do. The ACA has already reshaped the health care landscape. Even if you were opposed to it and wanted to recreate the way things were before the ACA - meaning you were opposed to any form of healthcare reform - you can’t recreate that by repealing the whole act in one fell swoop. You have to have something. And the Republicans have signed to various forms of replacement/reform measures in recent years, in some of their various “repeal ACA” bills. ---
**Author:** ![k9bfriender](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/k9bfriender/32/3283_2.png) [@k9bfriender](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/k9bfriender)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2016, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-now-for-the-aca/771208/51 "2016-11-09T18:42:48Z")
> [@Fotheringay-Phipps](#): > > None of that implies that pulling out the rug from under millions of people is the right or politically smart thing to do. > > The ACA has already reshaped the health care landscape. Even if you were opposed to it and wanted to recreate the way things were before the ACA - meaning you were opposed to any form of healthcare reform - you can’t recreate that by repealing the whole act in one fell swoop. You have to have something. > > And the Republicans have signed to various forms of replacement/reform measures in recent years, in some of their various “repeal ACA” bills. That does not matter. This is what they have promised to their base that they will do. It would be the politically stupid thing to not do what they said that they were going to do. Their base will not be won over by appealing to the realities of the situation. Their base will not care that many will suffer. Their base will care if the republicans don’t do what they promised to do. ACA needs to be repealed, the republicans doing anything else is not politically feasible. You are discussing this like they care what kind of crater they leave. The don’t. Full stop. Your last statement is interesting. You say that the republicans have signed some forms of “replacement”. Could you cite that, as I am pretty certain that that claim is without any sort of merit in reality. ---
**Author:** ![Fotheringay-Phipps](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/d9b06d/32.png) [@Fotheringay-Phipps](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fotheringay-Phipps)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2016, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-now-for-the-aca/771208/52 "2016-11-09T18:48:08Z")
> [@k9bfriender](#): > > That does not matter. This is what they have promised to their base that they will do. > > It would be the politically stupid thing to not do what they said that they were going to do. > > Their base will not be won over by appealing to the realities of the situation. Their base will not care that many will suffer. Their base will care if the republicans don’t do what they promised to do. > > ACA needs to be repealed, the republicans doing anything else is not politically feasible. > > You are discussing this like they care what kind of crater they leave. The don’t. Full stop. OK, I think this is silly, but am not going to argue it further. > [@](#): > > Your last statement is interesting. You say that the republicans have signed some forms of “replacement”. Could you cite that, as I am pretty certain that that claim is without any sort of merit in reality. Here’s an example: [https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/powerpost/wp/2016/06/22/republicans-have-a-plan-to-replace-obamacare-and-its-costs-are-unclear/](https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/powerpost/wp/2016/06/22/republicans-have-a-plan-to-replace-obamacare-and-its-costs-are-unclear/) ---
**Author:** ![carnivorousplant](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnivorousplant/32/3563_2.png) [@carnivorousplant](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/carnivorousplant)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2016, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-now-for-the-aca/771208/53 "2016-11-09T18:50:40Z")
> [@amarinth](#): > > Well, Colorado approved Death with Dignity last night. Arkansas approved medical marijuana. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2016, 7:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-now-for-the-aca/771208/54 "2016-11-09T19:16:46Z")
> [@k9bfriender](#): > > That does not matter. This is what they have promised to their base that they will do. > > It would be the politically stupid thing to not do what they said that they were going to do. It turns out that since the base is \*also \*politically stupid, the Republicans have quite a few options. ---
**Author:** ![k9bfriender](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/k9bfriender/32/3283_2.png) [@k9bfriender](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/k9bfriender)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2016, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-now-for-the-aca/771208/55 "2016-11-09T19:23:16Z")
> [@Fotheringay-Phipps](#): > > OK, I think this is silly, but am not going to argue it further. > > Here’s an example: [https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/powerpost/wp/2016/06/22/republicans-have-a-plan-to-replace-obamacare-and-its-costs-are-unclear/](https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/powerpost/wp/2016/06/22/republicans-have-a-plan-to-replace-obamacare-and-its-costs-are-unclear/) Is there actually a bill along with that? I can only find an executive summary. I would be interested in seeing how they think that they can make it work. The article you cite even says that there are no price tags. This was not a bill that was put up to place to replace the ACA, this is a summary of a “plan” that the republicans “might” implement after repealing the ACA. I asked for a bill that the republicans had signed on to to replace the ACA. This is not a bill. It has not been in a committee. It has not been on the floor. No one has voted either for or against it. It is an idea at best. It doesn’t say how it will be paid for. Did you have anything that is actually something that can be considered on its merits, rather than some pie-in-the-sky type republican fantasy? But, you are right. It is pretty silly to expect that the republicans will do anything different than what they have been swearing to do the last 6 years. I do not understand how you can think that after all of that base whipping and mouth frothing that they have done over the ACA, now that they have their chance to kill it, they won’t. ---
**Author:** ![RickJay](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/bb73d2/32.png) [@RickJay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RickJay)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2016, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-now-for-the-aca/771208/56 "2016-11-09T19:25:22Z")
> [@Leaper](#): > > As I have said repeatedly, I am not, repeat NOT, questioning that they will “follow through on their campaign promises”. They will at the least try, and will probably succeed. > > What I disagree with is that they will get away clean in the aftermath, that nothing will change from before the ACA, and everyone will blithely ignore all the consequences and the taste of having insurance and not even try to do anything about it that’ll affect DC. But the status quo ante was disastrous of tens of millions of people - I mean, that was not some sort of hidden secret. It was fully understood people lacked health insurance. And what Trump voters wanted was clear: [“Let him die.”](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PepQF7G-It0) ---
**Author:** ![Fotheringay-Phipps](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/d9b06d/32.png) [@Fotheringay-Phipps](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fotheringay-Phipps)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2016, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-now-for-the-aca/771208/57 "2016-11-09T19:28:07Z")
> [@k9bfriender](#): > > Is there actually a bill along with that? I can only find an executive summary. > > I would be interested in seeing how they think that they can make it work. The article you cite even says that there are no price tags. > > This was not a bill that was put up to place to replace the ACA, this is a summary of a “plan” that the republicans “might” implement after repealing the ACA. > > I asked for a bill that the republicans had signed on to to replace the ACA. This is not a bill. It has not been in a committee. It has not been on the floor. No one has voted either for or against it. It is an idea at best. It doesn’t say how it will be paid for. > > Did you have anything that is actually something that can be considered on its merits, rather than some pie-in-the-sky type republican fantasy? > > But, you are right. It is pretty silly to expect that the republicans will do anything different than what they have been swearing to do the last 6 years. I do not understand how you can think that after all of that base whipping and mouth frothing that they have done over the ACA, now that they have their chance to kill it, they won’t. You’re moving the goal posts here, and not logically. Bottom line is that this is an example of Republicans signed on to. So your claim that the Republicans have promised to repeal with no replacement is incorrect. ---
**Author:** ![Grey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/b782af/32.png) [@Grey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grey)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2016, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-now-for-the-aca/771208/58 "2016-11-09T19:32:57Z")
They promised with vapourware - pretty charts and no price tags. That’s not a proposal anyone could take seriously. ---
**Author:** ![raventhief](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/raventhief/32/4_2.png) [@raventhief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/raventhief)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2016, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-now-for-the-aca/771208/59 "2016-11-09T19:35:19Z")
I have pre-existing conditions, including a heart condition. The ACA is the only reason my husband and I have insurance. I am pretty scared about what the immediate future will bring. ---
**Author:** ![Blue\_Blistering\_Barnacle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/blue_blistering_barnacle/32/3386_2.png) [@Blue\_Blistering\_Barnacle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blue_Blistering_Barnacle)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2016, 7:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-now-for-the-aca/771208/60 "2016-11-09T19:35:59Z")
> [@k9bfriender](#): > > I hope your right. But that means that the republicans lied to their base when they promised to do exactly what it is that you claim would be shocking. Well, it’s good to have public and private positions on things. :rolleyes: [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-now-for-the-aca/771208.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-now-for-the-aca/771208.md?page=4)