Welcome to DU! The truly grassroots left-of-center political community where regular people, not algorithms, drive the discussions and set the standards. Join the community: Create a free account Support DU (and get rid of ads!): Become a Star Member All Forums Issue Forums Culture Forums Alliance Forums Region Forums Support Forums Help & Search

applegrove

(118,018 posts)
Thu Jun 16, 2016, 06:27 PM Jun 2016

Paul Ryan’s Promised Obamacare Replacement Plan Shockingly Turns Out Not to Exist Again

Paul Ryan’s Promised Obamacare Replacement Plan Shockingly Turns Out Not to Exist Again

By Jonathan Chait at New York Magaznei

http://nymag.com/daily/intelligencer/2016/06/paul-ryan-obamcare-plan-again-doesnt-exist.html?mid=facebook_nymag

"SNIP..............



The Republican Party has been on the verge of coalescing around its alternative health-care-reform plan since the health-care debate began seven years ago. The latest almost-there, just-have-to-cross-some-i’s-and-dot-some-t’s update came two months ago, when the New York Times reported, “if the Republican nominee does not provide an alternative to the Affordable Care Act — something Republicans have failed to do since it passed in 2010 — Mr. Ryan intends to do so.” But guess what? Ryan’s plan once again will not be an actual plan at all, but a series of generalized ideas that sound good in the abstract yet fail to specify how they would work. “House Republicans’ ObamaCare replacement plan will not include specific dollar figures on some of its core provisions, and will instead be more of a broad outline, according to lobbyists and aides,” reports Peter Sullivan.

Even though Republicans keep promising over and over that they’re just about to unveil a serious plan to replace Obamacare, and the news media keeps reporting these promises at face value, it never happens. There’s a reason for that. The Republican health-care stance combines rhetorical opposition to all of the cruel features of the old health-care system with denunciations of every practical measure in Obamacare required to fix them. The unspecified alternative allows them to promise that nobody will suffer from lack of access to insurance, but without committing to any sacrifices needed to make this happen. As Sullivan reports, Ryan's plan "will not include specific dollar amounts on how large the tax credit would be, nor will it note which employer health insurance plans would be subject to taxation." In other words, there will be no way to determine how it will be paid for or what kind of benefit it would fund.

There is no magic plan, no way to conjure dollars out of thin air, that could satisfy the political conditions Republicans require. Conservatives have plenty of health-care ideas, of course. But all of those ideas impose widespread, unpopular fiscal pain on tens of millions of people. Conservative ideas would throw tens of millions of people off their insurance, raise taxes for many more people, make basic medical care unaffordable to people who can now access it, or possibly all those things. Associating themselves with a measurable plan would expose them to devastating political attacks, so they won’t do it.

If there was a real Republican plan with real numbers, it would politically implode. The numbers aren’t just details to be worked out. The numbers are the whole problem.




................SNIP"
3 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight: NoneDon't highlight anything 5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies
Paul Ryan’s Promised Obamacare Replacement Plan Shockingly Turns Out Not to Exist Again (Original Post) applegrove Jun 2016 OP
I wish HE didnt exist MFM008 Jun 2016 #1
It's really not Ryan's fault. Tal Vez Jun 2016 #2
"The Republicans want to allow the insurance companies to discriminate against those Nye Bevan Jun 2016 #3

MFM008

(19,776 posts)
1. I wish HE didnt exist
Thu Jun 16, 2016, 06:29 PM
Jun 2016

just POOF......
He is totally useless and whats even funnier he thinks he has a FUTURE
lol.

Tal Vez

(660 posts)
2. It's really not Ryan's fault.
Thu Jun 16, 2016, 06:37 PM
Jun 2016

There is no support in the GOP for any substitute.

The GOP health care policy begins and ends with repealing the Affordable Care Act. And, if Trump should win and Congress remain in GOP control, that is what will happen. There will be no replacement because there is no GOP support for any replacement.

Nye Bevan

(25,406 posts)
3. "The Republicans want to allow the insurance companies to discriminate against those
Thu Jun 16, 2016, 06:40 PM
Jun 2016

with pre-existing conditions" is the main thing that the Democrats need to say. It's true, it's cruel, and it's going to cost them in November.

Latest Discussions»General Discussion»Paul Ryan’s Promised Obam...