UCLA faculty voice: The fate of Covered California under President Trump

[think]

UCLA faculty voice: The fate of Covered California under President Trump

No state has embraced the Affordable Care Act more, leaving millions uncertain about their future health care

Gerald Kominski | December 20, 2016

Gerald Kominski is director of the UCLA Center for Health Policy Research. This op-ed appeared in the Los Angeles Times.

No one knows exactly what Donald Trump’s pledge to “repeal and replace” the Affordable Care Act means. The hints, however, are troubling. No state has embraced the ACA — Obamacare — more enthusiastically and successfully than California. And no state has more to lose with Trumpcare.

California’s programs won’t be gone overnight. Despite campaign promises to the contrary, it is virtually impossible to repeal Obamacare on day one of the Trump administration. The Senate filibuster rule, which requires 60 votes to move legislation forward, provides Democrats with a mechanism to block a complete repeal effort. And there would be an enormous backlash against an immediate, abrupt repeal. More than 20 million Americans are newly insured under Obamacare, and many congressional leaders, including House Speaker Paul D. Ryan, understand the very real political costs of throwing them under the bus. So Obamacare is likely to continue through the end of 2017, and perhaps 2018.

The question is, what comes next? The Trump campaign was short on details. Suggestions included promoting health savings accounts linked to high-deductible health plans; allowing insurance to be sold across state lines in an effort to increase competition and thus affordability; and allowing everyone to deduct health insurance premiums from their taxes...

Read more:
http://newsroom.ucla.edu/stories/ucla-faculty-voice-the-fate-of-covered-california-under-president-trump

#Trumpcare

[SHRED]

1. I certainly hope my state figures this out

Viva California!

[still_one]

2. California is going to try do what is necessary to prevent healthcare being taken away from those wh

need it. The California Legislative Leaders have indicated they will do what they can. Jerry Brown made it very clear California isn't going to go quietly:

"Gov. Jerry Brown, rallying a room of scientists Wednesday with his most heated rhetoric yet on the topic, suggested California would defy the federal government should President-elect Donald Trump impede the state’s efforts to thwart climate change.

“We’ve got the scientists, we’ve got the lawyers and we’re ready to fight. We’re ready to defend,” he said to boisterous applause at the American Geophysical Union conference in San Francisco.

Brown struck a more forceful tone than he has since the election, suggesting the energy and enthusiasm in the room for him would be needed in the “battles ahead.”

http://www.sacbee.com/news/politics-government/capitol-alert/article120928688.html

As for healthcare, if anyone can do this California can. I can see California aligning with Oregon, and Washington, perhaps other states to provide, if not a single payer system, to provide a healthcare system that would cover those who are not covered by employment, or Medicare.

[think]

3. A western coalition would be great to see if Trumpcare becomes law /nt

[still_one]

4. Vermont tried to implement a single payer system, but it really couldn't do it by itself. I

wonder if enough states could form a coalition to make that a reality?

[think]

5. Been thinking of that lately. California is so large & so Democrat they might be able to do it

hopefully with a few other states included.

It's really had to believe America can't pull it off with so many successful efforts in other countries.

Trump could be so awful he might spur many new efforts to get things done in spite of him...