GOP "Repeal and Replace" Weasel Numbers Have Grown, But Still Disoriented

Standing Room Only and the Face of America

(Speaker Ryan signed measure in January to repeal parts of ACA. 

President Obama vetoed).

This recent headline tells the story... which I address and rip apart below and now, BTW: Whom did you vote for on November 8, 2016 — oops..

GOP Plans Immediate Repeal of Health Law Then a Delay

Update here on the past and that which is expected in the way of more crap that the GOP has played and will continue to play with healthcare and impact it would have on the tens of millions of needy Americans with healthcare (many for some in the first time in their lives).

If this forthcoming bigger all-GOP Congress can’t serve people they way they have sworn to do, and the way they always claim they do in every speech, then may I suggest another line of work — like on a cattle or horse ranch someplace out of sight shoveling their crap about this critical issue.  

This update on their latest stunt, and yes, folks, make no mistake about, it is stunt they have been playing since 2010 when the ACA was signed into law. BTW: It passed without a single Republican vote and ever since they have made some 60 vote attempts to repeal it – and all have failed. No need to wonder why either. As I said, it’s a stunt – a very low-down nasty, ugly, mean-spirited political stunt and nothing else.

Now on the question of how will Trump supporters, that is the millions now enrolled in the ACA and probably millions under the extended Medicaid, CHIP, or WIC programs, react when the proverbial s**t hits the proverbial fan. It just so happens that Paul Krugman, the 2008 won Nobel prize for economics and damn good writer, addresses this same question in this piece he wrote for the NY Times here.

Then also check out this fine story, vis-à-vis the GOP’s slick, evil, nasty political con game they are playing with people’s lives on this subject of “repeal and replace the ACA (Obama-care) here also from the NY Times.

Then add up all the numbers of those enrolled in Medicaid and CHIP, those are programs for those who can’t afford other health insurance for themselves or for children, and then ask Mr. and Mrs. Gee Old Poops: “What about that nearly 70 million now getting good healthcare – and as I said, many for the first time in their lives? 

Are you just doing to dump them and say:  “Sorry, folks, no can do. Just try to stay healthy not get sick and avoid death, too. Oh, BTW, we still have ER’s.” 

Wait, wait – ER’s you say? Um, wasn’t that a one of reasons for health care change with the ACA, too? Yeah, thought so. That is since ER’s were overworked and unable to provide full health care like a health care manager on a regular basis. Hence we have the ACA (Affordable Care Act), and as the name implies “affordable” so get real GOP…

The GOPers in office always make floor speeches about “Serving the American people and their best interests, yap, yap, etc., etc...” Well, I say, start acting like it.

GOP “plan to repeal and replace the ACA (Obama-care)” with what pray tell? Oops… Maybe make it work better, um, you think? A great run down here from The New Yorker in part on suggestions for possible “fixes” as needed and if needed.

B/L: Despite their bluster, Trump and the Republicans now in office really don’t have plan or substitute for the ACA despite their political BS otherwise. They simply want to sling out their sound bite “repeal and replace” and hope it stick to the wall the next election day and it did… but the real impact won’t stick – bet on it. Their solution is no solution – it’s simply “back to the future.”

Related to all this is a fine analysis by experts at the RAND Corporation. It shows where the Trump strategy could lead to by 2018. In a nutshell (ironically where the Trump plan belongs) are these Rand key findings:

All of the Trump proposals are simple: (1) decrease the number of insured, (2) increase out-of-pocket spending for consumers enrolled in individual market plans, and (3) raise the federal deficit compared to the ACA.

The federal deficit increases because repeal of the ACA would eliminate the ACA's provisions that reduce spending and generate revenue, such as changes to Medicare payment policy; and taxes and fees levied on insurers, medical devices, and branded prescription drugs.

The amount that the deficit increases varies widely, from half a billion dollars under the block-grant provision to $41 billion under the tax deduction provision. People with lower incomes would be more affected than other groups. This is true largely because repealing the ACA means eliminating Medicaid expansion, which covers people with incomes below 138 percent of the federal poverty level. Sicker people would also be disproportionately affected, because the proposals would eliminate the ACA's rule that people with pre-existing conditions can't be denied coverage.

(I NOTE: Who in their right mind could dare call this positive reform or change)?

There might be areas that can or should be fixed to make it work – but do not throw it away and replace it with some garbage pipe dream gimmick that moves us backwards.

Stay tuned and help fight this nonsense anyway possible. That’s what I intend to so, whether at this blog or with my voice otherwise. Hope you can, and as always, thanks for stopping by.