The republicans are trying to "Repeal and Replace" again.
If pre-existing conditions remain significantly covered, all we're probably doing is moving from Obamacare to Obamacare Light. That makes "Repeal and Replace" a lie no matter what happens with the vote in the House today --even if Trump stamps his name on it.
What coverages will be removed is the question.
With any luck, people with pre-existing conditions will remain covered at the same rate as everyone else and some minor coverage removal will be as bad as it gets --coverage which can be reinstated later.
With bad luck, Trump and his minions will pull so much of the 1% taxes out of Obamacare that the next healthcare system will collapse or be worthless. But I have hope that President Obama has left his healthcare mark on this country no matter what the republicans do.
I'm thinking republican moderates will only go so far in cutting their own constituents (mostly poor white people's) throats. And that should inadvertently save poor black and brown folks healthcare.
If not, maybe states with high numbers of black and brown will come up with their own healthcare systems.
No matter what happens with the vote today, I think Obamacare having been in place at all is the first step toward breaking that industry's choke hold on us all. I don't think Trump and his Cheeto Satanettes can do anything but trip us up for a few years.
All of us now understand it's possible that people without money do not have to die of curable disease just because they're poor -- not in these United States.
* * * * *
Jimmy Kimmel made an appeal to the GOP decision makers last week. Kimmel's clearly thinking of what would have happened to his newborn son if he'd been poor or without some sort of health insurance.
I hope they heard him.
No comments:
Post a Comment