Whither Obamacare?

[grumbler]

So it is now time for the Dems to act petulant like a political party that wants to win an election?

Yes.  At long last, yes.

[Monoriu]

I think it is likely that Obamacare will be renamed as Trumpcare, and we all have to get used to this new name 

[11B4V]

I think it is likely that Obamacare will be renamed as Trumpcare, and we all have to get used to this new name 

And it will be the greatest healthcare ever. Really, I know this, believe me.

[fromtia]

Voted 5. I think there'll be a lot of theatrics and chest thumping, because as others have pointed out, the ACA is the most pure example of socialist tyranny inflicted upon a free people. people like me need to be given immediate relief from the shackles of having healthcare access for themselves and their children.

It is fascinating to watch though. Opposition to ACA has been the central GOP plank forever, and now its time to pony up and do it in they are going to do some sort of Trump/Romney/Ryan care piecemeal I think. They don't seem to have a clue what to do, which is odd considering how much time they have given to railing against this great evil.

[CountDeMoney]

You guys really have some serious naïveté and misplaced faith in your fellow human beings.  Remember, these are Republicans.

[11B4V]

http://www.cnn.com/2017/01/05/health/obamacare-florida-republican/index.html

Republican Obamacare fan hopes Trump's stance softens


West Palm Beach, Florida (CNN) — If it had been only about what was best for him, Bob Ruscoe would have cast his ballot for former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. But he's a staunch Republican, always has been, and that meant this Obamacare beneficiary struggled over his November vote in a way he never had before.

"I agonized over the decision," he said. "Part of me was saying, 'if she gets in, at least we won't have to worry about health care for four years.' "



Ruscoe, 57, of West Palm Beach, Florida, is self-employed and knows the insecurity of going uninsured. He took advantage of the Affordable Care Act the minute he could.

About 20 million people gained health care coverage through Obamacare. With more than 1.7 million Floridians enrolled as of February, the Sunshine State has the highest percentage of Obamacare recipients in the country. And yet Ruscoe was among the majority of Florida voters who checked the box for Donald Trump, the candidate who promised time and again to spike the program Ruscoe couldn't wait to have.

"We'll have to see what pans out," he said. "It may not be totally repealed. It may be something else. I hope something will remain in place."







He went with the candidate he thinks will make America stronger.

"I did what I thought was correct for the overall good of the country," he said. "Economic strength cures a lot of things."

A better economy, he hopes, will free him from needing subsidies.

The value of coverage was immediate. During wellness checks, something he and his wife had ditched in their time without insurance, she learned that she had high cholesterol. And though he'd worked hard to lose a significant amount of weight, he'd plateaued. Once a doctor offered nutritional counseling, he shed the last 40 pounds.



Transition tracker: Obamacare replacement rolls on a slow track


Related Article: Transition tracker: Obamacare rolls on a slow track

Irrespective of political persuasion, he says, having access to services that keep people healthy makes sense. He couldn't understand friends who didn't take advantage of the health care opportunity.

"It's made to be affordable for everyone. Why wouldn't you?" he asked.

Come February 1, he'll be paying about $338 a month for himself and his wife. Without Obamacare, he says, the same plan would cost them $1,150 a month -- or close to $14,000 a year. Rates like that would mean no more insurance for them.

They're not getting any younger, and Ruscoe knows that there are no guarantees when it comes to health. He thinks of his grandmother who died of colon cancer and talks about the importance of preventative medicine, including access to procedures like colonoscopy.

"I'll be bellying up to get my first one this year," he said.

Without insurance, he's not sure that would be possible for him and his wife.

Ruscoe doesn't pretend to know how cost-effective Obamacare is and assumes it requires tweaking. But he hopes the Trump administration will recognize and hold onto what's worked.



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He feels like it's his "civic duty" to speak up, he says. It's important to remind people that slashes to coverage may lead to "a segment of the population that'll be left swinging in the breeze."

His views will surprise some of his friends, he suspects.

"They'll freak out that I was strongly considering voting for Clinton," he said. "But I think she would have been very compassionate, and you need that."

Ruscoe's now banking on Trump showing some compassion, too.

[Jacob]

Good luck to him and people like him.

[Berkut]

The level of stupid, just sheer, complete lack of interest in thinking for yourself, displayed there is astounding. There are so many false assumptions I don't know where to start unpacking them.

[grumbler]

Yeah, that's a hell of a story, but the one about the woman who, with her husband, voted for Trump even though they'll lose the insurance that allows them to be on the waiting list for a $1 million liver transplant.  They are sure that Trump didn't mean it when he said he'd repeal the ACA.

I'd be surprised if Trumpcare allows her to afford an open-casket funeral for her husband.  I try to feel empathy for her and her husband, but am not a good enough person to succeed.

[frunk]

A Trump supporter is someone who thought that politicians were ignoring his particular situation, so they vote for the candidate who plans to scrap the one piece of legislation in the past 8 years that was targeted to help his particular situation (ACA).

[Barrister]

While I obviously disagree with that individual's choice to vote for Trump, he was right on the basic point - voting isn't, or shouldn't be, simply based on "what's in it for me".

[grumbler]

While I obviously disagree with that individual's choice to vote for Trump, he was right on the basic point - voting isn't, or shouldn't be, simply based on "what's in it for me".

It also shouldn't be based on delusions about "economic strength" or false assumptions about the cost of the ACA.

[Jacob]

A Trump supporter is someone who thought that politicians were ignoring his particular situation, so they vote for the candidate who plans to scrap the one piece of legislation in the past 8 years that was targeted to help his particular situation (ACA).

It really does seem that way to me. It'll be uniquely interesting to see how that circle gets squared.

Does the ACA get butchered and millions of Trump supporters hurt? And if so, can it be spun such that they remain loyal GOP voters or will it actually cause them to switch their voting behaviour?

Or does the GOP manage to muddle along in a way where they keep people covered? And if so, can they find a way where they don't look like they went back on their promise.

[MadImmortalMan]

Or does the GOP manage to muddle along in a way where they keep people covered? And if so, can they find a way where they don't look like they went back on their promise.

That's the optimistic one. Maybe the "replace" part of Repeal and Replace will keep them covered.

[Razgovory]

While I obviously disagree with that individual's choice to vote for Trump, he was right on the basic point - voting isn't, or shouldn't be, simply based on "what's in it for me".

If the new situation may ruin your financially or kill you, I think "what's in it for me" is a legitimate concern.