Republican Heath Care Proposal

For years now, I and many others have been asking the Republican Party one question: if you successfully repeal the ACA, what then? I mean, it's not like the ACA created the health care crisis in this country. It's been growing for decades. And regardless of what one might think of the ACA as a solution, if you repeal it, we're back to the original problems.

So say the Republicans have their way and repeal the ACA. What will they replace it with? Nothing? Are we back to the unsolved crisis, or do they have some other solution?

(Given that the ACA is a Republican idea to start with, it's kind of a funny question to ask. But ask it we must.)

Behold, we finally have an answer!

Most of the proposed ideas don't actually accomplish anything. Health savings accounts are only useful to people who have money to begin with; most people who can't afford insurance won't be helped by that at all. Tort reform is a relatively small driver of health care costs; it's been done in some states, and had minimal effect on overall cost. And the ACA very specifically and expressly doesn't fund abortions.

Now, purchasing insurance across state lines sounds good, but it's a practical nightmare.What happens if I buy insurance from a company in Alaska, and that company screws me? Do I have to drive to Juneau to file a complaint with their regulatory agency? Now, if we had a universal set of federal insurance regulations, that might work, and would probably reduce the overhead costs of running an insurance company. (Can you imagine having to keep track of fifty different sets of laws? There are a huge number of employees just for that, and that cost comes out of your premiums!) But then, that would be expanding the power of the federal government, which any good Republican will tell you is evil in all cases. Except when it's convenient for it to not be evil.

But what's most entertaining about this is that they want to "Ensure Access for Patients with Pre-Existing Conditions". And they want to do that without the individual mandate, requiring everyone to carry insurance at all times.

Think about that for a minute. If you can just sign up for insurance at any time, no matter what you may already have, why on earth would you carry insurance before getting sick? Just wait until you get sick, and then sign up! Under the Republican plan, they have to take you and pay your medical bills!

Except that everyone will do that. Which means the insurance companies get essentially no income, and have massive outlays. So the Republican plan destroys the entire concept of health insurance, and all insurance companies go out of business.
Good job, guys.