Nobody,.. means everybody except Trump... ...

Hilariously the Republicans have been salivating and telling anyone who cares how eager and determined they are to replace Obama's health care package. Now they have the chance they don't know what to do, not a frikken clue.

The one thing that was done, by Trump, that for reasons that I don't understand, got almost no attention, is that he effectively sh*t-canned the mandate to buy insurance or pay a tax penalty.  The IRS will now ignore line 61 on your 1040 and process the return even if you don't check the box saying you have health insurance, or indicate what you paid for it.

Of course that doesn't help folks that want and need insurance, but at least it no longer appears that folks who don't want or cannot afford to buy are going to be penalised.

It's a bit of an end-run around the law because the requirement is still on the books, and the IRS could  chose to go after folks who don't check the box at some later date, but since they are going to go ahead and process the returns, and issue refunds, rather than flagging  those returns, I suspect that won't happen. At least until the whole mess gets repealed or revamped or whatever congress eventually does. And at that point it may not matter anyway. At least for the 2016 tax year.


 http://www.zerohedge.com/news/2017-02-15/irs-deals-major-blow-obamacare-mandate

Clearly Hopey-Change had no idea since he managed to screw the pooch.

JOG wrote:

Quote:


Exactly. It's easy being the opposition party; particularly if you don't have the power to actually accomplish anything and thus don't really have to try,

The Democrats should celebrate and take advantage of a four year vacation where they just have to keep shouting No! No! No! and can't be blamed for anything that happens.

The Repubs on the other hand don't know whether to sh*t-or-go-blind, cause they are fixin' to get blamed for everything. They don't like that much 'cause they know deep in their weaseley little hearts that they are going to deserve all the scorn that comes their way.

Wow,.. I'm actually surprised to see the resulting replies...
Except for Web,... we seem to agree that healthcare costs are beyond the reach of normal citizens without some kind of agreed upon control...
Just today,.. a TV health guru, 52 yr old, had a massive coronary, while exercising at the gym...  this might bankrupt many people... and it often does in America...
We don't choose where or when or how to be assaulted by a health crisis.

Healthcare is the single most screwed up thing in the American governmental system.. the number one reason for bankruptcy...

Now,.. just for moment. set aside politics and consider this...
In most 1st world, civilized countries, healthcare is the number 1 most cherished thing citizens appreciate from their government...
Yes,.. it does cost money... but it gives benefits...
Reduced costs... because every doctor, hospital, etc, must participate in order to have customers...
Will it reduce innovation?.. NO...
Contrary to popular belief,... many innovations come from countries with NHS...  
Will Doctors quit?... NO... believe it or doctors exist in NHS countries.. and they make very  good livings...
..and costs are 1/3... through taxes for average people... the very rich pay more, the  poor pay nothing or very little... in shared taxes... not based on unfortunate genetics or luck... just on ability to contribute...

How many people here, are working at their jobs solely to keep their health benefits?...  a lot...
These people might have a great idea that would revolutionize some industry, or create some product that would employ thousands and make them billions... but they daren't risk losing their healthcare for their or their families sake...    
It is stifling...and terrifying...    
Other countries don't have this restriction...
Your money is yours...   if you save... you can freely pursue a dream, without fear of financial devastation from some unforeseeable medical malady...

Consider The Donald...  he has never faced this.... no medical crisis could ever take him down, from birth on...
...(it's like being born with bionic underwear)...
Risk is easy... when risk is limited to going back to where you started....
In America,... risk is going beyond back, to losing everything....

Security in health can spur entrepreneurship and innovation...
How many brilliant ideas have stifled by financial terror?...
How much of this,... is the rich keeping everyone else down?...
How much of this is them knowing their power is not in their superior intellects, or skills, but in their birthright?...    

Really,... we aren't all stupid poor... some are terrified poor...
So many ideas are crushed by the need for security.

When you fight for freedom... it ain't about lower taxes....
It's about the freedom and security, including health,... to risk being a success...
Healthcare = freedom...
Fear = oppression...

Sounds kind of,... commie... and maybe it is, just bit...
...but it's civilized... in way that that the money empowered don't want you to realize...
The money you have accrued, should be empowering,... not causing anxiety.....

It's like,.. Bill Gates had one chance, when he was teenager with no responsibility in his parents garage, to create a mega industry...
Had he been 30... that window closed...
In most civilized countries..  with an NHS... that window is more open...
That is freedom...
It's not risk without penalty...  but it is a more tolerable risk.
Back to square one,.. instead of.. up that creek without a paddle..

We are at an international economic disadvantage... without the security of a health parachute...
That's a hard math to figure... but how many ideas have you cast aside for security?...
...

Bot brought up many valid concerns; although, who is going to pay for everything?  I don't claim to have all the answers, just a prudent point of view.  Ya don't hear the left taking responsibility for bammy care and you want them to have total control of everything.  Anything the gov gives can take it away.  Ayn was correct!

Best regards,

Ser - use is spot on.  A single payer system is much better for the vast majority.  Only the v eddy rich might suffer, and I suspect there is a whole system of care for them.

Yes, the role out of ACA was a disaster, combining the worst of two systems, but congress (NOT OBAMA) would have it no other way.
Unfortunately, the Veterans Administration Hospital system does not lend itself to warm fuzzy feelings about the competence of a single entity. I add this as the VA medical system should be included in our general health care system, no left to be neglected.
Medicaid might be expanded to all, or Medicare perhaps (with some sort of controlling of pharmaceutical costs).
I have no problem  paying 5% of my income for health insurance, it is almost there (not including copays for drugs,  and hearing aids etc)

My general income tax functionally is .097865% of taxable income, so that's 15% of income total for some basic security. A good deal if I may say so (and unfortunately that general income tax is used for some truly awful purposes).