Paul Ryan channels his inner Pelosi with Obamacare repeal

Healthcare legislation. Backroom deals behind closed doors. Secret negotiations on details that are unavailable to the public and legislators. And a process that requires passage of the bill to find out what’s in it.

Obamacare was a bad deal, wasn’t it? Unfortunately, I’m not talking about Obamacare. I’m talking about Ryancare/Trumpcare, a.k.a. the Repeal In Name Only GOP replacement for Obamacare. Why the secrecy? Because–to paraphrase The Who–meet the new bill, same as the old bill.

While the details are being hidden in a manner reminiscent of Area 51 UFOs, GOP cowardess when it comes to repealing Obamacare has been plain for all to see. The promise to “repeal and replace” the Affordable Care Act evolved into “retreat and repair” making Ryancare/Trumpcare the equivalent to Obamacare 2.0 or Obamacare-lite.

Last week, I wrote about the likelihood that Trump would embrace Ryancare, and events of the past few days seem to confirm that conclusion. Last week, John Kasich–who loves Obamacare’s taxpayer-funded explosion of Medicaid because it’s what Jesus would do–met with the administration to beg the White House to keep the money flowing into Ohio’s coffers. In addition, a group of governors who have become dependent on Medicaid payola under Obamacare met with Mike Pence to make the same request about keeping the subsidies in place.

And it appears Trump may have bought into their pleas. Don’t forget that he mentioned in his speech to a joint session of Congress last week that “we should give our great state governors the resources (emphasis mine) and flexibility they need with Medicaid to make sure no one is left behind.” Not only would this proposal keep the money spigot wide open, but it’s a perfect fit for Trump’s promise to provide “insurance for all.”

Besides putting the pedal to the metal on the Medicaid explosion as a single-payer system for the poor and middle class, Ryancare is likely to include these Obamacare-lite provisions:

• Tax credits to buy insurance for those who make too much to qualify for Medicaid, even those who paid no taxes. Obamacare provides tax credits to buy insurance from exchanges.
• Tax penalties for “extravagant” employer-provided insurance plans. Obamacare has a similar penalty called a “Cadillac Tax.”
• Allow insurance companies to apply a “surcharge” on those without insurance or who have let their insurance lapse; essentially a penalty for not having insurance. Obamacare has that too; it’s called a mandate penalty.

Speaker Ryan is prepared to steamroll Conservatives if they don’t fall in line on this broken promise to repeal Obamacare. When you add his shenanigans to Trump’s support of these ideas, the collapse of free market healthcare is certain.

And government-run, single-payer socialized medicine takes a step closer to reality.

 

David Leach is the owner of The Strident Conservative, your source for opinion that’s politically incorrect and always “right.” His articles can also be found on RedState.com.

His daily radio commentary is nationally syndicated with Salem Radio Network and can be heard on stations across America.