I am profoundly disappointed in Paul Ryan, the Republican caucus and the RINO establishment for introducing the Paul Ryan bill to repeal and replace Obamacare.
It doesn’t completely repeal Obamacare or completely replace it.
In fact the supposed anti- entitlement party (Republicans) are adding another entitlement.
They are even leaving the healthcare insurance industry in charge of the money and the access to care.
It doesn’t even fulfill the five principles President Trump listed in his address to congress.
Those five principles alone would not Repair the Healthcare System.
The bill does nothing to encourage consumers to be responsible for their health and their healthcare dollars.
The bill continues to allow the government and the healthcare insurance companies to drive the cost and the healthcare system.
The Republican bill does not provide incentives for consumers to use their healthcare dollars wisely.
It does not include malpractice reform.
If President Trump buys the nonsense Republicans are calling a repeal and replacement for Obamacare, then the RINO’s have pulled the wool over his eyes.
It would be a gigantic mistake to push this bill in its present form. You would be producing political capital for the politically bankrupt Democrats.
This bill is a typical bait and switch. Rand Paul is correct. It is Obamacare lite.
It does not put consumers in charge. It keeps the healthcare insurance industry in full control of medicine, healthcare and the government.
Rather than discontinuing an entitlement it creates another one.
Refundable tax credit is another term for redistribution of wealth. You give money to everyone. You then take it back from some and let the others have it.
It does not repeal most of the Obamacare regulations.
It extends many of the programs past 2019.
President Trump, it does not help drain the swamp as you promised. It makes the swamp worse.
The insurance companies are not returned to a free market. It is a clever way to support the insurance companies by switching from a mandate and penalty to a tax credit (giving the money away to everyone).
This is another entitlement to further enrich the healthcare insurance industry.
Americans elected these Republican politicians to drain the swamp. This bill is no different than Obamacare.
Dr. Jane Orient, executive director of the Association of American Physicians and Surgeons said:
“Refundable” tax credits – for those who don’t owe taxes – are still a subsidy. It is still redistribution of wealth, with winners (those who get the subsidy) and losers (those who pay for it). And the chief winner is the “health plan.” It gets money; the supposed beneficiary may get nothing, or only rationed care from a narrow network.
“The problem is comprehensive third-party payment,” Orient adds. “The bill perpetuates this disastrous concept. A true free-market bill – “there shall be a free market in health insurance” – would remove all federal mandates, subsidies, barriers to competition, or protections or advantages for cartels.”
“Instead of returning the insurance market to the vigor of a free market, the government will be supporting it with tax credits – the flip side of the ACA insurance penalty.”
Americans are not stupid. The Republican bill will expose all the Republicans who are for the bill. They are not working for the good of the people
Democrats have already demonstrated they do not work for the people.
An group like the tea party can put up candidates against these guys and elect people who are for the people.
Where are the plans for consumer driven healthcare, patient centered healthcare, malpractice reform and the physician patient relationship?
Where are incentives for consumers to focus on their health, to help cure the obesity problem in order to decrease the incidence of diabetes and other chronic diseases?
Where is a free insurance market?
Paul Ryan’s plan is the road to failure.
The next step would be replacement of the Republican’s failure with a government controlled single party payer system.
It will fail as it is in so many countries.
President Trump. Wake up!!! Keep your promise to the American people.
The opinions expressed in the blog “Repairing The Healthcare System” is, mine and mine alone.
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I Was Wrong | Stanley Feld M.D., FACP, MACE