Kathianne
05-03-2017, 04:42 PM
It's been a rough week for those thinking change was coming. Looks like new healthcare act may get done, but it won't be what we thought it would be:
http://hotair.com/archives/2017/05/03/momentum-gop-reps-fred-upton-billy-long-flip-no-yes-new-amendment-house-health-care-bill/
Momentum? GOP Reps. Fred Upton, Billy Long flip from no to yes after new amendment to House health-care billPOSTED AT 1:31 PM ON MAY 3, 2017 BY ALLAHPUNDIT
...
See why it’s reasonable to fear that the pools will be underfunded?
Why, oh why, if Upton’s amendment does little to improve the bill and possibly raises the chances of underfunded pools, would he and Billy Long cite it as a reason to flip from no to yes? If you read Philip Klein’s takedown of Upton (http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/fred-uptons-cynical-reversal-on-repealing-obamacare-shows-why-people-distrust-republicans/article/2621886) yesterday for his amazing cynicism in opposing the AHCA, you already know why. For years, Upton crusaded on behalf of exactly the sort of measures the new AHCA would permit to the states — getting rid of ObamaCare’s regulations on Essential Health Benefits and community rating. If you want to cut costs for the general population, Upton insisted, you need to stop forcing expensive one-size-fits-all plans on consumers. As of yesterday he had a chance to support a plan that does exactly that but was voting no, presumably because he knows that the public dislikes the idea (https://morningconsult.com/2017/05/03/people-split-states-treat-sickest-americans/) of letting states waive ObamaCare’s regs is unpopular with the public. That is, he was happy to call for repeal when he knew Obama would be there to veto the GOP’s bill; now that it has a chance of becoming law, he has cold feet. Viewed through that prism, the $8 billion Upton amendment looks like little more than a fig leaf he can point to back in his district when voters inevitably start complaining about the bill. “I made the bill better,” Upton can say in defending his new yes vote. “I got an extra eight billion for sick people!” In reality, his amendment may end up doing more to destabilize the market for people with preexisting conditions than to shore it up. But it looks good politically, and that’s what matters.
The latest rumor is that the vote will happen tomorrow (https://twitter.com/dylanlscott/status/859788610740125696). Buckle up.
http://hotair.com/archives/2017/05/03/momentum-gop-reps-fred-upton-billy-long-flip-no-yes-new-amendment-house-health-care-bill/
Momentum? GOP Reps. Fred Upton, Billy Long flip from no to yes after new amendment to House health-care billPOSTED AT 1:31 PM ON MAY 3, 2017 BY ALLAHPUNDIT
...
See why it’s reasonable to fear that the pools will be underfunded?
Why, oh why, if Upton’s amendment does little to improve the bill and possibly raises the chances of underfunded pools, would he and Billy Long cite it as a reason to flip from no to yes? If you read Philip Klein’s takedown of Upton (http://www.washingtonexaminer.com/fred-uptons-cynical-reversal-on-repealing-obamacare-shows-why-people-distrust-republicans/article/2621886) yesterday for his amazing cynicism in opposing the AHCA, you already know why. For years, Upton crusaded on behalf of exactly the sort of measures the new AHCA would permit to the states — getting rid of ObamaCare’s regulations on Essential Health Benefits and community rating. If you want to cut costs for the general population, Upton insisted, you need to stop forcing expensive one-size-fits-all plans on consumers. As of yesterday he had a chance to support a plan that does exactly that but was voting no, presumably because he knows that the public dislikes the idea (https://morningconsult.com/2017/05/03/people-split-states-treat-sickest-americans/) of letting states waive ObamaCare’s regs is unpopular with the public. That is, he was happy to call for repeal when he knew Obama would be there to veto the GOP’s bill; now that it has a chance of becoming law, he has cold feet. Viewed through that prism, the $8 billion Upton amendment looks like little more than a fig leaf he can point to back in his district when voters inevitably start complaining about the bill. “I made the bill better,” Upton can say in defending his new yes vote. “I got an extra eight billion for sick people!” In reality, his amendment may end up doing more to destabilize the market for people with preexisting conditions than to shore it up. But it looks good politically, and that’s what matters.
The latest rumor is that the vote will happen tomorrow (https://twitter.com/dylanlscott/status/859788610740125696). Buckle up.