Is Obamacare in a death spiral? Probably not, but GOP market-based health policy might be

Me in Politico.

Since Republicansâ€™ control pretty much everything in Washington and in most statehouses, they are accountable for the functioning of American government. Through â€œcollapse and replace,â€ they are effectively holding themselves hostage. And whatever the partisan calculus, such rhetoric introduces political and policy uncertainty that dampens insurer and consumer commitment to the new marketplaces.

The long-run trajectory should really concern Republicans. The American Health Care Act, the putative replacement for the ACA, produced a surprisingly emphatic victory for Democrats. It bolstered the national consensus that every American is entitled to affordable and decent health coverage.

If the marketplaces canâ€™t deliver on this promise, they wonâ€™t simply be scrapped. They will be supplanted by some form of expanded public coverage.

More here.

What does it mean to hold yourself hostage? Let me explain…

Author: Harold Pollack


2 thoughts on “Is Obamacare in a death spiral? Probably not, but GOP market-based health policy might be”

  1. So much depends on messaging. Republicans over the past 30 years have gotten really good at convincing people that the US is a poor country that can't afford nice things for its citizens. If one of their cockamamie policies leads to an economic downturn, it will become "obvious" that we can't afford to subsidize healthcare, especially for Those People. And the Serious Class will still find some way to blame democrats and liberals for the debacle.

    The Blazing Saddles clip is funny precisely, alas, because everyone watching knew how counterfactual it was.

  2. I'm watching with Schadenfreude the current Republican attempts to launch AHCA's Mother, after the ignominious expiry of their first Franken-Grendel. It really beggars belief that any professional politician should think this a worthwhile improvement on just forgetting about the whole sorry mess. The rematch would inevitably have the same result, underline the Democrats' victory, and reinforce the ACA it seeks to destroy. However, I expect the effort will just peter out in frustrated grumbling.

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