New Health Law Frustrates Many in Middle Class - NYTimes.com:
The more I read about the failings of ObamaCare, not the website mess which can be fixed, but the underlying framework, the more I'm convinced it will fail. It is enormously complex with the net effect being higher costs for too many middle class people.
Perhaps it was constructed as an interim step destined to fail so that insurance companies would not suddenly fail. Was it designed with a small likelihood of success in an attempt to make single-payer a last resort option, which is what Obama, Dean, Shumlin and other liberal Democrats obviously prefer.
The political calculus in all this is fascinating to watch as it unfolds. The Democrats have a lot to lose in the 2014 election. The Republicans have a lot to gain, but being against ObamaCare is not by itself a winning strategy. They must come forth unified with a better plan. That should coalesce and be heavily promoted beginning in April with a solid strategy for implementation on the national level.
Without a viable plan they will fail to win the electorate. For me, any viable plan must include cost control. That means rationing and convincing providers and patients to accept it, a tall order.
"...An analysis by The New York Times shows the cost of premiums for people who just miss qualifying for subsidies varies widely across the country and rises rapidly for people in their 50s and 60s. In some places, prices can quickly approach 20 percent of a person’s income..."
The Republicans need to focus on fixing ObamaCare by strongly and truthfully promoting a rational solution. They must win a majority in the Senate and retain control of the House with majorities to override potential vetoes by Obama in 2015 and 2016.
Single payer will not easily be accepted because trust in 'big government' is at an historic low, even among Democrats. The folks are unlikely to believe that they can pull off a single-payer plan.
I wonder if they're up to the task?
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