Republicans’ last-ditch effort to repeal-and-replace Obamacare looks doomed to defeat but not for typical political reasons. When the last Obamacare repeal-and-replace “skinny” bill went down to defeat July 27, it was Sen. John McCain (R-Az.) that said no to Republicans. McCain didn’t like Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell’s (R-Ky.) unwillingness to open the debate to Democrats, something former President Barack Obama refused to do in 2010 when he passed Obamacare. McCain believes that when the nation’s on the hook for some 20% of Gross Domestic Product, the debate should be open and bipartisan. McConnell kept the “skinny” bill secret through much of the process, refusing feedback from Democrats, even though constituents had a lot to lose. McCain sees nothing different this time around voting for Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.) and Sen. Bill Cassidy’s (R-La.) new bill.
Graham-Cassidy healthcare bill wants to shift the financial burden to the states, receiving block grants to manage subscribers. Opposed by the American Medical Assn., American Insurance Assn., and virtually all other health care organizations, Graham-Cassidy aims to reduce costs to the federal government. With the cost of health premiums rising every year, the states would run out of cash and prevent subscribers with pre-existing conditions from getting insurance. Whatever the flaws in Obamacare, at least it pays for reasonable health care benefits, despite rising premium costs. Graham-Cassidy would eventually go back to the states to start gatekeeping, managing block grants by keeping folks with pre-existing conditions from buying insurance. Instead of fixing Obamacare, Graham-Cassidy is just another GOP attempt to repeal-and-replace Obamacare with something cheaper.
Truth be told, there’s no evidence that Graham-Cassidy would lower insurance premiums now or in the future. Shifting the burden to the states would force states to ration health care, preventing sick patients from receiving treatment. Republicans contend with the same dissenters for the last GOP health care bill that went down to defeat July 27. McCain, fresh off treatment for brain cancer, refused to vote for the last bill because it was conceived in secrecy with no debate, discussion or negotiation with Democrats. When you consider Obama sowed so much division in 2010 passing-and-signing Obamacare without one Republican vote, you’d think the GOP would do things differently. “I don’t want to have to just vote aye or no on what’s one-fifth of the gross domestic product,” said McCain, hinting he may be the pivotal Senate no vote for the second time..
While the GOP considers Graham-Cassidy, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) introduced Medicare-for-all legislation, something that would drive U.S. budget deficits through the roof. Bernie argues that every other Western democracy has already implemented single-payer heath care like Medicare, somehow without going broke. Unlike European socialism, Medicare-for-all would shift the entire financial burden of paying for health insurance onto Uncle Sam. Bernie’s plan would destroy employer-based health care in the U.S. Even with Obamacare, employers with over 50 employees have forced employees working under 30 hours a week into Obamacare, putting the financial burden on the government. Bernie’s plan would shift 100% of the financial burden onto the U.S. Treasury, unless the government forced employers to pony up for their employees.
Graham-Cassidy would reduce Medicaid expansion, shifting the funding to the states receiving block grants. What’s really bad about the GOP plan is that it slashes benefits from Obamacare, something most current subscribers don’t want. All the controversy about ABC’s late night host Jimmy Kimmel opposing Graham-Cassidy stems from his son’s congenital heart defect, requiring multiple surgeries to save his life. Kimmel doesn’t want to see the states—or anyone else—excluding anyone with pre-existing conditions for any reason. No pre-existing conditions are excluded from today’s employer-based group plans, nor should they be from individual plans. Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.), Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Ak.) and Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) all seem poised to reject Graham-Cassidy. If Graham-Cassidy preserved the same level of funding as Obamacare, they’d be onboard.
Graham-Cassidy is likely to meet the same fate as the “skinny” bill that went down July 27 because it only cuts back on health care benefits for ordinary citizens. If the GOP wanted a plan that would pass, they wouldn’t be going after Planned Parenthood, seeking to slash Medicaid funding over the next 10 years. With Medicaid block grants ending in 2026, the states would be swamped covering the burden unless the federal government kicks in more cash. Scaling back Obamacare tells citizens and the states that things can only get worse under Graham-Cassidy. Trump promised that things would get better under a GOP replacement bill. When you look at the fine print, Graham-Cassidy takes health care in the wrong direction. If the GOP wants something to pass, then make it better than Obamacare.
