Okay, time to start writing about healthcare policy again.
My first thought is that anyone who can get on Exchange, get on Exchange. The best case scenario of a repeal and replace action is dropping the tax based individual mandate and going to the far more coercive and expensive continuous coverage quasi-mandate. Continual coverage means that as long as an individual does not have a gap of insurance coverage, insurers can’t medically underwrite that individual to either higher premiums or deny pre-existing conditions for a year or more or not write a policy at all. So if you can afford to and even if you really can’t, start building a history of continual coverage.
Next I’m just going to grab a couple of tweets from some very good wonks:
Nut graf: pic.twitter.com/0hSkqJxTEI
— Adrianna McIntyre (@onceuponA) November 14, 2016
The most important short term impact of this op-ed, assuming it is a policy position is that the poor-shaming Medicaid waivers that tie Medicaid to work requirements will go through in thirty three seconds or less.
@bjdickmayhew Hey, good news! Hookers and blow are back on the lunchroom menu at work for you!
— KingofTorts (@FieldsofAthnry) November 14, 2016
Cost control is out the door. So insurers and more notably, providers will be snorting the finest coke off the tight asses of the best hookers again. This is more on the provider side instead of the insurer side. The hard work to get healthcare costs to grow only slightly faster than the economy will be junked.
Any Republican plan will include throwing more tax advantages at HSA’s (which are great for people who are truly insuring against hit by the meteor events AND have money) and telling everyone else to pay more for their own care, so the final wonk is right on:
Americans Urged To Get Saving $30,000 Out Of Way Before Obamacare Repealed https://t.co/wOy2hTooDx pic.twitter.com/dT5lW95n12
— The Onion (@TheOnion) November 13, 2016