Since the ACA was passed in 2010, the Republicans have predicted the eventual demise, either through court challenges or legislative repeal. President Trump nominated Tom Price as the Health and Human Services Department. He demonstrated a real knack of avoiding the question, and instead talking in general terms of what are the good intentions of the Department. Spin all the positives possible.
The question Price would like to respond to, is: “Doesn’t the Department have the public’s best interest in mind when it comes to health care?” Or at least “Isn’t everything proposed by Republicans excellent, as compared to what we have.”
The link below is his interview on Meet the Press:
He is correct that HHS administers five health plans. He’d love to talk about the other 4 non-controversial plans.
Trump has tweeted repeatedly, is that he will never own Obamacare, just let it implode. So Price as the plan’s administrator will be accused of neglecting the program for partisan purposes.
Now, any fix of Obamacare will not happen with Tom Price as secretary. What a fix would entail is increased subsidies for lower income families to encourage enrollment massive advertising with reminders that people without insurance will face tax penalties. It will take legislative action to fix Obamacare.
Trump could emerge on top, being the ultimate deal maker between feuding Democrats and Republicans. To avoid alienating Republicans, he should never talk of a fix, but rather a merger of taking the best of both plans, and putting together one that will work for all Americans. Call it a consolidated or reconciled bill or non-partisan bill. Yes, that’s BS, but it’s the only BS that will work. Price would be replaced by a real expert in healthcare systems. Defunding of Planned Parenthood and abortion payments would not be part of the consolidated plan.
The Democrats have come up with a new slogan, “A Better Deal” in which they will include a promise of a better health plan. Trump would steal their thunder by endorsing what is basically their plan.
The Trump health plan would be despised by many Republicans, but now it would be the Republicans who would have to vote down something the Democrats support.
Stay tuned,
Dave
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