By using this site, you agree to the Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.
Accept
Health Works CollectiveHealth Works CollectiveHealth Works Collective
  • Health
    • Mental Health
  • Policy and Law
    • Global Healthcare
    • Medical Ethics
  • Medical Innovations
  • News
  • Wellness
  • Tech
Search
© 2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Reading: Republican Ideas To Replace Obamacare: Not Too Impressive
Share
Notification Show More
Font ResizerAa
Health Works CollectiveHealth Works Collective
Font ResizerAa
Search
Follow US
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
© 2023 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
Health Works Collective > Policy & Law > Republican Ideas To Replace Obamacare: Not Too Impressive
Policy & Law

Republican Ideas To Replace Obamacare: Not Too Impressive

DavidEWilliams
DavidEWilliams
Share
4 Min Read
Image
SHARE

Image

Image

So after years of talking about “repeal and replace” while only focusing on repeal, a group of Republicans in Congress have come up with a replace plan. You can find a summary of the plan here. As expected, it 1) relies on a number of feel good ideas that will have limited if any impact, 2) includes cheap shots and unsupported assertions, and 3) attempts to preserve some of the popular parts of Obamacare while stripping away the foundations that make those aspects of the Affordable Care Act work.

Here’s just a sample of what you can find mixed in with tired ideas about tax credits and selling plans across state lines:

More Read

narrow networks
Narrow Networks: Get Used to It
Employer Knows Best
Global Study Finds Majority Believe Traditional Hospitals Will Be Obsolete in the Near Future
The Spatial Revolution: GIS in Public Health
Problem for Women Who Can’t Afford Care

#1 Feel good ideas with limited or no impact

  • “Improve Americans’ lives through effective prevention, wellness, and disease management programs, while developing new treatments and cures for life-threatening diseases.” Prevention and wellness are nice ideas but as Al Lewis and Tom Emerick demonstrate they drive costs up not down. And what exactly are these Republican leaders going to do about developing new treatments in a health reform bill?
  • “Comprehensive medical liability reform that will reduce costly, unnecessary defensive medicine practiced by doctors trying to protect themselves from overzealous trial lawyers.” This is a hot button issue but its impact on overall medical costs has proven to be small.

#2 Cheap shots and unsupported assertions

  • “Protect Americans from being forced into a new government-run health care planthat would: a) eliminate the health care coverage that more than 100 million
    Americans currently receive through their job; b) limit your choice of doctors and
    medical treatment options; and c) result in the federal government taking control
    of your health care.” This is a caricature of the Affordable Care Act and not supported by what’s in the law.
  • “It’s no secret that patients in other countries are often denied care or die waiting to get access to the top treatments.” Which country do we want to compare ourselves to in terms of access to care and outcomes?

#3 Attempts to preserve popular parts of Obamacare while stripping away the foundations that make those aspects work

  • “Make quality health care coverage affordable and accessible for every American,regardless of pre-existing health conditions” Without a coverage mandate to get healthy people in the pool, how are insurance costs going to be held down?
  • “Ensure that medical decisions are made by patients and their doctors, not government bureaucrats.” What about insurance company “bureaucrats?” Are they allowed to do any cost containment or do we just leave everything up to the doctor and patient and pray that it’s kept affordable?

There’s much more to write on the topic, but suffice it to say that this plan isn’t going to win anybody over.

—-

By David E. Williams of the Health Business Group.

image: politics/shutterstock

 

 

TAGGED:Republican healthcare
Share This Article
Facebook Copy Link Print
Share

Stay Connected

1.5kFollowersLike
4.5kFollowersFollow
2.8kFollowersPin
136kSubscribersSubscribe

Latest News

dental care
Importance of Good Dental Care for Health and Confidence
Dental health Specialties
October 2, 2025
AI in Healthcare
AI in Healthcare: Technology is Transforming the Global Landscape
Global Healthcare Policy & Law Technology
October 1, 2025
Choosing the Right Swimwear for Health and Safety
News
September 30, 2025
sports concussions
Concussion In Sports: How Common They Are And What You Need To Know
Infographics
September 28, 2025

You Might also Like

BusinessMedical Education

Are We on the Verge of a Primary Care Renaissance?

May 16, 2012

SCOTUS Hears California Medicaid Case

October 5, 2011
eHealthHealth careHealth ReformTechnology

5 Reasons Big Data Adoption is Slow in Healthcare

June 7, 2017

Neither Rain, Nor Snow, Nor Sleet, Nor Hail… But Health Care Costs Stop the Postman

August 1, 2012
Subscribe
Subscribe to our newsletter to get our newest articles instantly!
Follow US
© 2008-2025 HealthWorks Collective. All Rights Reserved.
  • About
  • Contact
  • Privacy
Welcome Back!

Sign in to your account

Username or Email Address
Password

Lost your password?