General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsThe GOP's objective is to ensure that the changes to healthcare are inextricably tied to Democrats
Today I will try, though some of my readers may conclude that I have failed, to avoid coming to political conclusions about the ACA. Instead, I will aim to dwell simply on the economic ramifications of the implementation of the bill as it exists today. We are changing the plumbing on 17.9% of the US GDP in profound ways. Many, if not most, of the changes are absolutely necessary.
Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/what-will-change-with-obamacare-2013-10
Any disruptive change to 18% of the economy is going to create huge numbers of losers, as well as winners.
All the employees, small business owners, practitioners, etc, who are on the losing end of disruptive change will hate the Democrats.
The small town/rural areas are solidly Republican, while the urban cores are solidly Democratic.
Tying the healthcare changes to the Democrats gives the GOP a shot at taking suburbia, since the net effect of Obamacare is likely to be a significant transfer of wealth from suburbia to the urban cores.
Skidmore
(37,364 posts)to the table to offer the people in a generation. I could care less what a business magazine catapaults as wishful thinking.
NYC_SKP
(68,644 posts)...is NOT having ObamaCare become fully implemented.
All of the dire consequences cited in the story are in the mix if we do nothing: some winners, some losers, rising costs, etc., except only worse and probably much worse for the bottom half of earners.
That we spend a greater amount of GDP on healthcare than other nations is not only a product of poorer health conditions (we are flabby), but is also a result of poor management, price gouging, and other factors.
Interesting read, but sometimes disruptive changes are for the greater good.
FarCenter
(19,429 posts)But the majority of people always resist change. And the change they are resisting will be owned by the Democrats.
Faryn Balyncd
(5,125 posts)Zorra
(27,670 posts)seveneyes
(4,631 posts)And their healthcare is positive, then the Democratic party will get the credit. Nothing wrong with that outcome.
FarCenter
(19,429 posts)First, suppose medical expenses either stay at 18% of GDP or actually decrease, instead of increasing to 23% of GDP per current projections. That means that there is the same money or somewhat less to provide healthcare.
Second, suppose you actually add 40 million new insured and they start to consume healthcare services at the same rate as the rest.
The most likely outcome is that the 40 million will be get more health care at lower subsidized costs, and that the other 260 million will get less health care for higher costs to cover the subsidies.
NYC Liberal
(20,136 posts)HCR happened with no help from Repubs.