General Discussion
Related: Editorials & Other Articles, Issue Forums, Alliance Forums, Region ForumsIf Republicans are successful in gutting healthcare, what happens to the economy?
Healthcare accounts for about one-sixth of the entire economy, nearly 18% of the nation's gross domestic product. The loss of tens of millions of patients that will lose their coverage or have less coverage is going to have a huge impact on healthcare providers, and the loss of thousands of healthcare related jobs.
When all those hospitals, outpatient centers, clinics, doctor and dentist practices, physical therapists, nursing homes, pharmacies start laying off workers and going out of business, it will be like a cascade of falling dominoes. The revenues of manufacturers, wholesalers, and retailers will disappear because fewer people will be able to afford medical equipment, or even buy new eyeglasses and hearing aids.
As unemployment rises, the law of supply and demand will dry up (maybe trickle down economics and magic unicorns will save the day?) and local communities will struggle. Will the housing market begin to teeter, taking us back to a new Recession? With the crazy idiot Trump in the WH, we won't survive a 2nd time, but its quite possible he'll drag the whole world into a Great Depression.
Do Republicans have a plan to save all these jobs?
AJT
(5,240 posts)onecaliberal
(32,931 posts)That's their plan.
Eko
(7,384 posts)and people die. Authoritarian dream.
Hoyt
(54,770 posts)I don't think that argument will convince many. If simply saying "everyone deserves decent health care" doesn't work, nothing will with white wingers.
GulfCoast66
(11,949 posts)Care to expound? Rates increasing at breakneck speed and more and more uninsured.
The ACA needs work but we are better than in 09.
Hoyt
(54,770 posts)Doctors weren't going out of business, nurses weren't being fired, etc., before the ACA. Healthcare employment was doing quite well before ACA. As I mentioned, I strongly support the ACA for covering uninsured, subsidies, some control on premium increases, etc. But that was not what OP was posting about.. I hope that helps you.
janx
(24,128 posts)That genie will not go back into the bottle, and the debate has just begun.