Crunch time for health care in D.C.
H ow’s your health?
Better keep a close eye on Washington, D.C., today. It might change. Your health care, that is.
It’s crunch time in the nation’s capital for health care.
The House of Representatives is due to vote on the American Health Care Act, the Republican replacement for President Obama’s signature piece of legislation, the Affordable Care Act.
Ironically, the move comes on the seventh anniversary of Obamacare being enacted, and at a time when polls show it is wildly popular with the American public.
Does it have problems? Yes. Should it be tweaked? Yes.
Should it be jettisoned? Not if the polls are to be believed.
But that’s exactly what Republicans, led by House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., are intent on doing. They insist that Obamacare is in its death throes, on the verge of collapse. Some are even suggesting that Republicans do nothing and allow the health-care system to do just that.
Ryan and President Donald Trump are not among them.
Wednesday the president paid a visit to Capitol Hill to twist a few arms of Republicans who appear to either be on the fence when it comes to the GOP plan, or still in the opposition camp.
The Ryan package has been under fire from the conservative wing of the party, who belittled it as “Obamacare Lite,” insisting this is not what Republicans campaigned on, the repeal of the Affordable Care Act, and not what voters expected.
Trump was not above a little political hardball, suggesting to the 20 to 25 Republicans still on the fence that he will remember their vote and could “come after them” should they not get in line.
If those numbers hold, the bill could be in danger of failing in the Republican-controlled House.
Ryan spoke plainly about the political rewards tied to the vote.
“If we keep our promise, people will reward us,” the Speaker said. “If we don’t keep our promise, it will be very hard to manage this.” Trump cut to the chase. “Honestly, a loss is not acceptable, folks,” Trump told the Republican gathering at a closeddoor meeting. The president indicated he would campaign for those who supported the bill. And while he did not specifically show his hand in terms of the fate of those who vote no, he made his intentions clear by singling out Rep. Mark Meadows, of North Carolina, an outspoken critic of the bill.
The president apparently asked Meadows to stand up, called him a great guy and told the group he expected Meadows to back the bill.
And if he doesn’t? “I’m going to come after you so hard,” Trump told the gathering, according to a person who was there, who noted the commander-in-chief delivered the line with a smile.
The president likely will not have to twist the arm of Delaware County U.S. Rep. Pat Meehan, R-7, of Chadds Ford.
Meehan, long a vocal opponent of the Affordable Care Act, has already voted in favor of the measure in moving it out of the House Ways and Means Committee.
Despite withering weekly protests from groups opposing cutting the Affordable Care Act, Meehan has noted two key elements in the GOP plan, retention of language that will allow dependents to remain on their parents’ plan until they reach age 26; and assuring that insurance companies will not be able to deny coverage to those with pre-existing conditions.
The congressman softened his approach, talking of “rescue and repair,” as opposed to the GOP mantra of “repeal and replace.”
As late as Wednesday afternoon, Meehan was indicating he still had not made up his mind and continued to listen to constituents.
The Republican plan has been harshly criticized by many in the health care field. The Congressional Budget Office said as many as 24 million Americans could lose coverage under the plan by 2024. The measure will help lower the federal deficit, but it will hit hard on senior citizens, who likely will face increased costs when younger people drop out of the program since the mandate now in place requiring every person to carry coverage also will go by the boards under the new plan.
After the initial reaction from both ends of the political spectrum, Ryan vowed to tweak the measure. Amendments no doubt will be offered during the debate today.
Here in Pennsylvania, Gov. Tom Wolf has blasted the Republican plan as little more than an age tax, noting it would allow insurance companies to charge older Americans more than their younger counterparts. That is no small concern here in the Keystone State, one of the “grayest” in the nation. Wolf spent much of yesterday on social media urging members of the Pennsylvania congressional delegation to oppose the measure and asking residents to phone their legislators.
Again, we urge Meehan, the rest of the Delaware County delegation and indeed the entire House to oppose this plan.
As we’ve stated before, this is not “rescue and repair.” Hard-core conservatives have noted it’s not even “repeal and replace.”
It’s a bad plan that would once again leave many in America on the outside looking in when it comes to affordable health care, and cost those with the luxury of being on the inside even more than today’s ever-rising costs.
Keep your eyes on Washington today. Your health could be at stake.