IMO, The GOP and DT45 have to pivot to "Single Payer" to keep hospitals open.

[CK_John]

Sucking up to the insurance industry will not keep the hospital system open.

Also allowing insurance to bypass existing conditions doesn't do any good for an emergency room full of people that can't afford to pay.

He will settle with getting rid of ACA if he believes it's a win and go with an all medicare payer system.

[Demsrule86]

1. No he won't...the bill decimates medicare and no Republican would vote for that...thousands of

people will die if the ACA goes down...doesn't that bother you just a little?

[onecaliberal]

2. The pukes will never go for that

[davekriss]

3. Never happen, not in a million years

Not with Republicans in control of everything, which is what we have now.

[Hoyt]

4. I know what you are saying, but if single payer reimburses hospitals at Medicaid or even Medicare

rates -- which is what would likely happen under single payer -- the hospitals are going to whine and poor-mouth much louder than they do now.

Now, universal coverage might help, but the fact is so much care today is available as an outpatient that small hospitals don't have much chance unless they reinvent themselves. Some areas losing hospitals are opening Night Emergency Rooms, which help provide care for those who can't go during regular hours or where hospitals just can't survive. The ERs are set up to stabilize patients and them get them to proper regional hospital. I know hospitals are big employers in some rural areas, but you can't run a 30 bed hospital with 4 patients unless the area is willing to subsidize the facility. It's a tough situation.

[CK_John]

5. We have to socialize the whole medical system, Cuba done it.

[Voltaire2]

6. in some alternate universe

[Moostache]

7. Assumption #1 - GOP does NOT care how many die

Assumption #2 - see assumption #1.

They are not interested in the slightest bit at improving health care - unless it is in life expectancy elongation for billionaires and their egos. Anything that helps improve public health....like universal preventative care, universal access to essential care services, fitness and wellness campaigns and dietary improvement tips...those are anathema to the GOP.

They care about two things and two things only.

1) Will it get more money to their patrons and donors?
2) Will it make Liberals mad and in turn thrill the knuckle-dragging lowest-common-denominator of their "base"?

It is very much like the movie "Alien" (you know, the GOOD one that Ridley Scott made back in '79, not the shit he released in '17):

"Priority one: Insure return of organism for analysis.
All other considerations secondary.
Crew expendable."
—MOTHER's order directives in Alien

Translated into the Healthcare debate:

"Priority one: Insure tax cuts and repeal of Medicaid for donors.
All other considerations secondary.
Population expendable."
—GOP's order directives in 2017 Healthcare Debacle (can't be a "debate" with no hearings...)

[CK_John]

8. Well that's our fault, we have to put up good candidates and vote.

[Moostache]

9. The GOP being amoral asshats is our fault?

No, I can't accept that...it is NOT my fault that those people have no moral code or class.

They can all rot in hell, and the people who decided to stay home in November in Michigan, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin...I hope they rot in hell too....even the one's nominally on "our team" in this sick farce of a government we have devolved into.

More voting would be nice...better candidates maybe (nothing wrong with the candidate who got 3M+ MORE votes than the 'winner' BTW)...but amoral asshats are gonna asshat, period. And "we" bare none of the blame for their inhumane positions and attitudes.

[CK_John]

10. Our major problem is whining about the last vote and not getting ready for the next election.

And it is our collective fault, because as a party we don't get involved at the local level, nor do we pay attention to process.

[Moostache]

13. I think we are talking past each other a bit...or I am being less clear than I believe...

My original post was not meant to be a lamentation of the lost election, just a condemnation of the GOP attitude that says "health care is a privilege and not a right", although in much coarser words and meanings. Perhaps I was being unclear in the attempt...all apologies if so.

[CK_John]

14. I've been hearing the GOP trying to get rid of everything since FDR.

I'm not picking on you, but I don't see anything new so I don't understand why we are surprised.

They have been saying since Dewey, that they don't believe in public education, public healthcare, or equal rights.

[NightWatcher]

11. The gop dumbasses could give us single payer, celebrate it, and be seen as heroes by those above 45

They could almost guarantee themselves that they'd be held in similar esteem as FDR is amongst Progressives and most likely win elections for a generation, BUT they are too busy sucking up to the insurance industry.

[CK_John]

12. It's going to happen but we don't seem to want to put the idea to the electorate.

[hedda_foil]

15. Dream on.

[CK_John]

16. The pivot has begun, 4 no votes.