I think that Clinton has to go head on about the ACA

[question everything]

Too many bad news. Even Trump now does not say "repeal," he says "repeal and replace." Many Republicans like the three main benefits: no denial for pre-existing conditions, no caps on policy, and keep children on parents' policy until the age of 26.

Yes, I am thanking my luck that I switched to Medicare just as ACA rolled. For almost 20 years I had an individual policy with which I was happy and which paid all expensive charges.

My policy was with a "Blue" in two different states, and, at least locally, the "Blue" is now out of the individual market. Thus I would be faced with almost no options, all quite expensive.

Not every plan - public or private - works as intended. We send it out and then tinker, modify or completely rework them. This will have to be done with the ACA and as much as this is part of Obama's legacy, perhaps the main part, Clinton will have to admit that it would require a strong look, now that it has been in the market for several years.

[napi21]

1. The Pub response of "repeal & replace" is quite interesting though.

I have NEVER heard what their "replacement" might look like. I've heard the question asked a few times, but nobody ever answered it. The best you get is the Con saying "It'll be tremendous", which of course simply means he has no idea.

[unblock]

2. republican lies! bigly! let's start with "... and replace"

the "repeal and replace" has been a republican lie for years now. they have nothing to replace it with.

the problem for republicans is that obamacare *is* the right-wing plan. it was born in a right-wing think tank (heritage foundation) as a market-based alternative to liberal solutions like hillarycare and/or medicare for all.

the reality is that if republicans had the power, they'd make a big show of repealing obamacare, then immediately replace it with something remarkably similar and insist that whatever tiny window dressing they changed made all the difference and now it's a conservative solution and all is wonderful.


as for not working as intended, yeah, that's due in no small part to republican governors boycotting the medicare expansion part of the aca, among other things they've done to slow things down and challenge it at every turn. for all we know they've also had backchannel talks with insurance companies keeping them out of the markets.


what we really need is a democratic congress so that we can properly tinker with the plan.

but there's no upside in Hillary talking about that at this stage. if and when we get a democratic congress, then we can tinker. until then, it just gives republicans more ammo.

[Wounded Bear]

3. Pretty much this....^^^

Repubs have been [font size=8]Repeal[/font] and [font size=1]replace[/font].

BTW, while your point about Repubs at the state level is basically valid, it was MedicAid, not Medicare that they blocked.

[unblock]

4. thanks for the correction

i'm normally the stickler for such details, but hard to keep them straight in this case as there were changes to both medicaid and medicare....

[VMA131Marine]

5. So wait, premiums for 2017 are exactly where they were predicted to be when the law was passed

and this is bad news? That means they have been lower than predicted in the preceding years. Most people won't even see much of an increase because the subsidy is going up as well.

[question everything]

7. "Most people?" Where? Have you read LBN?

Obama Administration Confirms Double-digit Premium Hikes

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10141606046

Moreover, about 1 in 5 consumers will only have plans from a single insurer to pick from, after major national carriers such as UnitedHealth Group, Humana and Aetna scaled back their roles.

"Consumers will be faced this year with not only big premium increases but also with a declining number of insurers participating, and that will lead to a tumultuous open enrollment period," said Larry Levitt, who tracks the health care law for the nonpartisan Kaiser Family Foundation.


====

Reading letters in the local paper this is a real problems for many

[semby2]

8. Address

You didn't address the fact of subsidies or the rough agreement with projections. Why did you skip that?

[question everything]

10. Not everyone can get subsidies and there is still the problem of insurance companies

leaving the market.

As I said, I am not on ACA but just reading the comments on that story and locally gives a wider, picture of individuals suffering.

Like this one

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10141606046#post10

I have probably about another 1-3 years before the cost of health insurance once again exceeds the cost of paying for my (generic) medication and the doctor visits necessary to maintain the prescription, plus the tax penalty. At that point, the choice will be between keeping health insurance or making rent.

[semby2]

9. Info

More info here:

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/fivepoints/obamacare-premium-spikes-for-2017-plans?utm_content=buffer79e64&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=buffer

[question everything]

12. Thank you.

Industry analysts had long anticipated a rise in premiums this year, though the 20-plus percentage spike is perhaps steeper than expected. Last year, premium averages rose by only 7.5 percent.

The premium hikes announced Monday come as some major insurers have sought to scale back their ACA participation, and many of the smaller co-ops have shuttered across the country.

The decrease in competition will mean consumers whose premiums are rising won’t have as many options to shop around for a lower deal, while fewer competitors in general means insurers have less incentive to keep health care plan costs low.

=====

Even if raise were expected, for individuals this is hard and painful.

The last point of the story, that the problems are real and fixable, is, really the main point of my op. That Clinton should say it.

[Freddie]

6. "Repeal and do nothing, the 'old way' was just peachy!"

That's what they really mean.
Single payer is ideal, but systems like Obamacare work in other countries (Switzerland, Germany I think) and could be tweaked to work fairly and efficiently here. If she gets a somewhat cooperative legislature that would be willing to do this rather than letting the flaws stand in the never ending effort to kill it. One can dream.

[DeminPennswoods]

11. ACA has provisions for regional markets

This is a complicated law and not many people have really read. I did read it when first passed and there is a provision within the law that allows for regional markets. Some of the provisions weren't effect until a few years past the original date of the law, but they are there.

https://www.law.cornell.edu/cfr/text/45/155.140

So states don't have be limited to just 1 insurer, they can set up regional exchanges that don't need to be in contiguous states. For ex, Pennsylvania and Kentucky could have one.

[LenaBaby61]

13. Democrats really need to get on top of this ....

And say ALOUD and ALL OF THE TIME--even post-2016 election--THAT Rethugs want to repeal Obamacare and kick some 16-20 million people off of health care rolls, and give THEM what kind of health care in Obamacare's place?

***MOSTLY DEAD AIR FROM RETHUGS***

Rethugs have NO real replacement for Obamacare, all they know is that they just want it to END. Meanwhile, what will happen to those with pre-existing conditions who won't be covered by a traditional health insurance company? What about the young adults (To 26 years of age) who'll be kicked off their parents insurance etc., etc., etc..? Will that 16-20 million people who the GOP want to throw OFF Obamacare receive any coverage under the non-existent health care plan offered by the GOP?

Again I ask, what are we to:

REPEAL EN TOTAL AND REPLACE OBAMACARE EN TOTAL WITH?

Same old same old as it had been for 70 before Obamacare embraced the landscape. Is Obamacare perfect, NO. Personally, I'd have loved for the US to have adopted single-payer but with the GOP that wasn't going to ever happen. However, one thing is certain: At least 16-20 million adults/young adults have health insurance--many for the very first time--and the GOP want to throw those now insured 16-20 million off of their health care, so they can go BACK to NOT being insured.

Dems, get out there and open your mouths and kindly ASK Rethugs what they're going to replace Obamacare WITH.

[Joe941]

14. We need to nip this one folks...

I am getting KILLED on ACA. I can't afford this. I'm glad I have access to healthcare but this is ridiculous.

[Democat]

15. Are all of your posts are negative about Clinton/Obama?

Or just most of them?

[Joe941]

16. Well you can do a search and look at them yourself...

[question everything]

20. Why not ask for specifics instead of a blanket attack? (nt)

[NoGoodNamesLeft]

18. All major social programs through history has needed to be adjusted...even Social Security

There needs to be a public option provided by allowing people to buy into Medicaid or Medicare based on their income. Make it available to ALL on a sliding scale and you will quickly see private insurance companies get more competitive. A public option is always what has been missing because lawmakers were successful in blocking it. Anyone paying close attention knew that it would need to be added later for this very reason. Trump won't fix it...Hillary will.

[Joe941]

19. I'm not an expert on this...

I just know I can't afford it anymore. I've heard most people say single payer is the solution so I'm going with that unless a better solution is provided.

[NoGoodNamesLeft]

17. Trump has no plan at all. Hillary just needs to talk about her plan to fix it

Since she actually has a plan and Trump doesn't, she's well ahead on this issue.