What to Do When ObamaCare Unravels

Wall Street Journal ^ | Dec 25, 2013 | John H. Cochrane

[Innovative]

The unraveling of the Affordable Care Act presents a historic opportunity for change. Its proponents call it "settled law," but as Prohibition taught us, not even a constitutional amendment is settled law—if it is dysfunctional enough, and if Americans can see a clear alternative.

There is an alternative. A much freer market in health care and health insurance can work, can deliver high quality, technically innovative care at much lower cost, and solve the pathologies of the pre-existing system.

[VRW Conspirator]

As long as Members of Congress are selected by voting, Medicare cannot be repealed. And as long as Medicare in its present form exists, the nation is doomed.

For crying out loud Dr. Jim, I was having a good Christmas up 'til now. Now I find out that we are doomed and you don't offer a prescription for the mess or for me.

[abclily]

I suspect this whole Obamacare law was written for revenge. I suspect Ezekiel wrote this maze of illegal crap in retaliation for Valerie kicking his brother out of the WH.

[Mark17]

I have gut feeling I am going to be right though.

I have a gut feeling that Kabar is right, unfortunately. I think it is Hillary in a landslide. I hope I am wrong, but I was wrong in 2008 and 2012 too.

[ClearCase_guy]

Sadly, I agree.

[zeestephen]

RE: “Medicare cannot be repealed. And as long as Medicare in its present form exists, the nation is doomed. “

ObamaCare actually cuts $1 trillion from Medicare over the next ten years.

That's Obama’s “gift” to elderly Americans who are currently more than 90% white.

Some of the “savings” will come from reducing payments to doctors and hospitals, which, obviously, will immediately lower the standard of care.

The rest of the savings will come from “preventative medicine.”

That means that once a year a second tier Affirmative Action M.D. will take your vitals, advise you to lose a little weight and eat more fruits and vegetables, and write you several new prescriptions.

That will be Obama’s gift to the pharmaceutical companies for quietly supporting ObamaCare.

[Jim Noble]

ObamaCare actually cuts $1 trillion from Medicare over the next ten years.

Meaningless.

Medicare is a promise to pay for a service without limit.

This cannot coexist with an honest annual budget, and, as long as our capitalist system has access to taxpayer dollars with a payment guarantee, more and more useful but expensive technologies will be invented and deployed.

[Osage Orange]

Agreed

[Old Yeller]

And never under estimate rigged elections.

[unixfox]

When you have the IRS and other rogue agencies targeting CONSERVATIVE voting blocks the game is over.

The ONLY way to have fair elections anymore is to destroy these agencies and those that work for them.

If it means blood in the streets, so be it. Lines in he sand are being drawn.

[Caipirabob]

I guess it depends on who controls the machine. The purist commies in the party want Elizabeth Warren. They seem to be running things of late and Hillary could not pull it off with an unknown. I think you’re right on the electoral votes but the eventual candidate remains to be seen.

[PistolPaknMama]

The unraveling of the Affordable Care Act presents a historic opportunity for change.

What historic change are they talking about? CommieCare IS change. if it unravels, then nothing changed.

[rdb3]

When you have the IRS and other rogue agencies targeting CONSERVATIVE voting blocks the game is over.

The ONLY way to have fair elections anymore is to destroy these agencies and those that work for them.

If it means blood in the streets, so be it. Lines in he sand are being drawn.

At least you sound like you have some fight in you.

I'll leave it at that...

Jesus Christ: You can’t impeach Him and He ain’t going to resign.

[carlo3b]

I agree about 14, but that victory will be their undoing.. Let me explain.. The moment they achieve a majority in both houses, we will demand that they overturn several programs that have NOW become a crutch in too many households..

Before they started receiving a government check the would have never thought that they would do it, but once that can was opened, they will support it.. The Obama administration has placed the corporate world on it’s ear, and made them revamp their business model, which they have now adapted, and adopted, LEAN and MEAN..

The corporate world former model was profit by expansion, now, because of the Obamacare passage they started to reduce world force, and halt expansion in the USA, and found a new model in cheaper venues, overseas, contract labor and temps, to adjust the normal cyclical requirements..

It works but not in the Nations favor.. The stock market views the P and L statements and sees the new profit margins and reacted positively, stagnant growth with higher margins, thus multiple new highs..

They may return to the older methods, but I doubt it will happen soon, if at all.. Expansion can’t happen without demand.. Demand can’t happen without growth, and the push will go to the higher stock values..

[haroldeveryman]

Government provided health plans should be the same for politicians and civilians.

[zeestephen]

RE: “Medicare is a promise to pay for a service without limit.”

I agree.

But it is about to become more like Medicaid.

Long delays for treatment, second tier physicians, and second tier facilities.

Naturally, all this happens one year before I become eligible!

I disagree that America is doomed financially.

Younger Americans, a majority of whom will be foreign born, first generation, or non-white, will simply default.

The “doomed” will be the elderly, who will be disproportionately Conservative non-Hispanic whites.

[Kansas58]

study Medicare Advantage

Your post is silly

[huldah1776]

BFL

[Kansas58]

So what? Even if your troll like cheer leading for despair and hopelessness was true, we are a Constitutional REPUBLIC and controlling Congress can do much to restore come common sense.
Please stop posting until you figure out a way to HURT the left or HELP the right!

[BunnySlippers]

And pray that you are not ill when it does boil over.

[Thorliveshere]

Republicans need to offer a free market alternative to Obamacare NOW -- not a patchwork of "fixes" but a whole free market based plan, BEFORE the 2014 elections.

AGREED!! My mother (a Democrat voter, but conservative in spirit), has really been ragging on Obama and Obamacare, and I was really thinking she was starting to see the life, but all of sudden, she starts talking about a single-payer system. I nearly swallowed my tongue. Took all of my energies to keep calm and explain to her how that is a bad thing. It's obvious, this is where the Progs are leading us.