House Republicans Still Oppose Obamacare

They're just drilling down on it another way

Obamacare Dividends Pile Up for Hospitals as Patients Pay
By Alex Wayne and Shannon Pettypiece | Bloomberg

"HCA Holdings Inc. (HCA), the largest for-profit hospital chain, yesterday (06/29/2014) raised its forecast and reported a 6.6 percent drop in uninsured patients at its 165 hospitals, a reduction that grows to 48 percent in four states that expanded Medicaid ... Medicare spending rose by just $1 per beneficiary in 2013, the fourth year in a row that saw a slowdown."

The Washington Post reported in May, "The company also had a 29 percent decline in uninsured admissions in the expansion states, while non-expansion states experienced 5.9 percent growth in uninsured admissions."


My Comments About Those Articles AboveThis is great news for anyone other then U.S. House Republicans who unsuccessfully tried to vote down Obamacare 40+ times. Having failed they've come up with a new strategy.

'The Hill.com' reports that on Wednesday, July 20, 2014 the House Voted To Sue Obama. "The lawsuit focuses on Obama’s decision to delay the healthcare law’s employer mandate, which requires employers with 50 or more workers to provide insurance coverage. The mandate was slated to originally take effect this year, but it has been pushed back for gradual implementation in 2015 and 2016. Republicans argued the employer mandate delay was part of a pattern in which the Obama administration has selectively enforced the law." The nutty part, this is what House Republicans wanted to do in the first place.

This is the first time in U.S. history that any chamber of Congress took such a action. Republicans are so blinded with their obsession with destroying the ACA they can't see the writing on the wall right before their eyes. TPM reported on July 10th, 2014, "74 percent of Republicans said they were very or somewhat satisfied with their new coverage. Overall, 78 percent of Americans said they were satisfied: 73 percent of those enrolled in a private plan and 84 percent of those enrolled in Medicaid."

Indications are this new federal healthcare plan is working even before it's full implementation by 2016. Perhaps that's why Republicans need to act fast (sue) before the elections and before the news comes out in a few years this plan actually works.

The 2014 Fall Elections
Ordinarily I'd predict the conservatives are headed for a disappointment. However there's nothing more unpredictable then elections outcomes. A lot depends on how well educated voters are. Whether the majority feel they directly benefit from the ACA or how well either side can present their case to the American people. Even then there will be those that will always be those diehards who put their dunce caps on and pull one or the other lever no matter what. So nothing either way would surprise me a great deal.

The Karl Rove and Sean Hannity types were gloating over having it made in 2012. After the elections they were shocked when Obama won a second term, But not nearly as much so as when House Majority Leader Eric Cantor got his clocked cleaned in the primaries this year. So never say never when it comes to election outcomes. Republicans could very well be barking up the wrong tree on this.

Most polls are showing Americans aren't thrilled with suing the President. A CNN/ORC poll conducted between July 18-20, 2014 found that 57% oppose the lawsuit. 65% oppose impeachment. Furthermore Breitbart.com is reporting critics of the lawsuit fear if Republicans lose in the courts it "could embolden Obama to enact more executive actions."


On A Personal Note
My wife has had three tests done so far this year which are now mandated to be fully paid for under the ACA. Each of these were paid 100% by my private medical insurance. All three would have not have been paid at all because we have not yet met our deductible this year. Even if it had, two would have been only partially paid at 80% and the other not at all.


Here's What Republicans Should Be Doing
(1) Stop wasting everyone's time with a lawsuit. Most legal beagles agree it will not be won after costing taxpayers $1-$2 million. (2) Stop trying to take down a healthcare bill most people seem to like. Even if certain members of congress hate it why not help fix the parts they think are broken. Nobody throws out the whole car if it has a couple of bad parts.(3) End this relentless pursuit. Even when they agree with some of Obama's ideas they try and spike the ball against him. All of this negative politicking isn't doing them much good nor the United States for that matter.

Come this fall voters will have a opportunity to end all of this bickering if they elect either one or the other parties allowing them to control both the house and senate Otherwise look indefinitely forward to more bickering and getting nothing resolved regarding immigration, the budget, entitlements, etc., etc., etc., etc., etc.....