Obamacare Repeal

Now that the individual mandate is gone, those who don’t want Obamacare won’t get fined for not taking it.  This will take effect in 2018 as part of the Tax Cut law.  But more must be done to fully repeal Obamacare.

 

The next elements that need to go include the employer mandate and the mandated coverage. The mandate for annual renewal should be repealed and prices should be based on utilization for all coverages. Also insurance should be available across state lines and associations should be able to form groups.

 

Obamacare tax subsidies need to be dealt with. If all or some of these subsidies are retained in some other form, it could be block grants to states to cover all or part of catastrophic medical costs for the uninsured.

 

There are other issues like predatory pricing by big pharma and the lack of incentive on the part of providers to lower costs.  There are costly laws, regulations and taxes that impact healthcare that need to be repealed.

 

Most of those who are covered under a plan offered through their employers are still getting a bad deal. Employers need to be free from Obamacare once and for all.  Employers need to offer a variety of coverages starting with low cost, high deductible catastrophic major medical coverage that requires “medical necessity”. Employers need to go back to the 40 hour policy for benefit eligibility.  Part-timers would have to buy their own insurance.

 

Hospitals need to be able to refuse to treat patients who don’t pay and should not cost-shift these expenses to paying customers.

 

County hospitals and clinics will need to be reestablished to handle indigent care for the poor.

 

Norb Leahy, Dunwoody GA Tea Party Leader