Liberals Want Obamacare, Conservatives Want Repeal, And Everyone Should Want Single Payer | The Odyssey Online
Start writing a post
Politics and Activism

Liberals Want Obamacare, Conservatives Want Repeal, And Everyone Should Want Single Payer

It addresses all the concerns that both parties whine about.

2042
Liberals Want Obamacare, Conservatives Want Repeal, And Everyone Should Want Single Payer
Twitter

Despite what President Trump has stated, many of us knew that healthcare is a complicated issue. It's no accident that the literature and regulations in the Affordable Care Act, better known as Obamacare, was the size of a couple of Harry Potter novels. There's a lot to go over.

Obamacare is imperfect, this much is clear. For those who make more than 400 percent above the poverty line, insurance premiums are doubling and even tripling. On the flip side, before Obamacare, patients in desperate need of help could be turned away from insurance companies because of a pre-existing condition. In one extreme case, coverage was denied to a four-month-old child for being too fat. Since Obamacare has been passed, the uninsured rate has been brought down to a record low.

But congressional republicans are working with President Trump to repeal and replace the law, sparking endless debate. Here's the breakdown:

What conservatives want:

Like most people, conservatives are concerned with the rapid increase in insurance premiums. The problem they see is that Obamacare isn't letting the markets go to work. They see the law as too much unnecessary regulation on insurance companies. In some places, competition has become so scarce, people have been forced to choose from only one available insurance plan. Conservatives also think competition can bring the prices down if patients can cross state lines to buy healthcare. All in all, conservatives believe the government is doing more harm than good and would like to see the health insurance markets freer. They are, however, faced with a dilemma of the public's desire to be covered, and the conservatives' desire to get government out of insurance. As conservative journalist Phillip Klein of the Washington Examiner writes:

Republicans are in serious danger of repeating Obama's mistake because they are having a tough time stating a simple truth, which goes something like this: "We don't believe that it is the job of the federal government to guarantee that everybody has health insurance."

What liberals want:

Other than the obvious desire to keep Obamacare, liberals, for the most part, want to fix its imperfections too. They want to keep many of the provisions currently in the law such as coverage for pre-existing conditions, Medicaid expansion, and the ability to stay on a parents insurance until the age of 26. They don't believe that the free market will do enough to help people because demand for expensive health services is too inelastic to be in a fair free market. But they acknowledge that Obamacare has major problems, and they're committed to amending it rather than replacing it.

(Re)Introduce single payer

Single payer healthcare addresses both sides concerns and goes even further. Single payer, for those who don't know, is when the government finances all or most healthcare costs. Variations of single payer have been introduced in the past. For example, in the original draft of Obamacare, there was this thing called a public option, which was essentially single payer for anyone who didn't want private insurance.

Those above 400 percent of the poverty line don't receive the Obamacare protection of a 9.3 percent of income cap for healthcare expenses. Because of this, their premiums can keep increasing with no protections against it. In a single payer system, everyone regardless of income will have their healthcare covered.

Because everyone is guaranteed coverage, regulations on private insurance companies will no longer be needed, and the markets will have more freedom to operate however they desire to operate, which can potentially bring down premiums.

Conservatives won't have to worry about people being restricted to the plans in their state because they have guaranteed coverage under the single payer, and a private market with more freedom.

Obviously, liberals wouldn't need to worry about preexisting conditions, Medicaid or insurance eligibility because again, every citizen is guaranteed coverage.

There are many ways to implement single payer as well, it's not set in stone. We could do what Britain does, where the entire country's healthcare system is nationalized by the government. We could do what Canada does, where they have a mix of private and government run hospitals. Or we could try something completely new. For example, economist Warren Mosler proposes a $5,000 voucher to buy private insurance, and then any amount needed after that would just be covered by the government.

The age old question. "How do we pay for this?"

For a long and detailed explanation on how government finances work, click here.

Here's the short explanation. The United States government is the single monopoly issuer of the United States Dollar. Dollars don't exist until the government spends them into existence. Therefore it would be illogical to ask taxpayers to finance a federal health plan, just issue the dollars needed. The question shouldn't be how to pay, but rather how we can make the healthcare policy as effective in its outcomes as possible.

Britain, France, Japan, Germany, Canada, The Netherlands, and Switzerland have a combined amount of 0 bankruptcy filings for healthcare costs. But in The United States, healthcare costs account for 68 percent of bankruptcy filings. Obviously, they have it right and we have it wrong.

Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
Student Life

5 Things To Do That Are Better Than Writing A Paper

Don't waste your time trying to write that paper when there are so many more interesting things you could be doing.

3029
computer keyboard
Unsplash

Writing a paper is never fun and is rarely rewarding. The writer's block, the page requirement, be specific, but don’t summarize, make sure you fixed any grammatical errors, did you even use spellcheck? and analyze, analyze, analyze.

Papers can be a major pain. They take up so much time and effort that by the end of the process you hate yourself and you hate the professor for making life so difficult. Questions of your existence start roaming in your mind. Am I even cut out for college if I can’t write a single paper? Am I even capable of taking care of myself if I lack the energy to open my laptop and start typing?

Keep Reading...Show less
Relationships

10 Reasons Why Sisters Are The Best

Who could be a better friend than your own sister?

1907
sisters
Taylor Hooper

I can barely remember back when I was the only child. Most would say it’s because it is extremely difficult to remember things as a toddler but I would say it's because I was bored until my sister came along. My mother always says how important the "sister bond" is and with every year that passes I realize how right she is. Instead of writing a novel about all of the wonderful things there are about having a sister I decided to list a few of them instead.

Keep Reading...Show less
Student Life

How To Adult

You're gonna make it after all.

3328
how to adult
Twitter

It is the time of our lives that we are beginning to enter the adult world and most of us, if not all of us, have no idea what we are doing. It's like starting a video game, but skipping the tutorial. We're all just running around aimlessly hoping we accidentally do something right that moves us along the right path. Now that graduation has just happened, or is right around the corner for some of us, it's time to start thinking about how we are going to take care of ourselves once we are on our own.

Keep Reading...Show less
Lifestyle

7 Signs You're A Starbucks Addict

I'll be the first one to admit I'm addicted to Starbucks.

1813
drinking coffee
Tumblr

If you’re anything like me, you love a good cup of coffee. My coffee always comes from Starbucks; I refuse to drink it from anywhere else. Over the years, it’s become one of my biggest addictions. So, if you are aware that you’re a Starbucks addict as well, or maybe you need to check to see if you’re an addict, here are seven ways to tell.

Keep Reading...Show less
people  in library
Photo by redcharlie on Unsplash

College involves a whirlwind of emotions, whether it’s from the stress of an assignment (or twenty), or from fighting with your roommate. It can be overwhelming at times and it’s important to take a step a back and calmly think things over. Maybe gain some perspective. The following aren’t foolproof tips and may not apply to you, but I was able to find success with them (hope you do too!)

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments