Lots is being written about the new healthcare bill that is being ramrodded through the Senate.

First off, it’s interesting to note that although it’s called a “healthcare” bill, it’s really mostly just resetting things to “no healthcare.”  It’s got provisions and stipulations and clauses and such so it looks like it might be a healthcare bill.   Really it’s not anything you could remotely describe as a healthcare bill.

It’s like calling a bomb dropped on downtown an “urban reconstruction initiative.”

It’s astoundingly short for something presumably as comprehensive as healthcare legislation. The ACA ran to 2300 pages.  Trumpcare clocks in at a mere 46 pages.  But that doesn’t mean it’s easy to understand.

Confuse the hell out of ’em

Part of the goal of the initiative is to play “weasel words” with folks so technically you could get something, even if in practice you never actually can.  That way you can say it does something, even if it does it in a way that no one can ever use.  Health insurance is complex to select anyhow, but the bill basically encourages insurance providers to do whatever they darn well please to make it even more confusing for the person who is just trying to plan ahead a little bit.

For instance, it doesn’t even accredit it’s own plans.  If you get the cheapo plan that they allow which doesn’t really cover anything, but then you get sick and need to upgrade, they want at least six months of accredited coverage.  But, the cheapo plans are not necessarily accredited.  So you may find yourself enduring months of bills for cancer treatment, and meanwhile you can’t afford to buy premium insurance because you’re being treated and are maybe a little distracted by the life-threatening illness, and so you just die owing a whole lot of money and leave your family in a not-very-nice situation.

But the rich are saving on taxes, so hey, who am I to quibble?

Healthcare versus Tax Reform

So is this legislation really about helping normal folks obtain healthcare?  Not at all.  It’s about tax reform and special interests.  It makes some nominal cuts to taxes for rich folks, but they probably won’t even feel those savings because they’re already pretty darn rich.  Things for average working class Joe are not looking so good, but they’ve cleverly said most stuff doesn’t kick in for 3 years so everyone can get elected again.  No one will actually encounter the problems until our dear leaders are safely signed up for another term.

Other stuff that stinks…

They’ve been very guarded about letting people read the bill although it’s finally apparently public now.  They’ve been working to shove this through in spite of reservations on the part of many GOP congressmen.  But they are favor-trading as we speak so they can get this passed.  Make no mistake, this is not progress.

U.S. Senate motto: “White male millionaires working for you.”  — Dave Barry

A more rigorous comparison of the ACA and the AHCA: Obamacare versus Trumpcare.