Healthcare Reform Repeal – Is the 37th Time a Charm?

Summary: Well here we are again – the 37^th time to be exact. The House of Representatives is working diligently to repeal the PPACA in its entirety. Healthcare Reform Repeal – Is the 37th Time a Charm?

Well, you have to hand it to the House of Representatives. They are quite persistent. This is the 37^th time an appeal of the Patient Protection Affordable Care Act (PPACA) aka Obama Care aka Healthcare Reform has gone before the House of Representatives. As of yesterday, yet another vote was held and the results were 229-195 in favor of the repeal.

In favor

House Speaker John Boehner was quoted “A full repeal is needed to keep this law from doing more damage to our economy and raising healthcare costs. It’s going to raise the price of health care, raise the cost of health insurance, reduce access to the American people, and continues to get in the way of employers hiring new workers”.

Opposed

Opposition to the repeal comes from Representative Steny Hoyer “Apparently the Republicans are opposed to Obamacare. I know that comes as a shock to America, so we need to tell them one more time. Or 37 times, or maybe 38^th or a 39^th or a 40^th or a 100^th time”.

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi stated, “Americans want Congress to focus on creating jobs. Instead we are wasting time once again on the Republican repeal of the patients’ rights”.

The White House has stated point-blank that this will never pass.

Appeal #36

As you may recall, the PPACA repeal was last voted on in 2012. The crux of the issue was the mandate which required all Americans to carry health insurance. This is still a hot topic and one which continues to be debated.

Where do we go from here?

The PPACA is of major concern at this juncture as this will have a major effect on the next Presidential election. It seems to be more about which party has a majority in a tug-of-war than about the actual legislation itself. To move forward with an all-or-nothing motion seems time-consuming and an expensive proposition. So, where do we go from here?  What if we took a few sections/related topics at a time and worked to repeal rather than the entire legislation? List out the topics that are of controversy, prioritize, and appeal in a structured logical fashion. This would provide an avenue to address the most important aspects and smaller wins might provide a sense of accomplishment.

What do you think?

Are you in favor of the PPACA? Do you think it should be repealed? Do you think it should be repealed in pieces? Do you think too much time, money, and effort are being dedicated to this cause?