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Democrats had eight years to fix healthcare, they didn't fix this problem and they created numerous other problems. This particular problem is due to heavy reg

Democrats had eight years to fix healthcare, they didn't fix this problem and they created numerous other problems. This particular problem is due to heavy regulation creating a moat for large pharmaceutical companies to arbitrarily set prices. Republicans generally want to de-regulate, Democrats don't. Republicans generally want the free market to work things out, Democrats generally want the government to work things out. Each side has been taking turns and as a result, we have had the government prevent the free market from working things out. We want everyone to be able to get healthcare, but we don't (or can't) force anyone to pay for insurance. We effectively incentivize people to not get insurance until they are sick, then we force insurance companies to take them on when they've never paid into the system. Somebody has to pay for all of it, and it ain't the government.

ardit33 6y ago
"Republicans generally want the free market to work things out", -- why is the GOP so against people getting medicine from other safe countries, and 2. not allow medicare/medicaid to be able to negotiate prices? They are basically both hampering competition where they can, and not allowing the gov. to be able to negotiate. I am sorry but your comment doesn't hold water...
- gridlockd 6y ago
  If you let the government "negotiate" prices, that is not a free-market solution. Furthermore, Medicaid/Medicare is itself not a free-market solution and most Americans do not qualify for it. In fact, hospitals are running huge losses on these programs and they have to cross-subsidize it by charging other patients more. As for banning imported drugs, this is a bipartisan issue, both parties have called for allowing it, but both parties are effectively against it.
buerkle 6y ago
They had about 4-5 months. https://www.beaconjournal.com/article/20120909/NEWS/309099447 https://www.beaconjournal.com/article/20120909/NEWS/30909944... The Republican controlled Senate spent the other 7.5 years blocking most of the bills by the Democrats. They also attempted to repeal the ACA 70 times. As to your "We effectively incentivize people to not get insurance", that was the point of the individual mandate which was repealed by the Republicans in 2017.
- gridlockd 6y ago
  Alright, if you want to be nitpicky, they had decades to devise a reform, years to agree on it within the party, and months to actually get it passed. It eventually did pass and it wasn't repealed. > As to your "We effectively incentivize people to not get insurance", that was the point of the individual mandate which was repealed by the Republicans in 2017. There never was an effective individual mandate, but if there had been, it most likely would've been ruled unconstitutional. Whether you pay a small fine or no fine whatsoever, you are ultimately incentivized to defer paying the far higher insurance premiums.

ardit33 6y ago

"Republicans generally want the free market to work things out", -- why is the GOP so against people getting medicine from other safe countries, and 2. not allow medicare/medicaid to be able to negotiate prices? They are basically both hampering competition where they can, and not allowing the gov. to be able to negotiate. I am sorry but your comment doesn't hold water...

gridlockd 6y ago
If you let the government "negotiate" prices, that is not a free-market solution. Furthermore, Medicaid/Medicare is itself not a free-market solution and most Americans do not qualify for it. In fact, hospitals are running huge losses on these programs and they have to cross-subsidize it by charging other patients more. As for banning imported drugs, this is a bipartisan issue, both parties have called for allowing it, but both parties are effectively against it.

buerkle 6y ago

They had about 4-5 months. https://www.beaconjournal.com/article/20120909/NEWS/309099447 https://www.beaconjournal.com/article/20120909/NEWS/30909944... The Republican controlled Senate spent the other 7.5 years blocking most of the bills by the Democrats. They also attempted to repeal the ACA 70 times. As to your "We effectively incentivize people to not get insurance", that was the point of the individual mandate which was repealed by the Republicans in 2017.

gridlockd 6y ago
Alright, if you want to be nitpicky, they had decades to devise a reform, years to agree on it within the party, and months to actually get it passed. It eventually did pass and it wasn't repealed. > As to your "We effectively incentivize people to not get insurance", that was the point of the individual mandate which was repealed by the Republicans in 2017. There never was an effective individual mandate, but if there had been, it most likely would've been ruled unconstitutional. Whether you pay a small fine or no fine whatsoever, you are ultimately incentivized to defer paying the far higher insurance premiums.