What a divisive and heated policy making process for HealthCare for USA citizens, the USA political system is going through now!

Trump administration officials (Health secy. Price and his team) are disputing some parts of the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) score on their proposals, which states that millions of USA citizens will lose health insurance coverage (and so healthcare). But many Governors of USA states, including a few Republican governors, who will be directly facing the public if actually many lose healthcare, are not buying the Trump administration arguments!

What a complex situation this is! If the CBO figures are disputed then whose figures can they go by to decide on this biggest policy initiative so far of the Trump administration that will impact the lives of millions of Americans? Can Governors go by Trump administration figures/projections alone? I don't think most Governors would want to do that. I mean, what if the Trump administration projections turn out to be mainly wrong and the CBO projections turn out to be mainly right?

My God! What a tough decision these governors, especially Republican governors face, when it comes to them taking a public stand on this and lobbying for support/opposition from the Senate and House representatives of their state in USA (federal) Congress.

Governors skeptical after 'pretty atrocious' session with top Trump health officials, http://edition.cnn.com/2017/07/15/politics/trump-health-care-governors/index.html, (Updated) 16th July 2017
===============================================================

Given below is a comment exchange on my Facebook post, https://www.facebook.com/ravi.s.iyer.7/posts/1939017896314778, associated with this post:

Ravi S. Iyer wrote:
Sai Das, if you can spare the time, I would like to know your valuable views on this.
----

Sai Das wrote:
The only "tough part" is for Republican governors who must tow the party line. The Republicans have had over 8 years to come up with a viable option to Obamacare yet they haven't even attempted to do so until round one of their failed attempts just a few weeks back. The first one crashed and burned, so did the second, and I believe this will too.

It has been made abundantly clear twice already that American's don't want what they are peddling; not even their own constituents. Every time they attempt this and lose badly, it significantly weakens them.

Having said this, the Democrats aren't much better. A large majority of Americans polled support Single Payer/Medicare for All. Now you would think that would be an easy call for politicians to make - to give their constituents what they want for reelection interests - but they don't push for it. Why? Why not give voters what they want? The medical community at large is staunchly for it too. I think the answer is obvious; money and pressure from Insurance companies and Big Pharma.

The corruption is glaringly obvious and those who support any Republican are self defeating fools in my biased opinion. The Trump numbers just don't add up and everyone knows it. Their bill very clearly hurts average Americans and especially the elderly, handicapped, young and lower income and only benefits the wealthy few.
----

Ravi S. Iyer wrote:
Thanks Sai Das for your valuable opinion. I think these words of yours capture your response to the Health secy. Price & team disputing CBO numbers and offering their own numbers instead: "The Trump numbers just don't add up and everyone knows it. Their bill very clearly hurts average Americans and especially the elderly, handicapped, young and lower income and only benefits the wealthy few."

What I am very disappointed by, in this policy making process in USA govt. which affects the lives of millions of Americans, is that different groups have different CONFLICTING versions of what they claim to be the truth. When there is no common acceptance of what is fact and what is non-fact, how can a reasonable debate and discussion take place between various stake holders? This is the first time that I have carefully followed a major policy making effort in USA (federal) govt. I am very disappointed by this confusion over facts and non-facts.
----

Please note that I have a PUBLICLY NEUTRAL informal-student-observer role in these posts that I put up about USA politics. Of course, as I am an Indian citizen living in India, there is no question of me having voted in USA elections.

Comments

Archive

Show more