In praise of the Graham-Cassidy healthcare bill

By Tom Quiner

The Republican’s health insurance reform bill, aka Graham-Cassidy, would:

√ Shift resources to the states in the form of block grants, allowing them to create healthcare reform customized to the needs of their residents. Democrats like a top-down, one size fits all approach. The Republican approach takes a bottom-up approach and acknowledges that state governments are closer to their residents and more in touch with their needs. We tried the top-down approach. Time to shift the power back to the people. Currently, some states, such as New York and California, get far more money from the feds that smaller states. This would help level the playing field between states.

√ The individual mandate would be repealed. The Left and their media mouthpieces, such as Jimmy Kimmel, blather that this would take away health insurance from 24 million people. Actually, no. Since there would be no more individual mandate, millions of people could voluntarily choose not to continue with their coverage without the coercion of governmental penalties. You would be perfectly free to continue purchasing the plan of your choice if you wish, only there wouldn’t be a gun pointed at your head. No one would take your coverage away from you, no one but you, that is. You will be free to choose.

√ Coverage for those with pre-existing conditions would continue to exist. However, states could apply for waivers as long as they could demonstrate that they have their own plan in place to accommodate the needs of those residents who are typically uninsurable. Again, this plan shifts the power to the states, who are wonderful laboratories of innovation.

The plan isn’t perfect, but it is certainly more logical and compassionate than Obamacare which promised the moon and delivered a mess. Obamacare is imploding. A vote against Graham-Cassidy is a vote for the status quo that we know is going to hurt a lot of people.

Senator John McCain has said he will vote “no”, rationalizing his decision this way:

“I cannot in good conscience vote for the Graham-Cassidy proposal. I believe we could do better working together, Republicans and Democrats, and have not yet really tried.”

I’m not sure what world Mr. McCain lives in. Democrats had no interest working with Republicans when they were in power. And they have made it abundantly clear this year that they have zero interest in working with Republicans on healthcare reform.

It is their way or the highway.

McCain’s no vote will likely grease the skids for a single-payer system as soon as Democrats regain power, which may be sooner than we think, thanks to the senior senator from Arizona.