We had an election and nobody got killed. We got through it

For every apocalyptic prediction in the aftermath of the election yesterday I want to remind my friends that we will get through it. Depending on your point of view either Dubya or O'Bummer was the worst thing that has ever happened to this country. Somehow we got through it.

That being said there is some real danger out there.

Trump doesn't seem to be interested in public policy unless it can be reduced to a sound bite so the Republican Congress will set the agenda and he will go along with most of it.



Just on Healthcare. 

They will repeal the Affordable Care Act ( Obamacare) leaving over 20 million people without health insurance.  They have to do this, the base will rebel if they don't.

Speaker Paul Ryan's budget outlined a plan to close the VA Medical Centers and make Medicare into something of a coupon system. They call it premium support. Frank Luntz is a master of language

Changing Medicaid to a block grant to give states "flexibility. "  Most of the money (over 60%)  pays for people in Nursing Homes  like my Mom.

Obamacare is opposed until you tell people that you kids can stay on your policy until they are 26 or preventive procedures are covered with no deductible. If you have an illness (preexisting condition)  you can't be denied coverage.

The headlines tell us that  premiums have increased dramatically this year but how much  would they go up without this law? No one knows.

Medicare and Medicaid at 50

    Many of the gloom and doom predictions about Medicare in the 1960's have been repeated about the Afordable Care Act (Obamacare). Of course none of that came to pass. Doctors can still live and practice where they want to and it has not lead to a Socialist takeover the the means of productions.  If anything programs like Medicare and Social Security have increased the freedom of senior citizens by not being dependent on family or charity.

Many Republican candidates are now floating ideas to replace Medicare with voucher plans which I think is disingenuous since the most reliable Republican voter is over age 60. They tell them your benefits will be fine but  we will take them away from your kids and grand kids because the system isn't sustainable. That is not true as Kevin Drum points out :
Ten years ago, Medicare was a runaway freight train. Spending was projected to increase indefinitely, rising to 13 percent of GDP by 2080. This year, spending is projected to slow down around 2040, and reaches only 6 percent of GDP by 2090.
Six percent! That's half what we thought a mere decade ago. If that isn't spectacular, I don't know what is.

 Medicaid is another matter because it is a means tested program that people don't pay into like Medicare so it's easier to attack as a handout to the undeserving poor. What people don't know is that big chunk of Medicaid money is spent on nursing home care. My mom is in a nursing home and we sure don't have the $9000+ a month to pay for it.

I have an Uncle (WWII vet) who gets all of his medical care from the VA  and can't believe I'm not a Republican until I told him that I won't vote for a party that wants to close the VA Medical Centers.