Is Obamacare fixable? Should it be?

"First things first, however. We need to all agree that Obamacare is dead. It was a bust - a bad idea. Let's move forward with some fresh ideas on how to pay for our excellent healthcare in this country. That every legal citizen has access to it. Let's make sure this is never again a wedge issue which would cause us to shut down our government. It really is that simple. Now let us all get to work, as a nation, to fix it."   

Oh, how I remember those days well. The master fix for our healthcare woes. Obamacare, named after the grand wizard of sophism and deceit. It was the "too good to be true" fix. I remember the old adage that if something is too good to be true, it usually is not true. That is Obamacare. Why was it a bust? Smoke and mirrors. Only the most gullible of all sheeple believed the average American family would get a $2,500 reduction in healthcare costs. Still waiting for mine. 

Obamacare was really the age-old Robin Hood scheme. Take from the rich and give to the poor. In other words, raise the rates sky high of young healthy folks, so the lower middle class would pay little or nothing. The problem is the young healthy folks. They were raised on the notion that if you presented yourself as less of a health risk, your insurance rates should be lower. Sorry - not in the days of Obama. Net result? Many young folks opted out of the system. That left Uncle Sugar to pick up the tab.

Can we all just get together, sing Kumbaya, and agree that Obamacare was a bust? There is no fixing the unfixable. It needs to be taken out to the garbage can and dumped. But then what? What should replace this mess? Trump has an idea that the health insurance companies have taken advantage of this situation. Gorged themselves. Maybe that is true. If so, they need to be regulated better. But there are some immutable facts which first need to be addressed.

Our healthcare system is the finest in the world. It has been very good for many, many years, and the forecast is for it to become even better. We are on the verge of curing many different cancers. Full stop for a minute on that one. Not just treating cancers - curing cancers. Some cancer vaccines have just entered human trials. Putting cancers aside, other nasty diseases which have plagued mankind forever and a day might be nearing their end. But all this good stuff does not come cheap. Good medical care is expensive. As a country, both Republicans and Democrats, need to make a huge decision. Who pays for it? The beneficiaries or the government?

If it is the beneficiaries, stand by for a realignment in your finances. Healthcare cost will now eclipse your house payment as your biggest expense. But what is more important than having good health? If we allow the government to pay for it, stand by for a higher national debt. Or - much higher federal taxes to pay for it. This is the discussion to be had. The fact we have excellent healthcare in this country is not up for debate - we do. How we pay for it is what we need consensus on. Maybe tariffs?

First things first, however. We need to all agree that Obamacare is dead. It was a bust - a bad idea. Let's move forward with some fresh ideas on how to pay for our excellent healthcare in this country. That every legal citizen has access to it. Let's make sure this is never again a wedge issue which would cause us to shut down our government. It really is that simple. Now let us all get to work, as a nation, to fix it.