One Republican lobbyist said that in discussions about a plan to repeal the Affordable Care Act without a replacement, insurers are “painting a picture of the market that isn't very pretty and Republican staffers are getting the picture.”

“They want to pump money back in to the insurers without appearing like they’re giving them a handout or bailing them out,” the lobbyist added.

A second lobbyist said Republican staff is discussing the effects of actually getting into law a repeal bill similar to the one passed last year through the fast-track process known as reconciliation. That measure would have taken out the core of ObamaCare on a two-year delay.

The lobbyist said Republicans are discussing: “What's the impact on the 2018 plan year for that, and if it's as bad as some people say, what are our options to mitigate the impact without looking like we're bailing out the health insurance industry?”

Asked about the talks with insurers, a Republican House Ways and Means Committee aide said: “We’re talking with all stakeholders and discussing the best next steps as we work to reform this broken healthcare system.”

It is unclear what specific policies could end up being enacted. A starting point is programs similar to ObamaCare’s risk adjustment, reinsurance and risk corridors.

Those programs help guard insurers against losses by shifting money from insurers faring better financially to those faring worse.

Republicans, though, long denounced those programs as “bailouts” of insurers.

Obamacare was terrible and doomed to fail. Medicare for all is the only thing that's going to work. We tried it the Republicans' way and it failed. We tried it the Democrats' way and that failed too. The only attempt left is "the rest of the developed world's way."

How is that way paid for?

Taxes in lieu of private health insurance payments combined with increased purchasing power for the government. You'd come out ahead. And if you want to fight passionately against it ever happening like Hillary Clinton, you can go get lost in the forest with her.

Taxes in lieu of private health insurance payments combined with increased purchasing power for the government. You'd come out ahead. And if you want to fight passionately against it ever happening like Hillary Clinton, you can go get lost in the forest with her.

As long as I'm not paying more each year and I don't have to wait 10 years to get a surgery, I don't really care what system we have.

No way to repeal Obamacare. Modifying it is the only thing that will happen.

free penis reduction here we come!!

No way to repeal Obamacare. Modifying it is the only thing that will happen.

We need to invest more in preventing hospital visits in the first place. Beefing up public health programs. Implementing better health education programs in school. Expanding low to no income public clinics to encourage visits before it gets to the ER point. The ACA was designed to do this but instead focused on fucking down insurance companies as much as possible.

The ACA was the largest mandate in the history of the United States forcing consumers to purchase a product from private companies.

That said, it's not like the ACA was necessarily good for these companies. The regulations crippled them (not that I give a shit) by regulating their combined ratio to an absurd point. They have basically been turned into public utilities who have a cap on how much profit they can earn (if any). The saving grace is that they added no value even before ACA. Health insurance is nothing but a way for "insurers" (they are not really insurers) to offer a product for a monthly fee with unlimited use and roll the dice that most of the people who use it won't use it much or at all. It's an actuarial game that does nothing to encourage cost reduction or preventative measures to reduce costs. They also take a piece of the action every time they profit (until the government doesn't allow them to).

We may as well just adopt a single payer system or privatize the whole thing... or at the very least, stop tying health insurance to employment. The way we currently do things is one of the most bizarre and inefficient systems one could dream up.

The ACA was the largest mandate in the history of the United States forcing consumers to purchase a product from private companies.

That said, it's not like the ACA was necessarily good for these companies. The regulations crippled them (not that I give a shit) by regulating their combined ratio to an absurd point. They have basically been turned into public utilities who have a cap on how much profit they can earn (if any). The saving grace is that they added no value even before ACA. Health insurance is nothing but a way for "insurers" (they are not really insurers) to offer a product for a monthly fee with unlimited use and roll the dice that most of the people who use it won't use it much or at all. It's an actuarial game that does nothing to encourage cost reduction or preventative measures to reduce costs. They also take a piece of the action every time they profit (until the government doesn't allow them to).

We may as well just adopt a single payer system or privatize the whole thing... or at the very least, stop tying health insurance to employment. The way we currently do things is one of the most bizarre and inefficient systems one could dream up.

Pelosi and Biden knew that.

It's fucking hilarious that minus your professional expertise MANY like myself said this same thing when Obamacare was adopted. But wtf do I know? I was a racist righty whack job.