10 of the most inspirational political events of 2018
9. Trumpcare floundered
Yes, there’s a fair amount of schadenfreude in this entry, but it’s still enough on its own to give us hope for the future of healthcare in the United States. Sometimes, when a particular piece of legislation fails, that turns out to be a good thing.
Need some backstory? As you’re likely well aware, the Affordable Care Act, often called “Obamacare” because it passed during the administration of President Barack Obama, is a highly contested bit of law. It allows for fewer insurance company shenanigans, such as denying coverage for pre-existing conditions, or charging people for simple preventative care such as annual exams. It also allowed for greater Medicaid and Medicare expansion and more general support for lower-income and at-risk Americans.
Such legislation was a major change and generated lots of controversy. Obamacare meant that states and individuals sometimes had to take a hard look at the finances of healthcare and providing for more people. The legislation also required that all Americans have a health insurance policy of some sort. A few commentators took this as an overstep, with federal government unfairly getting into the private business of its citizens.
Donald Trump made repeal of the ACA one of his main campaign promises while running for election in 2016. With the support of a significant portion of the electorate and a Republican-controlled Congress, it seemed like Obamacare was doomed.
Except it wasn’t. In the short amount of time between the ACA’s introduction and Republican-led attempts to knock it down, it seemed that many voters had gotten used to its changes. Many seemed to agree that it wasn’t a perfect system, thanks to bureaucratic fumbling and lingering financial questions. Even then, voters and politicians proved reluctant to do away with the ACA entirely. It didn’t help that Republican proposals failed to present a clear, viable alternative.
When it came time for Representatives and Senators to vote on the various attempts at repeal, the bills failed, one after the other. All told, the 115th Congress considered one bill that didn’t make it to a vote after Republican infighting, while two made it to voting in various forms, but didn’t pass.