REPUBLICAN JESUS STRIKES AGAIN WITH TRUMPCARE + READING FOR THE WEEK (on health care)

The House of Representatives voted last week to replace Obamacare with Trumpcare. While there were 20 Republicans who voted against repealing Obamacare - some with very good reasons - the reality is our Paul Ryan-Kevin McCarthy led Republican Party have once again made it clear they care more about ideology than they do people.

If there is any silver lining to this vote, it's the fact that House bill is probably dead in the water. Simply put, the United States Senate won't adopt the House of Representative's bill to repeal Obamacare because its replacement is too draconian.

In real simple terms, Trumpcare "guts protections for those with pre-existing conditions" while their promise to create "high-risk pools" is just a smoke and mirrors underfunded scam. The fact that people with employer provided insurance plans could also lose their health coverage under Trumpcare makes the GOP health plan a non-starter for many Republicans in the senate.

Still, the GOP did pass a bill to repeal and replace Obamacare. This was followed by a flood of reviews and commentary that make for good reading, which I'm posting here.

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THE DETAILS
All the horrific details of the GOP's new Obamacare repeal bill: A handy guide (LA Times).

50 health issues that count as pre-existing conditions (Money).

5 things to know about AHCA, the new House Republican health care bill that just passed (Money).

GOP's Obamacare replacement could cost the average poor family benefits worth a third of its income (Washington Post).


THE STUPID, IT BURNS
Alaska state representative says women get abortions for the 'free trip' to the city (New York Magazine).

Alabama congressman; "People who lead good lives" don't have pre-existing conditions (Salon).

GOP Congressman: "nobody dies because they don't have access to health care" (HuffPost).

Trump praises Australia's universal health-care system: 'You have better health care than we do' (Washington Post).

GOP lawmaker admits not reading 'every word' of healthcare bill (The Hill).

After bashing Obamacare for high deductibles, the GOP has crafted a health care plan that raises deductibles (Slate).


THINGS TO CONSIDER
In rare unity, hospitals, doctors and insurers criticize health bill (NY Times).

I was raped. Thanks to Republicans, I could be denied insurance for surviving (Washington Post).

Despite critics' claims, the GOP health bill doesn't classify rape or sexual assault as a preexisting condition (Washington Post).

Pregnancy to cost 425% more under Donald Trump's health plan compared to Obamacare (Independent).


OBAMACARE POSITIVES THE GOP WANTS TO IGNORE
Obamacare is the law of the land, and Kansas Republicans couldn't be happier (Mother Jones).

Hospital uncompensated care costs fall to lowest level in 26 years: 4 things to know (Becker's Hospital CFO).


MISCELLANEOUS
Sorry, Ryan: Senate Republicans to scrap House repeal bill, start from scratch (TPM).

The new study that shows Trumpcare's damage (NY Times).

A conservative case for single-payer health care (The Week).

What is the GOP's political calculation on health care (MSNBC)?

California shows why the Republican plan to rely on states to replace Obamacare may not work (LA Times).

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While the House Republicans are going to lose on this round of "Let's Repeal Obamacare Wheel of (Mis)Fortune" we want to keep in mind what's really happening here.

First, the GOP is simply grooming America for a constant drumbeat of "let's repeal Obamacare." This way it won't come as such a shock if they ever succeed. It's a sick way of running the country, but this is America's Republican Party in the 21st century.

Second, repealing Obamacare in the House of Representatives last week fit in rather nicely as political cover for when FBI director James Comey was testifying on Trump's ties to Russia on Wednesday. Again, this is a terrible way to run a country, but it's how America's GOP wants to do things.

Finally, as Paul Krugman points out, the primary reason the GOP want to go after Obamacare is because they are deathly afraid of America seeing yet another successful government program (Social Security, NASA, Medicare, etc.) that blows their "government can't do anything right" mantra right out of the water.

Yeah, sabotaging a successful program because you don't want it to undermine an already failing ideology is a terrible way to run a country. But it's how our modern Republican Party - and, apparently, Republican Jesus - want things done.

Sigh ...

- Mark