Paul Krugman: Donald Trump’s Medical Delusions [feedly]

Paul Krugman: Donald Trump's Medical Delusions
http://economistsview.typepad.com/economistsview/2017/01/paul-krugman-donald-trumps-medical-delusions.html

Repeal and hope to blame the Democrats:

Donald Trump's Medical Delusions, by Paul Krugman, NY Times: ...Some Republicans appear to be realizing that their long con on Obamacare has reached its limit. Chanting "repeal and replace" may have worked as a political strategy, but coming up with a conservative replacement for the Affordable Care Act — one that doesn't take away coverage from tens of millions of Americans — isn't easy. In fact, it's impossible.

But it seems that nobody told Mr. Trump. In Wednesday's news conference, he asserted that he would submit a replacement plan, "probably the same day" as Obamacare's repeal — "could be the same hour" — that will be "far less expensive and far better"; also, with much lower deductibles.

This is crazy, on multiple levels.

The truth is that even if Republicans were settled on the broad outlines of a health care plan — the way Democrats were when President Obama took office — turning such an outline into real legislation is a time-consuming process.

In any case, however, the G.O.P. has spent seven years denouncing the Affordable Care Act without ever producing even the ghost of an alternative. That's not going to change in the next few weeks, or ever. For the anti-Obamacare campaign has always been based on lies that can't survive actual repeal. ...

Republicans don't have a health care plan, but they do have a philosophy — and it's all about less. Less regulation, so that insurers can turn you down if you have a pre-existing condition. Less government support, so if you can't afford coverage, too bad. And less coverage in general: Republican ideas about cost control are all about "skin in the game," requiring people to pay more out of pocket (which somehow doesn't stop them from complaining about high deductibles).

Implementing this philosophy would deliver a big windfall to the wealthy, who would get a huge tax cut from Obamacare repeal...

But the idea that it would lead to big cost savings over all is pure fantasy, and it would have a devastating effect on the millions who have gained coverage during the Obama years.

As I said, it looks as if some Republicans realize this. They may go ahead with repeal-but-don't-replace anyway, but they'll probably do it because they believe they can find some way to blame Democrats for the ensuing disaster.

Mr. Trump, on the other hand, gives every impression of having no idea whatsoever what the issues are. But then, is there any area of policy where he does?

 -- via my feedly newsfeed