Obamacare journey has begun

    Obamacare is a godsend for millions of Americans previously discriminated against by the health insurance companies.  Policies canceled because people got (gasp!) sick.  People denied coverage because of “pre-existing conditions”.  A majority of American bankruptcies caused wholly or in part because of catastrophic health care costs.  

    Given all that, why is Obamacare the incredibly complex pro-insurance-industry plan that it is?  It is, remember, a Republican plan, designed by the Heritage Foundation and implimented in Massachusetts by then-governor Mitt Romney.  It will funnel billions of dollars to the health insurance companies.  The answer:  It was the only way, politically, to start to move toward universal health care.  Not one Republican supported this Republican plan, and no Republican alternative has been proposed.

    There is a movement in Massachusetts to set up a public option there.  Vermont will set up a single-payer system in 2017.  The battle for truly affordable health care for all Americans isn’t over.  It has just begun.

    • WHYY thanks our sponsors — become a WHYY sponsor

    WHYY is your source for fact-based, in-depth journalism and information. As a nonprofit organization, we rely on financial support from readers like you. Please give today.

    Want a digest of WHYY’s programs, events & stories? Sign up for our weekly newsletter.

    Together we can reach 100% of WHYY’s fiscal year goal