Lotta ins, lotta outs

The ongoing health care controversy reminds me of a line from The Big Lebowski. But then, almost everything reminds me of a line from that move. The line is question is "This is a very complicated case, Maude. You know, a lotta ins, lotta outs, lotta what-have-you's." Some of those are laid out in this story from WV Public Broadcasting.

In the latest Front Porch podcast, I gave some props to WV Senator Shelley Moore Capito for her statement on preserving coverage for her constituents in the state. I'm hoping that wasn't a case of speaking too soon. It's a bit hard to interpret her latest statement on the subject.

Worst case interpretation: she votes for a bad bill after some cosmetic changes are made to the old ones. Better case is that she really does hold out until there are guaranteed protection for things like traditional Medicaid, Medicaid expansion, CHIP and opioid treatment.

In a rational world, not that one exists anywhere near this one, there would be some bipartisan problem solving to fix the parts of the Affordable Care Act that need fixing, such as the individual market, while keeping what is working.

Recently, we interviewed several people affected by the ACA in Kanawha County WV. Some loved the coverage they had. Some hated it. All seemed to agree on this core message: "Make it better but don't take anything away."

Good news for and from WV

As Joe Biden might say, "Golly, this could be a significant development" in the ongoing fight over the fate of the Affordable Care Act and the millions who gained coverage through it.

Let's review the last week or so. First, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell was hell bent on pushing through another bad version of ACA repeal and replacement. See my latest rant about that here. Then, Republican defections effectively took that off the agenda. Then McConnell, along with Prince Joffrey President Trump, called for repeal without replacement, another really bad idea. Now, that possibility just got a good bit more remote after WV Senator Shelley Moore Capito issued a strong statement opposing repeal without replacement.

She's not the only one but her decision is crucial. Here's her statement:

“As I have said before, I did not come to Washington to hurt people. For months, I have expressed reservations about the direction of the bill to repeal and replace Obamacare. I have serious concerns about how we continue to provide affordable care to those who have benefited from West Virginia’s decision to expand Medicaid, especially in light of the growing opioid crisis. All of the Senate health care discussion drafts have failed to address these concerns adequately. 

“My position on this issue is driven by its impact on West Virginians. With that in mind, I cannot vote to repeal Obamacare without a replacement plan that addresses my concerns and the needs of West Virginians.” 

The fight isn't over...but this latest round might be. Congratulations to everyone in WV who worked so hard to make this happen.

I strongly encourage any and all from WV to pick up the phone and call both her local and DC offices and say a big "Thank you!" Here's the link. I'm about to pick up the phone myself.