Health care law works in some ways, comes up short in others
WASHINGTON — Once again, “Obamacare” has survived a near-death experience. It won’t be the end of the political debate, but House Speaker Paul Ryan acknowledges, “We’re going to be living with ‘Obamacare’ for the foreseeable future.”
Ryan pulled the “repeal and replace” bill drafted by House Republican leaders and blessed by President Donald Trump after it failed to muster enough support. It was the latest attempt to undo the Affordable Care Act, which already beat two Supreme Court challenges.
Trump blamed Democrats for the failure and repeated his dire predictions for the Obama-era law. “It’s imploding, and soon will explode, and it’s not going to be pretty,” he said.
While some parts of the law have obvious problems, others are working well and have brought the country’s rate of uninsured people to a record low.