The repeal and replace bill that the GOP “had in their back pocket” for years now is finally semi-visible, and it’s pretty much everything the GOP always wanted. Which is “less government.” This has become a conservative fetish in the US, with very little to back it up in most issue areas. And on health care, less government is going to hurt a lot of people.

The GOP claimed that the problems with Obamacare is that it was “too expensive,” “prevented people from being covered,” and “limited choice/freedom” — and that this was all caused by big government. What we see from early views of the replacement is that it will cost a LOT more (unless you are wealthy, in which case you will get a tax cut for it), that it will increase insurance company and pharma profits, and that less people will be covered (millions is the early estimate, we should have an idea of how many million by next week). In addition, those on employer insurance will now pay more. As will employers. The poor will suffer the most, of course, as federal cuts to medicaid funding will drop coverage for an enormous number of people who can’t otherwise afford insurance, and dramatically lower subsidies will be based on age (older people get more), and not ability to pay. And best of all, it severely limits choice — because a lot more people will not be able to afford insurance coverage, and thus they will have no choice!

 
END RESULT: less government. Burden shifting from the wealthy to the middle class and especially the poor. And much less coverage. But remember, LESS GOVERNMENT!!!! That was the goal all along!!! And why does less government always seem to come with money shifting to the rich? Interesting dynamic there…