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Comment by blackflame7000 | Hacker News Reader

Neither of the candidates are going to fix this problem

You don't think that banning denying coverage for preexisting conditions is a huge step into solving this problem?

That has been law since Jan 1, 2014. It is part of the ACA[0].

It is not surprising that some people do not know this, as the president has recently said he would sign an EO mandating this, even though it is already law[1]. It’s unclear if he is unaware that the ACA already includes this mandate or if it is a deliberate misinformation campaign.

[0] https://www.hhs.gov/healthcare/about-the-aca/pre-existing-co...

[1] https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2020/08/08/trum...

Yet the ACA has been under constant attack since it passed by one party and the sitting president, so there’s reason to believe that protection will go away.

His words on this are meaningless as his actions are the polar opposite, they are in court arguing that the entire ACA needs to be voided, and with it the pre-existing condition protections.

There is more than the presidency on the ballot.

What could you possibly vote for on the ballot to fix this.

You could vote for reps that believe in universal healthcare or at least support ACA. Those reps will overwhelmingly be democrats. So vote D down the ballet.

I live in Brooklyn. What now.

You can still volunteer to help drive the vote in swing states! https://votesaveamerica.com/adopt-a-state/

There are very few people in the political system even in the Democratic Party that want to fix this. Healthcare companies and insurance providers are big donors to many people on that side of the aisle. Bernie was the best chance of that this year, but instead we arrived at an openly corporatist candidate who is vehemently against any real reform of the medical system. Admire your optimism though.

Passing any change in the US healthcare system requires consensus across the House, the Senate, and the Executive Branch, so it is by no means a one-person job.

Bernie favoured the radical overhaul it frankly needs. But if you can't get that, any progress is still progress.

California has a Democratic governor and Democratic super-majorities in both the state assembly and senate. Even with total control in the state, they won't go after something as uniformly reviled as balance billing:

https://stateofreform.com/news/california/2019/07/california...

Why expect more progress at the federal level?

Healthcare for the Democrats is like guns for Republicans. It's too useful as a wedge issue they can use to scare voters to the polls. They're more interested in yelling about what the other side will than passing the legislation they promise.

I couldn't agree with this more. Healthcare costs have increased unabated since the passage of the ACA. Make all the noise you want about Republicans attacking the bill at lower levels of government, it's ultimately the Democrats who didn't pass a public option, and more damningly, it's the Democrats who wouldn't pass Medicare for All. There's no interest in actually solving the issue when they make so much money off the system as it exists.

For fixing this specific issue, the balance of the Senate is by far the most important thing, even above the Presidency.

As I said in the other comment, I live in Brooklyn. Even most Democrats are not all that invested in universal healthcare. The Presidential candidate does not believe in Medicare for All.

This is very true. It probably wouldn't be passed tomorrow if given a chance. However, sentiment on this is swinging very rapidly. It was a fringe idea in 2016, and in 2020 it was a central pillar of many (if not a majority) of the Democratic candidates in 2020. Because people campaigned for it, made the case for it, and built coalitions on their side.

Politics is a marathon not a sprint. It may not happen in 2020, but it's certainly closer to reality than it has ever been.

The Senate isn't gonna do shit either.

Haha, as if the Senate going blue would change this headline. The Democrats had 60/59 Senators 10 years ago and passed a disgusting reform that's ultimately not done anything about healthcare costs, and allowed those who benefit from the system to reap in even more money.

Ridiculous claim. There are much better odds of fixing health care with Biden and democrats in power. The progressive dems are pro universal healthcare and the moderates will expand or at least maintain ACA.

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