>The Data: Before the ACA, Maine implemented this. Anthem requested a 20% rate hike due to adverse selection. After the pool was implemented, the rate hike dropped to under 2%.

>This shows we can protect the sick without forcing the healthy to pay $25k/year premiums to an oligopoly.

So in effect give the oligopoly tax money so they keep their rates the same for the sick and the well? Isn't that what Congress is basically currently fighting over (federal money vs. state?)

Congress also intentionally removed the unpopular requirement to have to buy insurance (either through your employer or the ACA market), essentially re-creating one of the death-spiral conditions in the first place. It's been the Republican goal all along to get the ACA to die in a death spiral so we can go back to forcing people into medical bankruptcy, like God intended.