Repeal ObamaCare: Yes We Can

Robert Moffit / June 25, 2010

In 1988, Congress passed and President Ronald Reagan signed into law the Medicare Catastrophic Coverage Act. Officials in Washington were firmly united in creating the single-largest expansion of Medicare since 1965. Fast-forward 22 years, and we’ve just witnessed a monumental government takeover of the private health care sector.

But this doesn’t mean ObamaCare is set in stone. As we saw with the Medicare Catastrophic law, a focus on higher costs, disrupted health benefits and public revulsion to intrusive government bureaucracy helped ordinary America over the powerful players in Washington.

What We Learned. The debate on Medicare catastrophic was a refreshingly open process; a civics textbook example of good government in action. The Reagan Administration in 1986 had held public hearings on the idea, seeking public comment from people across the country. HHS staff worked hard to hammer out the specifics. When Congress started work on the proposal over many months, there were lots of hearings and mark-ups. Additionally a large number of interest groups, representing seniors, medical professionals and the health care industry, as well as health policy experts had the chance to testify and offer their best ideas. (more…)