If Obamacare fails, then what?

[sc94597]

Tigerlure said:

sc94597 said:

Tigerlure said:

For my Republican friends, please note that leaving it to the free market is not a good answer.

Yep, it's not a good answer, it's the best answer. Unfortunately we haven't had a free-market in most of healthcare since the 50's. Just look at eye-care and its low-costs and you can see how a free-market (free from government priveleged insurance companies) can reduce prices and make something affordable.  

I shudder at the thought of a true "free-market". Insurance companies hiking up prices whenever they want, dropping people off insurance, refusing to cover medical treatments at a whim. 

The free-market you're talking about won't happen because there is simply not enough competition. In my area, we're almost monopolized with Blue Cross Blue Shield. Imagine if they were completely unregulated.

No in a free-market there would be competition and the market prices would not be arbitarily determined by doctors, as they are now. This is how the market worked pre-1950's and how the market works in certain areas now (optical care/dental.) There is no competition, because the government gives certain companies priveleges, such as tax-exemption and forces regulations that the smaller companies and practices cannot meet. Big hospitals control the healthcare system, and the ACA cements this big business model further.