ACA and Supreme Court: Heads Obama Wins, Tails GOP Loses

Today’s May 22 WSJ editorial “In Search of ObamaCare Breakout,” says in essence:

If Supreme Court decides present ACA law re: federal subsidies is unconstitutional, Obama wins, the GOP loses.

In other words, no matter what the decision, it will be a win-win for ObamaCare. The good ship, ObamaCare, with 7.7 million subsidized low and middle income folk who cannot afford health insurance without subsidies, who signed up on basis of federal promises through no fault of their own, is past the point of no return in its voyage towards universal coverage.

The only remedy is a unified GOP plan that offers temporary relief , perhaps a year or two extension of subsidies, or generous tax credits, agreed upon the GOP and acceptable and understandable to the American people.

According to the WSJ, the GOP is struggling to keep a legal victory from becoming a legal defeat. With a victory, GOP governors are petrified of being placed into a lose-lose situation. They will be blamed for cutting people off medical care and forced to restore subsidies by joining ObamaCare while being pilloried by ther conservative base.

Ron Johnson, Republican Senator from Wisconsin, has proposed extending subsidies until August 2017 while deregulating ObamaCare. This deadline would allow debate during the Presidential campaign. It would also come after the big increases in 2016 premiums under the health law, now set for major insurers, at 52% in New Mexico, 36% in Tennessee, in Maryland, 25% in Oregon, and 13% in Virginia.

To prevent a heads you win, tails you lose, scenario, Republicans need to settle on clear, simple political strategy that the American people understand and accept as fair to all.