ACA: Why the rush?

The renewed effort to “repeal and replace” the current health care system shows again how politics “trumps” the national good. The option of simply repealing the ACA ended in 2012. In the last election, more people voted Clinton than for Trump, so there is no mandate from the people, just political power which is a far different animal.

The Republicans’ 2016 campaign promised a better and cheaper alternative. That is the campaign promise that must be kept. The legislative proposal as of Sept. 21 is neither. A new system must meet the complexities of health care, expense, human decency and political integrity. This situation demands that serious thought be given to any replacement, and to do so in a measured way.

A series of hearings examining how other countries handle the problem will lead to a unique blend of approaches that is true to the American spirit. This will take a year or two. Meanwhile, any talk of not paying the insurance companies for their coverage in the exchanges is truly un-American and guts the principles of a free market economy.

For free markets to thrive, those making contracts must provide stable, trusting relationships by keeping their promises. All contracts include a covenant of good faith and fair dealing, which prohibits a person from deliberately not performing, therefore thwarting the other party’s rights. If contracts are not honored, or trust is betrayed, the legal and business systems become subverted.

DENNIS REUTER

Coeur d’Alene