What Democrats Won't Admit About Voters and Health Care

Since the Republican House approved its replacement for Obamacare, critics of the bill have told us how it will take health insurance away from millions of people, while doing little to control medical costs or bring fiscal rectitude. Those arguments are mostly true, but the same commentators have neglected to acknowledge a crucial point. The House plan won’t work for the same reasons Obamacare has had trouble -- namely there is no social consensus on who should pay the bills.

Consider the part of the plan that would take away many federal-level protections embedded in Obamacare for those with pre-existing conditions. Instead, state governments are to cover those individuals through high-risk pools, with the federal government paying modest subsidies to the states to help. Most likely, millions of Americans will be left at loose ends.