EDITORIAL: The need to repair Obamacare

Oct. 26--Developed nations with universal health care share several traits. They work to ensure all citizens are covered by some form of health insurance. They seek to control medical costs. They recognize that a healthy society is good for a nation's economic health.

Among the world's leading economies, the United States arrived late to this party. The Affordable Care Act is less than a decade old. In only a few years it slashed the number of uninsured Americans to an all-time low. It kept medical inflation in check. It removed some of the harsher elements from the old system -- denying coverage to customers with preexisting conditions, for example.

Yet, Obamacare is far from perfect.

Many Republican-led states reject participating in expansion of Medicaid despite a sweetheart deal from the feds to do so. Citing financial losses, some insurers are backing away from Obamacare. Some premiums continue to rise; the Department of Health and Human Services predicted Monday that mid-level plans will increase by 25 percent on average in the coming year.

The feds counter that last point by noting that middle-income Americans will see subsidies rise as well as being protected by caps on premiums.

Regardless, the Affordable Care Act -- like any other monster legislation to come out of Washington -- is in need of some adjustments. In theory, that should not be too difficult given the health and wealth of Americans are at stake. We said should not. In reality, it seems unlikely.

Elected Republicans, both in Washington and in state governments, are trapped by their ideology that defines Obamacare as pure evil. The "worst" law to ever come out of Washington, in the words of Alabama Gov. Robert Bentley.

We expect all but the most die-hard of those opponents of health-care reform know that going back to the days before Obamacare won't work. Who is willing to take coverage away from the working poor? Who would kill Obamacare in order to give health insurers more control over individual medical decisions?

However, the tug of politics remains strong on this matter. Until that partisan fever breaks, the prospects for reform of the Affordable Care Act appear bleak.

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