We’ve almost lost track of how many attempts have been made to stop, derail or de-fund the Affordable Care Act (ACA), aka “Obama care”. Now, within the Republican opposition a new initiative is being organized by certain Tea Party elements. While the House and Senate are on summer recess, at home with their constituents, Tea Party zealots are stalking moderate or undeclared Republicans’ meetings in their districts and confronting them – agree with our demands to cancel funding for the ACA, or else – embarrassment.
But these efforts are not only futile (any successful legislation in the House would be swatted down summarily in the Senate) but they show a stunning lack of realpolitik.
There are other forces at work, attempting to encourage younger people not to enroll for the insurance marketplaces which are the “exchanges” where subsidized health insurance will be available. These younger people are necessary for the success of the ACA as actuarial ballast, since their relatively low consumption of medical services balances off the higher consuming older enrollees. Unemployed, or largely under-employed and uninsured, these same young citizens need health insurance, and the exchanges will offer this to them. The efforts by FeedomWorks and others to enlist the young in this form of social protest runs too contrary to their self-interest, and will not succeed.