Vernie Davis: Consequences facing GOP on ACA repeal

The Jan. 14 Nick Anderson editorial cartoon of the elephant proclaiming “repeal” while jumping off a cliff reminded me of my 3-year-old granddaughter. Whenever she begins to do something dangerous, rather than simply saying “no,” her mother asks “What’s your plan here?”

We might ask that same question when we see our representatives in Washington rushing to repeal the Affordable Care Act without presenting a clear vision of how it will be replaced. Repeal without replacement will put the health of millions of Americans in jeopardy, will create chaos in financial markets for insurance companies and pharmaceutical companies and disrupt hospitals and care providers.

Committing to improving the current health care plan and providing higher quality health care at lower cost would be a plan that most all of us could embrace. But, repealing the ACA without a concrete and well considered alternative is sheer folly. What’s the plan here?

This story was originally published January 20, 2017 at 9:38 AM with the headline "Vernie Davis: Consequences facing GOP on ACA repeal."