Traevor Carlton: Healthcare fight is far from over

Democrats and other healthcare activists celebrating the four potential Republican ‘no’ votes on the senate’s health bill need to begin treating a Republican ‘no’ as a ‘maybe.’ Just like the house bill before it, any of the four ‘no’s’ can be more than likely be whipped into voting ‘yes.’ While the health bill was in the house, our own representative had publicly stated he wouldn't support the house’s health bill, but then he did. Throw enough money at opioid addiction treatment. Double the funding going towards high risk pools covering pre-existing conditions. Lessen the heavy blow Medicaid will take. Anything to make the bill appear more marketable in their districts because reelection is at stake. To my fellow Democrats concerned with healthcare: celebrate cautiously. The bill isn't dead until it’s dead. The senate’s next move could very well be a clean repeal of the ACA with no replacement. The fight for healthcare isn't over yet. It's moving into a new phase.

This story was originally published July 18, 2017 at 12:30 PM with the headline "Traevor Carlton: Healthcare fight is far from over."