The Republican plan for lower income people after Obamacare is repealed to tell them to stop buying iPhones and purchase their own health care according to Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-UT).
After it had been pointed to Chaffetz that access doesn’t equal affordability when it comes to coverage, the Congressman from Utah responded with one of the most out of touch replies one will ever hear.
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Chaffetz said on CNN’s New Day, “We’re getting rid of the individual mandate. We’re getting rid of those things that people said that they don’t want. And you know what? Americans have choices. So maybe they gotta make a choice. Getting that new iPhone that they love that want to spend hundreds of dollars on, maybe they should invest it in their own health care. They gotta make those decisions themselves.”
This is what Republicans don’t want to tell poor people. Access does not equal affordability. There is a reason why the word affordable is missing in the title of the House Republican Obamacare replacement plan.
When Rep. Chaffetz talks about giving people a choice, he is referring to the choice between having health insurance and paying the rent or mortgage. Chaffetz is talking about the choice between being able to buy food or be able to see a doctor.
The choice isn’t about whether or not to buy the new iPhone or have health insurance. For lower income Americans receiving Obamacare subsidies or Medicaid, they can’t afford a new iPhone. The people who can afford to stand in line for new Apple products can afford new health insurance.
Chaffetz was asked about lower income people, and his answer revealed that lower income people are going lose their health care coverage because if a person has to choose between health insurance or keeping a roof over their head, they’re going to pick the option that doesn’t leave them homeless.
The other revealing aspect of Chaffetz’s answer is his example was an admission that the Republican plan is going to harm the economy. If a person has to take money from groceries or other spending to pay their health insurance, that is less money going back into the economy.
The underlying ideology behind the Republican plan is rooted in a belief that poor people are poor because they waste their money, which is not true.
The House Republican Obamacare replacement is going to cost people more money for less health care.
The members of Congress who are making decisions about the health care for the country are out of touch with reality and must be stopped before they cause grave harm to millions of people in the United States.
Jason is the managing editor. He is also a White House Press Pool and a Congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. His graduate work focused on public policy, with a specialization in social reform movements.
Awards and Professional Memberships
Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association
