[chasing]

> it feeds my conspiracy thinking that the Democrats are actually largely indistinguishable from Republicans

Have you been watching anything that's been happening with the healthcare debate over the past, oh, 25 years? The Democrats have been trying with varying degrees of success to inch this country in the direction of a more sensible healthcare system and the Republicans have pitched a generation-long hissy fit about it.

[hkmurakami]

From my observations, neither side has done much to reign in the cost of the cost of hospital services and doctor/nurse compensation, which are out of line with our developed world peers.

On the coverage side, the two parties have contrasting stances.

Healthcare and Health Insurance are related but distinct topics.

[chasing]

Obamacare does include a bunch of tools to help keep overall healthcare spending down. As far as I'm aware, they have helped. But there's a long way to go.

I'm actually not sure the BHCA or AHCA or whatever it's called now has much in it besides slogans and major spending cuts which aren't aimed at making care less expensive -- they're aimed and reducing the overall amount of care provided by shifting costs to those less capable of bearing them.

That's a pretty big contrast.

[hkmurakami]

Correct, the GOP plan only seeks to "correct" (in their minds) the extent to which a wealth transfer occurs through the health insurance vehicle, via federal programs, direct aid to states, subsidies, etc.

Cost of healthcare, other than the occasional conversation about drug prices and definitions of necessary care (which continues to be abused by practitioners), continues to take a back seat.

For what it is worth, my personal opinion is that the medical professional lobby is a single issue voting constituency that is just as powerful as the NRA and the teachers unions.

[mistermann]

I'd challenge anyone to present a link to a substantial article or video where a noteworthy democratic politician actually addresses in detail some of the very big problems in the current system, rather than just speak in feel-good generalities that if implemented could easily allow corporations to continue charging at current levels for delivery even under a single-payer system.

Until then, I will continue to believe democrats and republicans serve the same master and only differ in language to provide an illusion of choice.

[kobeya]

Take your politics elsewhere.

[chasing]

That's more of a history lesson than a political one. Democrats and Republicans have wildly different perspectives on healthcare. Democrats tend to believe it's a universal human right. Republicans seem to think whatever solution the free market decides is the right solution, even if it means not everyone gets access to healthcare.

It's been that way for decades.