In addition to denying coverage for pre-existing conditions and yanking health insurance out from under a minimum of 30,000 Delawareans, the GOP’s “repeal of the ACA will accomplish a lot of what Christine O’Donnell was campaigning for back in 2010, even while retaining O’Donnell’s incoherence.
This is from a debate that aired at 7:30 pm on October 13th, 2010:
BLITZER: All right. Well, here’s the question. Let’s say someone decides not to purchase health insurance, makes that conscientious decision, even though this person can afford to buy health insurance, but decided he doesn’t want to. This person gets critically ill, is rushed to an emergency room.
Should we, people who pay for health insurance, provide him or her with that kind of treatment, or should we kick them out of the emergency room, said, you made a decision, you’re not going to get this kind of treatment?
O’DONNELL: If we do the things that I’ve said that will help to address — that I’m proposing, that will help to address the issue of health care, then that person can afford to buy a catastrophic-only policy from across state lines. They’ll be able…
BLITZER: Well, what if the person doesn’t want to buy it?
O’DONNELL: Well, then we have to address that.
BLITZER: Who should take care of that person in an emergency?
O’DONNELL: We have to address it.
BLITZER: Would we, all of us tax-payers…
O’DONNELL: We have to — no, we have to…
BLITZER: … have to pay for that person?
O’DONNELL: Anything that they do when they have another bill that they can’t pay, make them pay it. Hold them accountable for that.
KARIBJANIAN: Before or after they get care?
O’DONNELL: But right now, right now — well, that’s up to the hospital. But right now we’re forcing them to. We’re forcing them that they have to give care to illegal aliens.
So this is something that we’re already doing. What I’m proposing, you’re also talking about a very small hypothetical using scare tactics to make people support this health care bill.
What I’m proposing in the health care reforms that I’m proposing will help address those situation and help alleviate those situations.
BLITZER: Not just a small number…
O’DONNELL: Well, nobody should be forced to pay for anyone else’s health care, and that’s what Obamacare is doing.