Now, it's Trump's responsibility to serve

"As you know, I've been saying for years that the best thing is to let Obamacare explode and then go make a deal with the Democrats and have one unified deal," says Donald Trump after never having said this until last week. He went on to say that Democrats are to blame for his defeat because they did not support the lame alternative hastily wrought by Mr. Ryan and sold by The Donald.

Consistent with his reaction to all losses and setbacks, Trump takes no responsibility and pins the blame everywhere but on his own chest. He is wrong about ownership: the ACA is still standing and his administration is responsible for making it work for all Americans who aren't covered by an employer, Medicare or pre-ACA Medicaid. If Dr. Price doesn't do his job of effectively administering the program, millions will be unnecessarily hurt: innocent victims of revenge.

Trump and Price have ballyhooed the fact that the ACA left much of the detail to the Department of Health and Human Services. They bragged about how Price would chop it apart piece by piece, gleefully killing that dirty old, disastrous Obamacare.

Well, now they are the people whose job it is to better the lives of the citizens they serve. What will they do? Will they turn Medicaid into a program that replaces healing with punishment for being poor? Will they end premium subsidies for low and middle income people so those who can least afford it will "pay the price" for having enjoyed decent health care for the first time in their lives? Ah, sweet revenge.

You couldn't swing the deal, Mr. President. Now you own the administration of health care in America aka Obamacare. Will you serve the people or make them the victims of the zero-sum game you lost?

Peer T. Lykke

Barrington Hills