Day 60.

I took care of myself today. I went to dance class for the first time in about a month. I do a Bollywood dance class called Doonya. Bollywood dancing is as fun as it sounds, while also being a kick-butt workout. I felt happy and like myself at the same time. It was a really good thing to take some time for just me.

I’ve also been following the debate over the Affordable Care Act (known as Obamacare). The majority in the new Congress is talking about repealing it. Sometimes they also talk about replacing it. It’s a little confusing, I’ll be honest. I’ve gathered some information about it.

Vox’s The Ezra Klein Show (link to podcast on iTunes) interviewed President Obama for about an hour last week about the repeal and replace effort. Obama talks about the law, and about efforts to repeal it. As he points out, nobody has come up with any specific plan for replacing it in the nearly seven years since the law was passed. (Tom Price, who I’ve written about here before, has drafted a proposal which would eliminate the protections for patients with pre-existing conditions, one of ACA’s most popular features, and it would also allow doctors to opt out of – and to charge more than – Medicare.)

The New York Times has a very helpful infographic here that shows which parts of the law are easiest to pare back – requiring 50 votes in the Senate – and which will require 60 votes (to break the filibuster). Republicans have 51 votes, and it’s not likely that any Democrats are going to give on this. (The pre-existing condition provision, mentioned above, will require 60 votes.)

If you’re still reading, I’m impressed. And maybe you have a story about ACA yourself? I would love to hear more about life for people before and after the ACA. I’m on an employer-provided plan that existed before ACA, but it’s of interest to me. What family do you know without a pre-existing condition? What family do you know where nobody has ever needed a doctor? As we age (consider the alternative) it’s inevitable. I think it’s in all of our interests to understand our system, and what would happen to us if it changes.