>>>It isn't really true that the two sides negotiated.
>
>Really? The rot started when noncompliant plans were grandfathered to justify "if you like your doctor, you can keep your doctor" (a quote much loved by KG) ... and then that was extended, and individual mandate was postponed, then postponed again, then again. If you're owning all that for the Democrats, OK. ;-)

I was addressing the process of passing the bill. Republicans made it clear pretty fast that despite it coming from a Republican plan, they would not support it in any way. Most of the negotiation and changes to the bill came from making it acceptable to the most conservative Democrats in the Senate.

Implementation is a whole 'nother story. FWIW, I learned a lot about the whole process from this book: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/240553/americas-bitter-pill-by-steven-brill/. That said, it's years since I read it, so I've forgotten a lot of the details.

Tamar