(Bloomberg Gadfly) Now that Obamacare looks like it might stick around a little while longer, maybe UnitedHealth Group Inc. should reconsider abandoning it. Of course, the insurer's solid second-quarter results reported on Tuesday — it beat analyst earnings expectations and boosted full-year guidance — benefited from its retreat from the Affordable Care Act's (ACAs) individual exchanges.

But odd as it may seem, given how well the decision to bail on the ACA has paid off, UnitedHealth should at least consider an eventual return. Getting out was arguably the right choice for the company last year. But if done right, returning could be a good idea, too.

First, a caveat: This is conditional on the Trump administration not sabotaging the ACA and retaining cost-sharing subsidies that help low-income Americans afford insurance. A return to Obamacare would ideally happen after a bipartisan fix addressing other insurer concerns.