GOP Senators Would Let States Keep Obamacare
- by Virginia Carter
- in World Media
- — Jan 25, 2017
Under the Patient Freedom Act of 2017 Plan, this year, Congress repeals and replaces Obamacare with the Collins-Cassidy proposal. The bill would also allow children coverage on their parents' healthcare plans until they are 26, as well as requiring that insurance companies provide healthcare even to those with pre-existing conditions. "Simply put, doing nothing is not an option". She expressed hope that the proposal offered ideas her Senate colleagues could "coalesce around, debate and refine so that our efforts can move forward with no gap in coverage for those relying on the current system". Republicans are expected to roll out several competing Obamacare replacement plans in the next few days and weeks.
To offset those costs, the federal government would draw on the same funding sources that Obamacare does, including payroll taxes that the law imposed on the wealthiest Americans ― although Cassidy said he expected Republicans to come up with alternative funding later on, as part of a broader discussion of tax reform.
Trump signed an executive order on Friday within hours of taking office that directs US agencies to "waive, defer, grant exemptions from, or delay implementation" of provisions of Obamacare that are deemed to impose fiscal burdens on states, companies or individuals.
One is that state officials could choose to stick with the Affordable Care Act's coverage scheme, or something very close to it, if that's what they prefer.
States also would receive the money they would have been paid for an expansion of Medicaid, which is something that Maine Gov. Paul LePage so far has successfully vetoed.
In other words, they could keep their expanded Medicaid programs going. They could opt out and instead buy more generous health insurance coverage using their HFAs (Health Savings Account).
Q: What is a health savings account?
But Trump and congressional GOP leaders have not suggested letting states retain the entire statute.
"Ultimately, this proposal is an empty facade that would create chaos - not care - for millions of Americans", said a statement from Schumer.
In the past, proposals from Cassidy and other Republicans have envisioned funding growing at a fixed rate that, over time, would decline relative to the price of health care ― gradually exposing people to greater medical expenses.
"At some point in this process, we're going to need a bill that can get 60 votes", Cassidy said at a press conference Monday.