GOP Tries Sweeteners On Ocare Repeal Bill

March 21, 2017 – 8:04 am

None of this really addresses the fundamental flaws of the replace bill

(Politico) House Republican leaders are making a last-ditch attempt to win enough support to pass their Obamacare repeal, revealing an expansive series of changes to the bill on Monday night designed to woo wary GOP lawmakers.

Requested by President Donald Trump, the amendment includes perks for restive conservatives who wanted optional work requirements and block granting in Medicaid, as well as a potential olive branch to wary centrists who demanded more help for older Americans to buy insurance, POLITICO has learned.

Will these changes make a difference?

“House leadership does not have the votes to pass this very liberal bill unless they have a bunch of Democrats on board!” declared Rep. Mo Brooks (R-Ala.) while exiting the meeting. He called it a “the largest Republican welfare bill in the history of the Republican Party.”

And

What are the changes?

The mangers amendment is expected to entice some to vote “yes” on the bill, on both sides. For moderate and centrist Republicans, it would set aside funding — about $85 billion, according to Republican sources — for tax credits to help Americans between 50 and 64, who would see their premiums skyrocket under the current repeal plan. The amendment would not set up the tax credits but would instruct the Senate to do so, forcing House Republicans to take a vote on something the upper chamber would do later. It would be paid for by allowing consumers to write off less medical debt. (snip)

The bill also includes provisions nodding at anti-abortion GOP leaders. Among other changes to the repeal bill, the amendment would delete a provision that would have allowed consumers to move leftover tax credit money into a Health Savings Account. Anti-abortion groups had raised concerns that the provision might be eliminated under the Senate’s strict budget rules and inadvertently allow for taxpayer funding of abortion.

It also allows states to opt-in to traditional Medicaid block grants, and makes some changes to attempt to make this more palatable for moderate Republicans.

And then there are the Obamacare taxes. This would see most ended starting January 2017, rather than 2018. But, it would not get rid of the Cadillac Plan tax, but simply hold off on implementation from 2025 to 2026.

But, as Caleb Howe notes

This doesn’t even begin to address the “still to come” problems like getting through the Senate, getting the other “phases” passed, and the rest of the pipe dreams.

It doesn’t address the “mandate” that would penalize people who do not have insurance and attempt to get it, nor the other issues with the bill. It doesn’t provide that pathway to make it easier for people to obtain health insurance nor reduce costs. Whether people like it or not, there are lots of individuals and small businesses that get their insurance via the government exchanges (they really have little choice): what do they do as the Exchanges end? There must be a guidance, and this bill doesn’t do it.

Crossed at Right Wing News.

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This entry was written by William Teach and posted on at 8:04 am and filed under GOP, Healthcare. Bookmark the permalink. Follow any comments here with the RSS feed for this post.
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2 Responses to “GOP Tries Sweeteners On Ocare Repeal Bill”

  1. Jeffery says:
    March 21, 2017 at 8:17 am

    By the time the Repugs finish re-re-re-crafting the repeal of the ACA, it will resemble the ACA. LOL.

    You cannot promise affordable health insurance for even those with pre-existing conditions without interventions in the market. Such interventions could be subsidies, having everyone participate etc. Realize that the basis of insurance is to have a large enough pool that the premiums of the many cover the large expenses of the few.

    Perhaps there is the opportunity for ideologues to learn about the realities of life.

  2. Jeffery says:
    March 21, 2017 at 9:27 am

    Why can’t they just repeal the ACA as they voted on 50+ times, and this time have trump sign it. What’s the big deal. The ACA will be gone. People will be able to buy insurance if they want. Things will just revert to the way they were before the ACA when all was good.

    But no the RINOs and squishes are concerned about people with pre-existing conditions and adult children up to age 26, things that “the people” wanted.

    The House needs to “man-up” and do what the few that support them want. This is a democratic republic, after all, and elections have consequences.

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