Congressional Republicans plan to vote to repeal the health law immediately
to fulfill campaign promises, but are giving themselves up to three years to
come up with a replacement for the legislation that wouldn't leave millions
without coverage. Meanwhile, when they do come up with a new bill, they'll need
to work with Democrats to get it through the Senate.
Politico: GOP May Stall Obamacare Replacement For
Years
Prepare for the Obamacare cliff. Congressional
Republicans are setting up their own, self-imposed deadline to make good on
their vow to replace the Affordable Care Act. With buy-in from Donald Trump’s
transition team, GOP leaders on both sides of the Capitol are coalescing around
a plan to vote to repeal the law in early 2017 — but delay the effective date
for that repeal for as long as three years. (Bade and Everett,
12/1)
The Washington Post: Getting Rid Of Obamacare May
Take Longer Than Trump Plans
President-elect Donald Trump
and congressional Republicans promised during the campaign to
quickly repeal and replace President Obama’s signature health-care law if
they controlled Washington. Now GOP lawmakers are predicting it could take years
to fulfill that pledge. Republican leaders in the House and Senate on Tuesday
began emphasizing that even if Congress moves quickly on a vote to repeal
the Affordable Care Act, it will take time to ease people out of its programs
and replace it with their long-promised alternative. (Snell,
11/30)
The Wall Street Journal: Getting Obamacare
Replacement Through Senate Will Be A Test
Republicans on
Capitol Hill are grappling with the likelihood that they will need Democratic
support to pass parts of any plan replacing the Affordable Care Act, setting up
a complex legislative battle over the law’s future. President-elect Donald Trump
is expected in his first days in office to take executive action voiding parts
of the health law that the administration has discretion to change. Soon after
that, lawmakers likely would start on their efforts to repeal and replace the
law. (Armour, Peterson and Radnofsky, 11/30)
Kaiser Health News: Health Law’s Test Kitchen For
Payment Reforms Could Offer Tool For GOP Ideas
Joint
replacements. Cardiac care. Chemotherapy. What do those things have to do with
the repeal of the Affordable Care Act? Economists and policymakers think the
U.S. may be overpaying for such services, which helps drive up health care
expenses for everyone. And the health law has a program that includes testing
new ways to pay for care — including in those three areas — that might result in
better quality and lower costs. (Appleby, 12/1)