Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
Republicans Have Plenty Of Ideas For Replacing Health Law -- But None They Can Agree On
Republican leaders want to get their Obamacare repeal effort back on track. There’s a big problem, though: They’re neck-deep in competing plans to replace the law. Nearly a half-dozen plans have been introduced or are coming — none with the broad support needed to get through Congress and win over the public. And that’s making it far more difficult to repeal a law the GOP has spent six years trying to kill. (Everett and Haberkorn, 2/9)
House Republicans have been working with the Congressional Budget Office on parts of an ObamaCare replacement that they could include in a repeal bill this spring, lobbyists and aides tell The Hill. They have been working with the CBO, Congress’s nonpartisan budget scorekeeper, on the details of tax credits, high-risk pool funding, and changes to Medicaid that could be included in a repeal bill that Republicans hope to pass by the end of March. The bill will use the fast-track process known as reconciliation to avoid a filibuster by Senate Democrats. (Sullivan, 2/8)
The chairman of the House Freedom Caucus said he would be open to making payments to insurers in 2018, agreeing to support a provision of Obamacare over which House Republicans had sued the Obama administration. Rep. Mark Meadows (R-N.C.) said he may be open to funding the reinsurance and cost-sharing reduction payments under the Affordable Care Act during a short-term transition period away from the health care law toward a more conservative alternative. The Freedom Caucus’s approval of these programs could ease their passage through Congress. (McIntire, 2/8)
"I would be more flexible and could swallow some short-term heartburn for longer-term fiscal responsibility," Meadows said. He added that while the payments are "significant" in terms of costs, it is a "minor component" when it comes to a smoother transition. (Hellmann, 2/8)
His comments are among several signals that the controversial subsidies from the health care law may survive. The support from the conservative wing — which often balks at increased government spending — could be crucial as House Republicans push forward on a broader effort to repeal and replace the law. Other key Republicans are increasingly backing the subsidies as a way to ensure stability in the marketplace while the GOP works on a replacement. (Mershon and Williams, 2/8)
