Pennsylvania has 1M in path of Obamacare repeal
Congressional
Some of the latest proposals, which could be revived when Trump reaches office, would reverse the
"I don't think we've seen anything on this scale," said
The estimate includes people who have coverage through
In
Trump has denounced the law in strong terms while citing the need to replace it.
"If we don't repeal and replace Obamacare, we will destroy American health care forever," he said last week in a speech outside
Trump has seized in recent weeks on headlines describing double-digit premium increases for marketplace plans in states across the country. Major insurers such as Aetna and UnitedHealthcare have exited the federal marketplace, saying sicker-than-expected members were driving heavy losses as fewer young, healthy people signed up for the plans than expected.
Replacing the law could reduce the number of people who would lose their insurance.
Trump, in an outline of a replacement plan on his website, calls for creating a tax deduction to help with monthly premiums, promoting expanded use of health savings accounts and allowing insurers to sell health plans across state lines, along with eliminating the law's requirement that most people have insurance.
His proposal would give state
The outline doesn't address major policy questions, such as whether insurers would be able to adjust premiums based on consumers' pre-existing medical conditions. The health law forbids insurers from denying coverage or setting rates based on health condition, a common practice before its passage.
Insurers are unlikely to continue covering people at equal rates regardless of medical condition if there is no mandate for everyone to have insurance, Donohue said.
"There's a lot of uncertainty," said
Kraus said her group continues to encourage people to sign up for marketplace plans and
"I still don't believe something is going to happen overnight," she said. "We'll see how it plays out, but it's hard to imagine what could happen if one million Pennsylvanians lose coverage."
Some replacement proposals aim to encourage enrollment through incentives -- such as tax deductions to help with premium costs -- instead of penalizing people who go without insurance, said
Tax credits have been available for employer-based insurance for decades, he and other experts said, but not for individuals.
"I think we're about 70 years overdue for offering a tax break for people who buy insurance on their own," he said.
Hudson has crafted a replacement proposal that he said would provide
"With a Republican president and
Rothfus said the Republican plan will translate to "lower costs, higher quality coverage and a stronger
He added: "We will accomplish this through competition and consumer choice -- not through centralized control in
"It's better to have something than nothing," said Curran, who owns a physical therapy business. "What the heck will my option be come January? What will be available for my family?"
Curran, who worked 11 years for
"It helps me sleep at night, knowing I have coverage," said Curran, who has two young sons. "I'll be curious to see what the
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