Health Care Reform: Where Does It Go From Here?

ORLANDO, Fla. - In the minutes leading up to his presentation at the Health Agents for America Agent Summit, Michael Keegan was still updating his remarks to keep up with the latest news on Senate efforts to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act.

After the collapse of the Senate’s latest repeal-and-replace act earlier this week, Keegan expects to give a timely presentation on “The Hurricane Called Health Care Reform.” Keegan is HAFA’s political analyst.

So what’s Keegan’s take on the Senate’s failed effort to bring health care reform to a vote?

“Looking forward, it’s hard to say where they will go from here,” he said.

“But the last year has been so interesting. After the House had to pull its vote in March, it looked like health care reform was dead. Then the MacArthur amendment saves it and it passes the House,” he said.

“I think what’s going to be important over the next several weeks is what Senate Republicans see as being the political poison: passing something that might not be popular, or not passing something and failing to deliver a campaign promise that has been made fairly consistently in the seven years since the Affordable Care Act was signed.”

The current back-and-forth over repealing the ACA reminds Keegan of 2009-10, just before the ACA was finally signed into law.

“Looking back to that time, I think one of the most telling things was that the Democrats had large majorities in the House and Senate in 2009-2010, but the health care issue was dying. The ACA seemed to be dead in early 2010 and then it was revived. The Democrats said not getting something done was not an option, we need to do something.”

As in 2009-10, there is a feeling in Washington that “something is better than nothing,” Keegan said.

“If Republicans go back to the voters in November and they have nothing to show for it, there will be a political price to pay,” Keegan said. “The question they have to ask themselves is: Are we better off passing a bill that people don’t like versus having nothing and losing our base over it? It will be interesting to see how this comes out.”

Keegan predicted that health care reform is not dead.

“I think there could be a point in time much as with the Democrats in 2009 where they said, we have made it such a big issue we can’t go back to our voters with nothing.  So maybe there will be enough Republicans in the Senate side who will hold their nose and vote for something. But at least right now, the Better Care Act is dead, at least the initial plan appears to be dead. What’s Plan C or D or E? I think they will get to that.”

Susan Rupe is managing editor for InsuranceNewsNet. She formerly served as communications director for an insurance agents' association and was an award-winning newspaper reporter and editor. Contact her at Susan.Rupe@innfeedback.com.

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