ACA Repeal Could Begin Moving Forward Next Week

The Affordable Care Act is not disappearing fast enough for some Congressional Republicans who are pushing for a hearing on a reconciliation bill that could repeal the health care law.

Members of the conservative House Freedom Caucus told Modern Healthcare that there is no agreement on what should replace the ACA, but the bill should be repealed in the next two to three months to give Congress the time needed to focus on the federal budget.

Rep. Mark Meadows, R-N.C., said Wednesday that House Whip Rep. Steve Scalise, R-La., would host briefings with members next week about Medicaid reform and health savings accounts.

Meadows told reporters that he and his fellow Freedom Caucus members want a repeal bill to include scrapping the individual and employer mandates, as well as ending federal subsidies to help consumers afford insurance and ending the funds for Medicaid expansion.

Meanwhile, Politico reported that nearly a half-dozen ACA replacement plans either have been announced or are forthcoming.

Among those replacement proposals:

- A plan from Sens. Bill Cassidy, R-La., and Susan Collins, R-Maine, would give states the ability to craft their own health care plans, including keeping the current health care law in place.

- Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., issued his own replacement proposal, which would mainly eliminate the ACA’s provisions.

- Rep. Darrell Issa, R-Calif., wants to open up the federal employee health care plan to all Americans.

- Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky, D-Ill., and Sens. Sheldon Whitehouse D-R.I., Sherrod Brown D-Ohio, and Al Franken, D-Minn., introduced the Consumer Health Options and Insurance Competition Enhancement (CHOICE) Act, to add a publicly operated health insurance option to individual marketplaces.

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 [email protected].