Conservatives Take Another Stab At ACA Repeal

Even though Congressional Republican leadership said it has moved on from repealing the Affordable Care Act, a coalition of conservative groups compiled their own plan to repeal the health care law.

Groups led by the Heritage Foundation, the Galen Institute and former Sen. Rick Santorum, R-Pa., drafted the plan, which will be formally announced Wednesday. It would eliminate the ACA's Medicaid expansion as well as the subsidies that help people buy coverage. Instead, it would convert that money into block grants for the states.

The plan does not specify the details of how the amount of funding in its new block grants would be calculated. In addition, the plan would eliminate the essential health benefits that plans are required to cover under the ACA. Plan supporters said this would lead to less expensive plans being offered.

Does the new plan have a chance of moving forward? It's unlikely that the plan has a chance of passage this year. Republicans failed to get enough votes to pass an ACA repeal last year and the GOP has even fewer votes in the Senate this year than last.

However, if Republicans can keep control of the House and pick up seats in the Senate following the 2018 midterm elections, the ACA repeal effort could get another chance.

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. Follow her on Twitter @INNsusan.

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Susan Rupe is editor in chief, magazine, 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.