EDITORIAL: Bipartisanship could help save the Affordable Care Act

Oct. 19--Anyone breathing a sigh of relief over the bipartisan deal to stabilize the health-insurance market may want to hold off on that exhale.

U.S. Sens. Patty Murray, ­D-Washington, and Lamar Alexander, R-Tennessee, have crafted a proposal to keep the Affordable Care Act rolling for at least two more years, but the work unfortunately is far from finished.

First, President Donald Trump supported their plan. Then he pulled back his support. Then Trump said lawmakers were on the right track and should keep working. Then he said he would never sign a plan that continued to enrich health-insurance companies. Whoa. That's a lot of whiplash, even for this president.

Murray says she's staying focused on policies that can help Americans who need health insurance and a stable marketplace. She and Alexander are recruiting co-sponsors, hope to hold a hearing next week and are moving forward as if Twitter -- and the president's flip-flopping -- were not a factor. Republicans and Democrats need to get onboard.

Murray and Alexander are setting a good example every American should emulate. Try to ignore the wacky politics and focus on what's best for everyday Americans. Pick up your phone and call your representatives in Congress and ask them to sign on to the Murray-Alexander proposal.

The plan is simple: Keep insurance companies in the health-insurance market with $20 billion to support lower copays and deductibles for consumers. Note to Trump: This cash infusion is essential because insurance companies are not making a bundle on the Affordable Care Act. They are leaving the marketplace in droves because they are losing money and are worried about even more losses next year.

The Murray-Alexander plan also includes slightly more flexibility for the states but does not water down insurance requirements. It would let people of any age buy some low-premium, high-deductible plans, instead of limiting those catastrophic policies to people under 30. The agreement also restores money to pay for outreach and promotion to encourage people to sign up for health insurance.

Thank you, Sen. Murray, for once again demonstrating the bipartisan way to get things done in Congress. You helped move the country forward on education accountability with the 2015 Every Student Succeeds Act. Let's hope ACA stabilization will be another notch on your political tool belt.

Editorial board members are editorial page editor Kate Riley, Frank A. Blethen, Donna Gordon Blankinship, Brier Dudley, Mark Higgins, Melissa Santos, William K. Blethen (emeritus) and Robert C. Blethen (emeritus).

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