Pa. legislators sign on to bipartisan health care proposal

Aug. 01--A bipartisan group of U.S. House lawmakers, including several Pennsylvania Republicans, have put forward a new health care proposal that they hope can gain support and reduce uncertainty among insurers after the U.S. Senate's unsuccessful votes last week.

The proposal announced Monday by the Problem-Solvers Caucus is the result of meetings among roughly 40 House legislators in recent months. The five-point plan would, among other changes, would ensure funding for the so-called "cost-sharing subsidies" to insurers, which are intended to hold down out-of-pocket costs for the poorest customers buying insurance on the Obamacare exchanges. President Donald Trump has repeatedly threatened to cut off those payments.

It also would repeal the medical device tax; change the employer mandate so that it applies to companies with 500, not 50, or more employees; create a stability fund for states to hold down premiums or limit insurer losses; and give states more flexibility, including the ability for compacts to sell insurance across state lines.

Four Pennsylvania Republicans -- Reps. Charlie Dent, whose district includes Lehigh County and part of Northampton County; Ryan Costello, of Chester County; Lloyd Smucker, of Lancaster County; and G.T. Thompson, from Centre County -- signed on to a news release detailing the proposal.

"It is time to set aside the purely partisan approach on health care and work together to enact durable and sustainable reforms for the American people," Dent said. "I am proud to join my colleagues, Republican and Democrat, in taking an important first step to demonstrate that we can work together to improve our health care system."

Dent told The Morning Call ahead of the proposal's release that he saw it as a "starting point" for giving insurers more certainty over the federal rules they'll be facing and stabilizing the health care market.

The proposal comes as House lawmakers are beginning their month-long August recess, and the Senate is wrapping up its schedule before also leaving Washington. So far, the bipartisan meetings leading to the new proposal have only involve House members and no senators.

Leaders of the Problem Solvers Caucus -- Tom Reed, a New York Republican, and Josh Gottheimer, a New Jersey Democrat -- said legislators will meet throughout August with constituents and health care groups, "and will return to Congress ready to take action."

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