House Freedom Caucus Chairman Mark Meadows (R-NC) will negotiate with former Tuesday Group Co-chairman Tom MacArthur (R-NJ) to include more conservative reforms in a potential Obamacare stabilization package.
The duo negotiated fundamental changes in the American Health Care Act (AHCA) that allowed the bill to pass through the House earlier this summer. The AHCA included a stabilization fund for states to lower premiums while creating waivers for states to rescind Obamacare regulations such as community ratings and essential health benefits.
The proposed stabilization between the conservative Mark Meadows and the moderate Tom MacArthur would include funding Obamacare’s cost-sharing program that would reduce low-income Americans’ out-of-pocket costs while expanding state waivers already included in Obamacare, known as 1332 waivers.
Iowa submitted a 1332 waiver to reduce health care costs and stabilize their individual health insurance market. States can apply for these waivers to amend essential health benefits that require insurers to cover a wide range of services from hospitalization to oral and vision care. Expanding state waivers could allow states to lower premiums and deductibles in conservative states.
Congressman Tom MacArthur said in a statement that he would like to stabilize the Obamacare markets in the short-term while reducing everyone’s health care costs.
“I came to Congress to fix the tough problems facing our country, not walk away,” MacArthur explained. “This is why I’ve been working on a plan that will lower the cost of premiums, while stabilizing the individual marketplace, so that we can provide Americans with the high quality and affordable health care they deserve.”
Alexander serves as the chairman of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) committee; he announced recently that he will start hearings on how to stabilize the health insurance market through insurance bailouts and subsidies. The chairman also revealed that he will work with Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA), the ranking member of the HELP committee, as well as the Senate Finance Committee Chairman Orrin Hatch (R-UT) and Sen. Ron Wyden to discuss potential solutions.
While Congressman Meadows pushes to put more conservative reforms in the potential Obamacare stabilization package, the House Freedom Caucus launched a discharge petition that would force the House to vote on a clean repeal bill of Obamacare. The Freedom Caucus needs 218 signatures to force the House to vote on the repeal bill sponsored by Rep. Jim Jordan (R-OH), and it has already picked up steam. House Republican Study Committee Chairman Mark Walker (R-NC) endorsed the Freedom Caucus discharge petition last week.
President Donald Trump has repeatedly threatened to remove Obamacare’s cost-sharing subsidies, as well as the congressional exemption for Obamacare, arguing that health insurers and Congress should understand the Americans’ plight under the Affordable Care Act.
COMMENTS
Please let us know if you're having issues with commenting.