A group of conservative Republicans said Wednesday that their plan for replacing Obamacare, while not perfect, would go a long way toward bringing back choice for Americans.
The Republican Study Committee announced a bill Wednesday to repeal and replace the healthcare law. Lawmakers took the opportunity to address several attacks from Democrats on Congress’ fast path to repealing the law without a replacement.
The move comes on the same day that President Obama rallied congressional Democrats to fight against Republican efforts to dismantle his signature domestic achievement. A key talking point from Democrats after the meeting was that Republicans will throw insurance markets into chaos by repealing the law without a replacement.
Republicans pushed back against the charge.
“Despite the president’s rhetoric, this is not going to eliminate healthcare coverage for millions of people who are currently insured,” said Rep. Bill Flores, R-Texas. “No one loses coverage, doctors get paid, insurance companies continue to issue policies, albeit on a more competitive basis.”
However, another lawmaker was more cautious about the exact impact of the replacement plan.
“We can’t sit here and tell you that the Republican version is going to be the perfect solution,” said Rep. Mark Walker, R-N.C., committee chairman, after the press conference. “Our goal is to get back to the patients where the individual gets to choose.”
Walker said that it would be “premature” to say that the committee’s bill would cover as many people as Obamacare. He also admitted that some people may “slip through the cracks.”
“We are still trying to get all of the Obamacare facts,” he said.
Walker said during the press conference that marketplaces are “already collapsing” under Obamacare. Repealing the law now also would help bring relief to businesses and people hurt by the law.
“When you hear from the amount of small businesses and individuals I can tell you that there is something immediate that needs to be done,” he said. “We’ve got to put out a fire immediately.”
The Republican-controlled Congress is moving quickly to repeal the law. On Tuesday, the Senate Budget Committee released a budget resolution that starts the path to using the procedural move reconciliation, which allows a bill to be considered via a simple majority vote rather than reconciliation.
The resolution, which passed a procedural vote Wednesday in the Senate, directs House and Senate committees to draft repeal legislation by Jan. 27.
Debate and a final vote on the budget resolution are expected to take place next week.
The study committee’s replacement bill, which is yet to be filed, is similar to the House leadership’s “Better Way” plan released last year.
It would replace Obamacare with a plan that enables insurers to sell plans across state lines and boosts funding for health savings accounts.
The one difference from “Better Way” is that the study committee’s plan would focus on increased deductions for people to pay down the cost of healthcare, an avenue President-elect Trump also has favored.
The “Better Way” plan would use refundable tax credits pegged to a person’s age, to give to people getting insurance on the individual market, which is for people who don’t get insurance through their job. Obamacare’s marketplaces, which also offer tax credits but pegged to income, are in the individual market.
Walker said the committee’s plan is not in competition with a “Better Way.”
He added that he would love to see Obamacare repealed and a replacement up and running in 18 months, which he admitted was optimistic.
