Ohio governor John Kasich dismissed changes to the American Health Care Act designed to give states flexibility under Obamacare’s insurance regulations on Friday, telling reporters that the House amendment process is a “bouncing ball” he hasn’t been interested in following.
“I think these things are designed to get votes, and I think it needs to start from ground zero,” he said at a breakfast hosted by the Christian Science Monitor. “I haven’t studied it all—I think it’s window dressing. But it’s more serious than window dressing, because I think there’s an ability to just repeal some things or states to just walk away from serious things that need to be attended to.”
A change to the AHCA co-sponsored by leaders of the House’s most conservative and moderate factions would grant states the ability to waive two of the Affordable Care Act’s requirements on insurers. One requires all plans to include a minimum mix of “essential health benefits.” The other forbids insurers from charging individuals different premiums based on their health status. Conservatives pushed the waiver idea mostly for reasons of policy—they say the regulations drive up costs—but also because repealing them outright would test the Senate’s budget rules under the type of legislation Republicans are using for health care reform.
Kasich said he wasn’t paying close attention to all the details.
“In terms of following the bouncing ball here of what political machinations the Republicans are going through to get this through is not something I’m spending a great amount of time [on],” he admitted.
Overall, the Ohio governor and onetime presidential candidate said he was against the GOP bill. A reporter asked Kasich what congressional Republicans weren’t “getting,” or understanding, in their efforts to pass a measure, to which Kasich responded jokingly: “What do you mean, ‘What are they not getting?’ I’m glad they haven’t gotten it.”
House moderates, not unlike Kasich, reportedly have been tepid to the legislation or outright opposed to it, despite the backing of centrist Rep. Tom MacArthur. The New Jersey Republican is co-chairman of the moderate Tuesday Group and author of the waiver language. The lower chamber didn’t vote on the bill before the end of this week, despite the White House signaling it wanted action at some point during the last five days.
