Sen. Bill Cassidy says the Republican replacement for Obamacare will focus on decentralizing healthcare and transferring policy decisions to the states.
The Louisiana Republican, speaking to “Examining Politics,” a weekly podcast from the Washington Examiner, predicted that Rep. Tom Price, R-Ga., President-elect Trump’s nominee to lead Health and Human Services, would likely favor this approach.
Cassidy is pushing legislation to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act that he said is similar to the plan Price has pushed in Congress. The senator and Price are both medical doctors who for years would meet for breakfast every week with other GOP doctors.
Before Cassidy entered politics, he practiced medicine at a hospital in Baton Rouge, treating primarily uninsured patients. He said frustration with government healthcare regulations led him to become politically active.
Under Cassidy’s legislative proposals for repealing and replacing the Affordable Care Act, states would have the option of maintaining Obamacare-style healthcare, which includes the mandate to purchase insurance. States also would be able to embrace market-reforms with minimal intrusion from the government.
That strategy, Cassidy said, would help reduce costs and finance the popular parts of the Affordable Care Act, such as prohibiting insurers from denying coverage because of a pre-existing medical condition, without the unpopular mandate to buy insurance.
Cassidy also would address this challenge by creating a system that automatically enrolls people in health insurance, in those states that voluntarily adopt this system. Similar to Medicare, the insurance program for the elderly, citizens in states that use this system would not be required to maintain coverage, and could opt out.
“We have a two-phase repeal and replace,” Cassidy explained. “So, Congress passes legislation which creates an alternative to Obamacare and gives states the power to repeal and replace Obamacare. Republicans, though, believe, that if you want to keep your insurance you can — and by the way, we mean it, number one. Number two, we believe states should have all powers unless otherwise delegated to the federal government.”
“So with those first principles, we would say: ‘Listen, states, you’ve got three options,'” Cassidy continued. “First option, which is the default, if you do nothing, this is going to happen, you go into our alternative. Second, what you would have to actively opt for, would be to stay in Obamacare. You own it, with all of its problems, if you’re on the Left Coast and you love it you can opt for it — and God bless you. And No. 3, the state can say, we’re out, we don’t want anything from the federal government.”
Cassidy’s full interview with the “Examining Politics” podcast airs Thursday morning. It’s available at the Examiner’s website, on iTunes and on PodcastOne.com.
