Conservative groups said Wednesday that they support the latest proposed amendment to a bill Republicans are advancing to repeal portions of Obamacare.
“While we’re still short of full repeal, this latest agreement would give states the chance to opt out of some of Obamacare’s costliest regulations, opening the way to greater choice and lower insurance premiums,” Club for Growth President David McIntosh said. “It’s a solution that we’ve supported for weeks, and the time to move forward is now. … any GOP moderates who stand in the way at this point are proving that they simply don’t want to keep their campaign promises to get rid of Obamacare.”
Republicans have been negotiating the details of the bill, the American Health Care Act, to come to an agreement that would draw enough support to advance it to the Senate. Centrists who have opposed it have said they are concerned about taking away coverage, particularly through cuts to Medicaid, and conservatives have said previous versions didn’t go far enough in repealing Obamacare or guaranteeing lower costs for consumers. Authored by Republican centrist Rep. Tom MacArthur of New Jersey, who worked with House Freedom Caucus Chairman Mark Meadows, R-N.C, the amendment would let states opt out of key Obamacare insurance regulations, including mandating that insurers cover essential health benefits such as maternity care and hospitalization and a “community ratings” price control that obligates insurers to charge everyone in an age group the same rate.
To opt out, a state would need to get a waiver from the federal government that attests it will reduce premiums and not reduce coverage.
While the popular mandate for insurers to provide coverage for people with pre-existing conditions remains untouched, by repealing community rating insurers could make such coverage unaffordable.
FreedomWorks President Adam Brandon said the amendment “represents a path forward on healthcare in the House” and said it would immediately withdraw its key vote against the American Health Care Act if the amendment were adopted.
“We’ve maintained that the American Health Care Act must do more to reduce the cost of health insurance,” Brandon said. “The House Freedom Caucus realized that the bill failed to address premium costs, which have skyrocketed under Obamacare.”
He added that the provision gave states “much-needed flexibility to stabilize the market, enroll more people in health plans, and bring down the cost of premiums.”
Heritage Action, another outside conservative group that opposed the American Health Care Act, said it also would withdraw its key vote against the American Health Care Act if the amendment is adopted.
“To be clear, this is not full repeal and it is not what Republicans campaigned on or outlined in the Better Way agenda,” Michael Needham, the group’s CEO, said. “The amendment does, however, represent important progress in what has been a disastrous process. Given the extreme divides in the Republican Party, allowing Texas and South Carolina to make different decisions on health insurance regulations than New York and New Jersey may be the only way forward.
