The health care controversy rages on! To help you keep up with all the most recent developments, here’s a summary of the most recent news stories.
- Republicans pulled the American Health Care Act before a vote could occur. The American Health Care Act was the GOP’s primary plan to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act. A vote was expected to take place in late March, but the act was pulled before that could happen. As CNN reports, the bill could not get enough support to pass. Democrats as well as some Republicans, notably the Freedom Caucus, opposed the bill.
- Push for the American Health Care Act resumes. Although many had considered the American Health Care Act dead, Republicans made a second push for it in early April. As the Atlantic reports, changes to the bill include giving states the flexibility to change protections for preexisting conditions, apparently an effort to appease conservative Republicans.
- Advocates of Medicare for All become vocal. Amid the political infighting over the American Health Care Act, support for a single payer system, also called Medicare for All, has been growing. According to the Hill, Sen. Bernie Sanders is planning to introduce a bill proposing this system. Rep. Peter Welch, while admitting it won’t pass now, plans to introduce the bill as well. According to the Washington Examiner, a recent poll revealed that more than 40 percent of Americans support a single-payer system, and only 36 percent oppose it.
- The IRS and employers are having a hard time adhering to the ACA. Although the Affordable Care Act is still the law, Think Advisor reports that employers have been struggling to fulfill their reporting obligations. At the same time, the IRS has been struggling to enforce the employer mandate. The problem for the IRS stems in part from a lack of funding to develop a system to identify employers that have failed to file.
- Trump says the ACA is “exploding.” Millions of Americans currently depend on the ACA for health insurance. President Trump has said the law is “exploding,” and as Business Insider explains, there are several things Republicans could do to hasten the process. Possibilities include ending payments for cost-sharing subsidies and not enforcing the individual mandate. According to Reuters, Trump has threatened to withhold cost-sharing reduction subsidies to force Democrats to negotiate.
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*This article is for informational purposes only and should not be construed as legal advice.