The Blue Cross Blue Shield Association on Wednesday listed “crucial” elements of any final health care bill, as Senate Republicans work to pass a so-called “skinny repeal” proposal to eliminate elements of Obamacare.
The association cited “strong incentives for people to obtain health insurance and keep it year-round,” funding for Obamacare’s cost-sharing reduction program — subsidies that help insurers keep out-of-pocket costs down for low-income consumers — and funding for “those with significant medical conditions” as vital matters for a health care bill to address.
“In order to ensure a stable individual insurance marketplace, any final legislation must include these crucial elements to avoid steep premium increases and diminished choices that would make coverage unaffordable and inaccessible,” the federation of health insurance companies and organizations said in a statement.
Republican senators narrowly passed a motion to proceed to debate on a proposal to repeal Obamacare on Tuesday, though many remained uncertain even after the motion passed exactly which repeal bill they would be considering.
The plan Republicans discussed before the vote that appeared to have any chance of mustering enough votes to eventually pass the Senate was a “skinny repeal” bill that would repeal Obamacare’s individual and employer mandates and a tax on medical-device manufacturers.
Senate Republicans would pass such a proposal in order to pass something — anything — and get both chambers of Congress to the conference stage where they could theoretically negotiate a final bill, which would then have to pass both the House and Senate before landing on President Donald Trump’s desk for his signature.
