In his brief tenure as House speaker, Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) advocated for the same conservative healthcare ideas he always had, but even under a unified GOP government they never gained traction. Here's why.
In a rational political environment, there's a strong argument for tax reform—the next item on President Donald Trump's agenda. But we don't live in such an environment. Cutting taxes when the economy is near full employment will do nothing more than blow a massive hole in the federal budget.
Senate GOP leaders immediately tempered any enthusiasm that may have burgeoned after the House's narrow 217-213 approval of the American Health Care Act by cautioning that they will significantly overhaul the package, if not write their own version.
It's make-or-break time for Republican efforts to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act. And right now it's looking more like break.
Republican and Democratic lawmakers staged a scavenger hunt on Capitol Hill Thursday looking for a draft of the bill aimed at repealing and replacing the Affordable Care Act.
In crowded town halls around the country, congressional Republicans last week faced Americans who voiced fear and anger over the prospect that they will lose their health insurance if the Affordable Care Act is repealed.
House Speaker Paul Ryan and other party leaders described a broad vision with a revamped Medicaid program, tax breaks to help people pay doctors' bills and federally subsidized high-risk pools for people with pre-existing conditions.
Republican leaders agree that repealing and replacing the ACA should occur simultaneously to avoid leaving 30 million people uninsured, but there's been little consensus on what policies should be included in a replacement plan.
GOP leaders may decide an ACA deal with Dems would save them a lot of trouble, but they'll have a hard time convincing their right wing.
2017 had been shaping up as a year focused on fixing the Affordable Care Act's insurance markets, slowing prescription drug price hikes, expanding Medicaid, improving mental healthcare and spreading value-based payment and delivery.
Some healthcare leaders would welcome plans to turn Medicare into a “premium-support” system that pays a fixed amount per beneficiary, but they want to see more details before they take a side.
Major changes in the exchange-based individual market will spill over to Americans with practically any type of health coverage—Medicare, Medicaid or employer-based plans.
