Washington Times (DC)
May 9, 2018
Senate Health Committee Chairman Lamar Alexander says
legislative efforts to stabilize the Obamacare markets this year are dead and
that it's up to states and the Trump administration to provide relief from
rising insurance rates.
In a new letter, Mr. Alexander thanks colleagues who
backed his push to fund "cost-sharing" payments and billions in
reinsurance money to slash premiums, while decrying Democrats who balked over
language that said the funds couldn't flow to plans that cover abortion.
"Given Democrats' attitude, I know of nothing that
Republicans and Democrats can agree on to stabilize the individual health
market," he wrote in a letter obtained by The Washington Times. "The
last seven months show that Democrats are not willing to even make modest temporary
changes with which they agree. So now efforts to help Americans paying
skyrocketing premiums will turn to the Trump administration and the states. And
our committee's efforts will turn to other pressing health care issues,"
such as the opioid epidemic.
Both parties are casting blame over rising Obamacare costs
in a pivotal midterm electing year.
Insurers in Maryland and Virginia recently requested
another round of double-digit rate hikes, citing a risk pool that is sick and
costly and the GOP's decision to zero out penalties tied to the
"individual mandate" to get covered or else pay a tax.
Democrats say repeal of the mandate in the GOP tax bill
poisoned the waters ahead of market-stabilization talks, and that GOP leaders
only included pro-life language in the plan to appease conservatives who were
hesitant to bolster Obamacare, anyway.
Mr. Alexander says Democrats should have been able to
accept common, recurring abortion language known as Hyde restrictions, and
seemed intent on pinning blame on the GOP for rate hike that will hit right
before the November elections.
He said he is encouraged by President Trump's push to open
the door to "association plans" and short-term plans that don't have
to comply with Obamacare's regulations, meaning healthier people will have a
cheaper, if skimpier, option for coverage.
He also wants the Health and Human Services Department to
assist states that devise ways to help people who earn too much to qualify for
Obamacare subsidies, yet struggle to afford coverage.
"I will be encouraging governors and state insurance
commissioners to do everything they can to help repair the damage caused by the
Affordable Care Act," Mr. Alexander wrote. "No one regrets Congress'
failure to reach an agreement on this more than I do. I ran for the U.S. Senate
because I want to achieve bipartisan results on important issues and often I
have done that, but I could not here."
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