Battle Over ACA Begins Anew
By Jonathan Springston, Assistant Editor, AHC Media
The 115th Congress gaveled into session this week, and lawmakers wasted no time targeting the Affordable Care Act (ACA) for repeal.
As President Barack Obama met with House Democrats on Wednesday to devise strategies to preserve his signature legislative achievement, the Republican Study Committee (RSC), comprised of some of the most conservative Republicans on Capitol Hill, introduced the American Health Care Reform Act of 2017. The resolution calls for the repeal of the ACA, for more access to portable health savings accounts, and for a “more competitive healthcare market.” Some aspects of ACA, such as eliminating pre-existing conditions as a barrier to gaining insurance coverage, may remain under this proposal.
“Our bill reorients our system away from bureaucratic mandates to compassionate care for patients by trusted doctors, paid for in a responsible way,” RSC Chairman Mark Walker, R-NC, said in a statement.
“The American Health Care Reform Act will do the things President Obama promised and failed to do through his health law: increase access to and lower the cost of healthcare,” Rep. Phil Roe, R-TN, a physician and sponsor of the legislation, added.
As lawmakers arrived in Washington, the American Medical Association (AMA), a supporter of ACA, sent a letter urging Congress to proceed carefully and pledged itself to assisting in reform efforts.
“We believe that before any action is taken through reconciliation or other means that would potentially alter coverage, policymakers should lay out for the American people, in reasonable detail, what will replace current policies,” the group wrote. “Patients and other stakeholders should be able to clearly compare current policy to new proposals so they can make informed decisions about whether it represents a step forward in the ongoing process of health reform.”
Recognizing the ACA is “imperfect,” the AMA also issued recommendations for healthcare reform. While ensuring those who received coverage under ACA remain covered, the AMA calls for actions such as reducing regulatory burdens, medical liability reform, and greater cost transparency.
Since the November election, other healthcare industry groups have offered reform ideas large and small. The American College of Emergency Physicians (ACEP) urged President-elect Donald Trump to address insurance coverage gaps that affect emergency patients.
“Many people don't realize how little insurance coverage they have until they need emergency care, and then they are shocked at how little their insurance companies pay," ACEP President Rebecca Parker said. "Health insurance companies mislead patients by selling so-called 'affordable' policies that cover very little, until large deductibles are met — and then blame medical providers for charges."
ACEP advocates for the use of independent databases by insurance companies to ensure payment models are calculated fairly.
Meanwhile, American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP) President John Meigs, MD, sent President-elect Trump a letter calling for expanding access to care, ensuring delivery and payment reform, improving affordability, building the primary care workforce, and promoting wellness and prevention. And the American Hospital Association (AHA) released a report containing nine recommendations to help lawmakers preserve and increase access to healthcare among vulnerable patients in rural and urban communities. Proposals range from combining rural hospitals with health clinics to using technology to provide care in isolated areas. Bob Henkel, president and CEO of Ascension Healthcare, one of many participants on the AHA task force that created the report, said the “solution to improved care is not ‘one size fits all,’ and we must continue to take into account the unique needs of individuals in both urban and rural areas.”