Hill Republicans Discuss Contingency Plans To Extend Temporarily Health Law Subsidies
In the event that the Supreme Court overturns this part of the health law, GOP leaders appear to be settling on plans to extend the health insurance assistance for as long as two years while also pursuing efforts to repeal other parts of the overhaul.
The Associated Press:
Congressional GOP To Temporarily Extend Health Law Subsidies If Supreme Court Ends Them
Congressional Republicans will move to temporarily continue health care subsidies for millions of people if the Supreme Court overturns the aid, according to plans discussed Wednesday in the House and Senate. In addition, the GOP proposals would dissolve many of the basic requirements of President Barack Obama's health care law, including mandates that most people buy coverage and most companies provide it to their workers, Republicans said. Eventually, they hope, the entire law would be repealed. (Fram and Werner, 6/17)
The Wall Street Journal:
GOP Could Extend Health Subsidies Up To Two Years
Republican leaders are coalescing around a plan to extend the health law’s tax credits for as long as two years, while repealing other parts of the law, if the Supreme Court invalidates the credits. The high court is expected to rule by the end of June on whether to restrict the 2010 law’s tax credits—used by low- and moderate-income consumers to help pay their insurance premiums—to the handful of states that opted to set up their own insurance exchanges. (Peterson and Radnofsky, 6/17)
Politico:
Senate GOP Floats 2-Year Obamacare Fix
Senate Republicans are coalescing around a plan to extend Obamacare subsidies for up to two years if the Supreme Court strikes them this month. The court is due to rule within days on whether the president’s health care law allows people using HealthCare.gov to get insurance subsidies. If the court rules against the White House and strikes the subsidies, Republicans say they want to be ready to protect the more than 6 million people who could lose their subsidies. (Haberkorn and Everett, 6/17)
The Huffington Post:
Republicans' Post-Supreme-Court Plan For Obamacare: Just Repeal It
Congressional Republican leaders have promised for months they would be ready if the Supreme Court wipes out Obamacare subsidies for millions of consumers. At separate closed-door meetings in the House and Senate Wednesday, those leaders laid out a framework for their response, and totally repealing the law is the key feature, as it has been for more than five years.
The Supreme Court is likely to rule this month -- as soon as Thursday morning -- in King v. Burwell, a lawsuit engineered by conservative and libertarian activists that seeks to invalidate health insurance subsidies for 6.4 million low- and moderate-income people. The plaintiffs claim the law only permits subsidies to residents of states that operate health insurance exchanges under the law, not the 34 states where the federal government does so. (Young, 6/17)
CNN:
House Republicans Look To Extend Obamacare Subsidies
If the Supreme Court decides against the Obama administration over subsidies that help cover health insurance costs at the heart of Obamacare, House Republicans are hatching a plan that would almost immediately reintroduce those same subsidies. That means the same House GOP conference that has voted more than 50 times to repeal all or parts of Obamacare would be ready to offer a short-term transition period to keep those stripped of a subsidy afloat as they search for health insurance. (Walsh and Schleifer, 6/17)
Meanwhile, votes are scheduled in the House -
The Associated Press:
House Ready To Repeal Pieces Of Obama Health Care Law
Despite White House veto threats, the House is ready to vote to repeal taxes on medical devices and kill a Medicare advisory board that foes say would ration health care as the chamber aims its latest whack at President Barack Obama's health care law. ... The medical device tax and the Medicare advisory board were "two of the most flawed and ill-conceived" parts of the law, said Rep. Michael Burgess, R-Texas. Rep. Jared Polis, D-Colo., accused Republicans of restaging "the same tired debates." Since 2011, the Republican-run House has voted more than 50 times to repeal all or part of the law. (Fram, Espo and Werner, 6/17)
