Insurers Were Reluctant To Criticize Previous GOP Efforts, But New Bill Prompts Them To Speak Out
Not only would the legislation further destabilize the marketplace and jeopardize patient care, but it could potentially allow “government-controlled single payer health care to grow,” said AHIP's Marilyn B. Tavenner. Among the other groups opposed to the bill are the American Cancer Society Cancer Action Network, the American Heart Association, the American Medical Association and more.
The New York Times:
Insurers Come Out Swinging Against New Republican Health Care Bill
The health insurance industry, after cautiously watching Republican health care efforts for months, came out forcefully on Wednesday against the Senate’s latest bill to repeal the Affordable Care Act, suggesting that its state-by-state block grants could create health care chaos in the short term and a Balkanized, uncertain insurance market. In the face of the industry opposition, Senate Republican leaders nevertheless said they would push for a showdown vote next week on the legislation, drafted by Senators Lindsey Graham of South Carolina and Bill Cassidy of Louisiana. (Pear, 9/20)
The Hill:
Insurer Trade Group Blasts Latest ObamaCare Repeal Bill
In a letter to Senate leadership, America's Health Insurance Plans said a repeal bill sponsored by GOP Sens. Lindsey Graham (S.C.) and Bill Cassidy (La.) would have "real consequences on consumers and patients." The bill would further destabilize the individual market; cut Medicaid; pull back on protections for pre-existing conditions; not end taxes on health insurance premiums and benefits; and potentially allow government-controlled, single-payer health care to grow, wrote Marilyn Tavenner, the group's President and CEO. (Hellmann, 9/20)
The Wall Street Journal:
With Timing Tight For GOP’s Health-Law Repeal Effort, Opponents Rush To Mobilize
Opponents of a Republican plan to dismantle most of the Affordable Care Act are scrambling to ramp up a resistance campaign before a possible Senate vote next week on a bill many never expected would gain traction. With such a narrow window, consumer and other groups are seeking to pressure specific GOP senators they see as most likely to waver. They also assert that Republicans are trying to ram through a bill outside the normal process while reneging on a promise to preserve the ACA’s consumer protections, claims the bill’s sponsors reject. (Armour, 9/21)
The Hill:
Who Is For And Against The Senate ObamaCare Repeal Bill
Here is where key players and stakeholders stand. (Hellmann, 9/21)
Arizona Republic:
Arizona Hospitals And Doctor Groups Raise Concerns On 'Obamacare' Fix.
While Gov. Doug Ducey this week endorsed a U.S. Senate health-care bill that would replace the Affordable Care Act, hospitals and doctor groups have registered opposition to the sweeping overhaul that could significantly cut funding for Arizona. (Alltucker, 9/20)
Tennessean:
Nashville Veterans Lobby Against Graham-Cassidy Health Care Plan
Kelly Gregory, an Air Force veteran with stage 4 breast cancer, Tennessee Consumer Action Executive Director Andy Spears and State Rep. Mike Stewart pointed to a recent Rand Corp. study published last week, that says a repeal of the ACA, like that proposed in a pair of Republican-backed bills known as the AHCA and Graham-Cassidy, would reduce the number of non-elderly veterans with health insurance in Tennessee and across the country. (Lowary, 9/20)
Modern Healthcare:
Hospital Stocks Advance Even As ACA Repeal Vote Looms
Investor jitters over a looming vote on the latest Obamacare repeal-and-replace bill eased Wednesday and healthcare stocks regained some of ground they lost during a sell-off Tuesday. (Barkholz, 9/20)
