Deal to shore up ACA markets falls apart
The promise U.S. Sen. Susan Collins secured from Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell in exchange for her vote for the GOP tax overhaul fell apart yesterday when the Maine Republican backed away from her demand that a measure to temporarily shore up Obamacare marketplaces be included in a year-end spending bill.
The move, coupled with House Republicans’ opposition to the plan and President Trump’s declaration yesterday that Obamacare was “essentially repealed” cast doubt on the ability of Collins and fellow moderate Republican U.S. Sen. Lamar Alexander to secure support for any effort to fix a law Republicans are intent on killing.
Collins backed away from what she had called an “ironclad” promise from McConnell to pass a measure before year’s end to temporarily reverse Trump’s order, ending the cost-sharing reductions to insurance companies, which prevent premium hikes for enrollees on the individual markets. It will have to wait for an omnibus budget package some time in the New Year — and they said they’ve secured another promise from McConnell.
“Majority Leader McConnell has told us that he will uphold his commitment to schedule and support the legislation” next year, Collins and Alexander said in a statement.
In a separate statement, Collins said she has received yet another promise — this time from House Speaker Paul Ryan, who said the House “remains committed” to passing a bill that includes bipartisan measures to help keep costs down for enrollees, despite vocal opposition from members of his caucus.
“He pointed out that by waiting until early next year, we will be able to use a new CBO baseline that will result in more funding being available for reinsurance programs that have been proven effective in lowering premiums while protecting people with pre-existing conditions like diabetes, heart disease, and arthritis,” Collins said.
Trump said yesterday the health care law had all but been eliminated, casting doubt on the White House’s appetite to fulfill Collins’ promise as well.
“We — I hate to say this — but we essentially repealed Obamacare because we got rid of the individual mandate, which was terrible,” Trump said.
A White House official said yesterday that Trump would be “willing to work with Sen. Collins” on the measure.
Tuesday, when asked by reporters about House Republicans rejecting Collins’ pact with McConnell, Collins angrily shot back, calling coverage of her negotiations with McConnell “so sexist it’s unbelievable.”