According to NAIFA on January 19 the GOP-controlled House of Representatives approved H.R.2, the bill to repeal the health reform bill enacted into law last March. The repeal vote was followed on January 20 by a vote on a resolution (H.Res.9) to instruct the House committees of jurisdiction to craft replacement health reform legislation.
It is widely expected—by supporters of H.R.2 as well as by opponents—that the Democratic-controlled Senate will not even consider H.R.2. And should the bill somehow unexpectedly get through the Senate, President Obama on January 6 issued a Statement of Administration Policy (SAP) stating he would veto any legislation that would repeal the PPACA.
House and Senate GOP lawmakers say that the largely symbolic House vote on H.R.2 is important as a prelude to the party’s real strategy, which is to dismantle the PPACA piece by piece.
It is not yet clear what kind of bill the House GOP will offer as an alternative to the PPACA. However, certain elements are likely. They include authority for interstate sales of health insurance, tort reform, and expansion of self-directed health plans - high deductible health plans (HDHPs) in conjunction with health savings accounts (HSAs). House GOP health reform legislation is also likely to include reenactment of some of the more popular insurance reforms contained in the PPACA—for example, limits if not outright bans on use of preexisting conditions, and/or requiring health plans to allow plan participants to insure their children up to age 26.
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