With Don A. Horstkotte and C. Ryan Sprinkle
As inauguration day approaches, full or partial ACA repeal seems inevitable. On January 12, 2017, the Senate set the stage for repeal through the reconciliation process by passing a budget blueprint measure. This procedural bill instructs House and Senate Committees to develop repeal legislation by January 27. The Trump administration and Republican-led Congress’s ACA replacement plan, however, is still unknown. During the 2016 presidential campaign, President-elect Trump offered seven reforms to the ACA, all touted to lower healthcare costs.
In Part 1 of this white paper, we addressed the potential repeal of Obamacare; the possibility of allowing health insurance to be sold across state lines; and the implications of changing Medicaid into a block-grant program to the states.
In Part 2, we address the remaining points below and related elements from GOP-aligned ACA replacement plans.
Campaign Promises
- Allowing individuals to fully deduct health insurance premium payments on their tax returns
- Allowing individuals to use Health Savings Accounts (HSAs)
- Requiring price transparency from all healthcare providers, especially doctors
- Removing barriers to entry into free markets for drug providers that offer safe, reliable, and cheaper products