HEALTHCARE/OBAMACARE(ACA)/POLITICS: “Sens. Lamar Alexander (R., Tenn.) and Patty Murray (D., Wash.) released their bipartisan bill Thursday [10-19-17] with the backing of 22 additional senators, evenly split between the two parties. Acknowledging the challenge of advancing legislation currently opposed by Mr. Trump, both senators said they were open to working with the president to strengthen it…
But the White House made clear Thursday that Mr. Trump was seeking more than minor tweaks to the legislation, which would shore up the ACA’s individual insurance markets by extending for two years federal payments known as ‘cost-sharing reductions’ that help insurers offset subsidies they provide to some low-income consumers, while giving states greater say in how the law is implemented…
Any such bill should also expand the types of plans insurers can offer on the individual market, a change similar to one that Mr. Trump sought to impose recently through an executive order, the spokesman said. Mr. Trump’s order would boost the availability of insurance arrangements not subject to ACA rules, which supporters say will lower premiums and opponents say will weaken patient protections.”
-Stephanie Armour and Kristina Peterson, “Trump’s Support for Bipartisan Health Bill Hinges on Rollbacks Long Sought by Conservatives,” The Wall Street Journal online, Oct. 19, 2017 06:23pm