03-24-2017, 10:24 AM
Well, in attempt to win over the ultra-conservative Freedom Caucus, Trump and Ryan have removed the mandate for insurance companies to cover the "10 Essential Health Benefits" in all healthcare plans.
The way it works currently is that everybody with insurance coverage pays for those benefits even though no one will likely use them all. Those who elect not to secure healthcare insurance help to pay for those services through the annual individual tax for non-coverage.
That allows insurance companies to stay profitable and everyone to have more expansive coverage when they need it. Without the essentials requirement, a lot of insurance companies won't cover all of the essentials in their packages and people will have to pay out of pocket for those services or just avoid seeking care. Removal of the essentials requirement is also expected to reduce the federal budget deficit.
Whether that major revision will allow Trump and Ryan to get the Freedom Caucus votes they need to pass the shitty bill in the House remains to be seen. And, even if it does, it may drive some moderate Republicans to turn from 'yes' votes to 'no' votes.
It will be interesting to see whether Trump can get the net votes he needs in the next few hours. If not, he says he's moving on and leaving Obamacare in place, leaving conservative Republicans holding the bag with their conservative constituents to whom they've promised for 7 years that they would push to repeal and replace Obamacare. If so, the bill moves to the Senate where the fight continues.
The way it works currently is that everybody with insurance coverage pays for those benefits even though no one will likely use them all. Those who elect not to secure healthcare insurance help to pay for those services through the annual individual tax for non-coverage.
That allows insurance companies to stay profitable and everyone to have more expansive coverage when they need it. Without the essentials requirement, a lot of insurance companies won't cover all of the essentials in their packages and people will have to pay out of pocket for those services or just avoid seeking care. Removal of the essentials requirement is also expected to reduce the federal budget deficit.
Whether that major revision will allow Trump and Ryan to get the Freedom Caucus votes they need to pass the shitty bill in the House remains to be seen. And, even if it does, it may drive some moderate Republicans to turn from 'yes' votes to 'no' votes.
It will be interesting to see whether Trump can get the net votes he needs in the next few hours. If not, he says he's moving on and leaving Obamacare in place, leaving conservative Republicans holding the bag with their conservative constituents to whom they've promised for 7 years that they would push to repeal and replace Obamacare. If so, the bill moves to the Senate where the fight continues.