House Republicans inject even more uncertainty into Obamacare chaos

House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wis., last summer unveiled an outline of the House GOP’s solution, though it lacked cost estimates and details.

Here’s the idea: Swiftly pass a repeal of President Barack Obama’s health care law, perhaps soon enough for Donald Trump to sign it the day he takes the presidential oath. Some health policy analysts say it looks a bit like Obamacare light. Nationwide, consumers are obviously still eager to get coverage through the health-insurance marketplace ACA created: On the day after Election Day alone, 100,000 people enrolled through this marketplace.

The Wisconsin Republican’s comments at the time reflected that: “Well, here it is, a real plan, in black and white, right here”. That’s because if people do not buy insurance until they are sick, health insurance is not affordable. Insurance companies could arbitrarily cancel policies if they determined it was in their best interest.

“And, yes”, he added, “we’re going to help you buy insurance”. Then at least some insurance companies, facing an exodus of Exchange customers who can no longer afford Silver plans, will take advantage of another provision of the law to exit the program altogether. Major health insurance providers have restructured their business models to capitalize on the financial incentives in the form of government subsidies offered under Obamacare. Oscar has also received funding from Trump adviser Peter Thiel, who could face a loss on his investment if Oscar folds under a Trump-led overhaul of the 2010 Affordable Care Act.

Trump has provided a few details of what he envisions under an Obamacare makeover, including a heavier reliance on health savings accounts to pay for medical expenses. A country that spends twice as much on health care as countries with universal coverage, but has a higher infant mortality rate and lower life spans than many of our peers?

Alaska’s sickest population is comprised of fewer than 500 people, but medical costs for that small group fuel premium increases – almost 40 percent annually – for approximately 23,000 customers on the individual exchange market. He cited examples of people who had come into his optometry office for the first time due to their newly gained health coverage.

Although it remains to be seen exactly what changes to Obamacare will be implemented, the challenges of this year’s open enrollment period are well documented.

Taxing the value of some employer-provided health plans, aimed at curbing the growth of costs, is “a political land mine”, says GOP economist Douglas Holtz-Eakin.

“Do you know that $20,000 of your wages are going every year to insurance?” he asks.

They also want to erase taxes on higher-earning people and the health care sector. Cox believes the earliest major changes could take effect without disrupting coverage for more than 20 million Americans would be January 1, 2018. The number of people who selected plans was up 53,000 from the same period past year, according to CMS. The biggest disruption in coverage would come from proposals to repeal the ACA’s Medicaid expansion and replace it with block grants to states, which would result in only 227 million people with coverage, she said.

“When you put people into this insurance ghetto, which is these high risk pools, the cost is going to be extraordinarily high”, she says.

Before Obamacare went into effect, insurance premium increases of 25 percent or more were not uncommon, Tavenner said.

Under Alaska’a program, premiums for individual plans through the Premera exchange will increase 7.3 percent on average next year, instead of the 42 percent Premera initially planned prior to the legislation.