A new healthcare reform legislation was introduced Monday by Bill Cassidy, MD, R-Louisiana, and Susan Collins, R-Maine. The proposed Patient Freedom Act would not fully repeal the Affordable Care Act (ACA), but instead, would place more power in the hands of the states by giving them the option of staying with the ACA or choosing another option.
A new healthcare reform legislation was introduced Monday by Bill Cassidy, MD, R-Louisiana, and Susan Collins, R-Maine. The proposed Patient Freedom Act would not fully repeal the Affordable Care Act (ACA), but would, instead, place more power in the hands of the states by giving them the option of staying with the ACA or choosing another option.
The proposal eliminates mandates, preserves consumer protections, requires price transparency, and could auto-enroll people who are eligible for tax credits. In a press conference to unveil the details of the plan, Cassidy noted that there are not a lot of ways to cover everyone and take care of people with preexisting conditions without raising costs or having mandates, which is what President Donald Trump has made clear he wants.
States that chose to stay with the ACA under the Patient Freedom Act would continue to receive subsidies and tax credits for residents and they would still be bound by the individual and employee mandates.
“California, New York, you love Obamacare, you can keep it,” Cassidy said. He added that Maine and Louisiana, which have seen premiums rise by double digit percentages year to year, would be able to opt for something different.
States that choose the alternative—which Collins believes most states will choose—would cover the uninsured population with a standard, high-deductible plan with basic pharmaceutical coverage and some preventive care. The plan would be financed through a health savings account (HSA). States would receive the same money they would have gotten under the ACA, plus what they would have received for expanding Medicaid—even if they hadn’t. However, individuals could opt out of the state plan and choose more generous health insurance coverage using their HSA to finance it. The HSAs would phase out at certain income levels, Collins explained.
Cassidy said he believed that this plan would cover more people than the ACA since states have the opportunity to auto-enroll people.
“If someone is eligible for a credit, she or he would be enrolled automatically unless they choose otherwise,” he said. “Automatic enrollment, if you will, much like when I turn 65 … I’m on Medicare. There’s no mandate—I’m on Medicare. I may call up and say ‘I don’t wish to be,’ but as a rule folks remain on Medicare.”
The final option for states would be to design an alternative solution, but without receiving federal assistance.
“Significant changes are going to need to be made in order to prevent the individual market from going into a tailspin,” Collins said. “Our goal is to increase the number of people who are insured, to help restrain the growth of premiums, and to give consumers more choices.”
AA Unlikely to Cause Anxiety, Depression but May Be Affected by Mental Illness
May 7th 2024A Mendelian randomization study using genetic analysis found that alopecia areata (AA) increases the risk of anxiety and depression, but not the other way around, providing unique evidence for a causal link while adding to existing evidence.
Read More
Examining Low-Value Cancer Care Trends Amidst the COVID-19 Pandemic
April 25th 2024On this episode of Managed Care Cast, we're talking with the authors of a study published in the April 2024 issue of The American Journal of Managed Care® about their findings on the rates of low-value cancer care services throughout the COVID-19 pandemic.
Listen
AUA Session Highlights the General Urologist’s Role in Gender-Affirming Care
May 7th 2024During her session, Polina Reyblat, MD, Kaiser Permanente Los Angeles Medical Center, highlighted best practices urologists should incorporate to make transgender and gender-diverse patients comfortable during physical exams and avoid retraumatization.
Read More
Navigating Health Literacy, Social Determinants, and Discrimination in National Health Plans
February 13th 2024On this episode of Managed Care Cast, we're talking with the authors of a study published in the February 2024 issue of The American Journal of Managed Care® about their findings on how health plans can screen for health literacy, social determinants of health, and perceived health care discrimination.
Listen
Access Denied: CMS’ Action Hurts Patients With Cancer in Rural America
May 6th 2024CMS rules hindered the access of rural patients with cancer to medically integrated pharmacies in 2023. The authors discuss the impact on equity in health care, emphasizing the need for regulatory change.
Read More
What Mass General Brigham Is Doing to Combat Prostate Cancer Disparities Among Men of Color
May 5th 2024Quoc-Dien Trinh, MD, MBA, chief of urology at Brigham & Women's Faulkner Hospital, highlighted successful efforts to improve prostate cancer care access for underserved communities in Massachusetts.
Read More