Rick Scott pushing Republicans on Affordable Care Act alternative
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Sen. Rick Scott is convening a group of House and Senate conservatives on Capitol Hill to pore over fresh polling to develop GOP alternatives to the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and push back against liberals.
Why it matters: Talks to extend the ACA's premium tax credits are stalled in Congress, and Republicans know they'll be blamed in the midterms for rising premiums if they don't even try to offer a fix.
- "The more Republicans refuse to engage on this issue, the more we allow radical Democrats to lead our country on a slow creep towards the Socialist single-payer health care system they've always wanted," Scott (R-Fla.) told Axios.
Zoom in: The Thursday conference and the polling, sponsored by the Scott-aligned Rescuing the American Dream political nonprofit, is one part cheering section for President Trump's first year in office, and one part roadmap for the year ahead.
- Confirmed speakers from the Senate include Jon Husted (Ohio), Mike Lee (Utah), Cynthia Lummis (Wyoming), Roger Marshall Kansas) and Dan Sullivan (Alaska).
- House Republicans include Andy Harris, Jim Jordan, Byron Donalds, John James, Randy Fine and Scott Perry.
Between the lines: Scott chairs the Senate GOP's Steering Committee and wants to avoid a repeat of the just-ended federal government shutdown, the longest in history.
- Democrats shut down the government over GOP refusals to extend ACA subsidies, but Republicans got blamed for the shutdown.
- To avoid a repeat, Scott's nonprofit chartered a 1,000-voter poll with OnMessage Inc., which phrased questions in a way to help Republicans advance their agenda and fend off Democrats in the event of another shutdown or as the midterms approach.
By the numbers: The survey showed voters are deeply unhappy with the current healthcare system and don't like insurance companies.
- By 78-14%, voters in the poll agreed with the statement, advanced by Trump, that "We need a system where the money flows to the patients, not the insurance companies, so that patients can buy the health care they need."
- By 60-30%, they agreed with the statement that "Obamacare promised to lower health care costs by $2,500 per family, but in reality, health care costs have gone way up, making life less affordable for most Americans.
- By 65-22% voters also oppose ACA subsidies for those earning $300,000 yearly when asked if "we should cut these subsidies for rich Americans to save tax dollars from being wasted."
The bottom line: While voters expressed these views in response to the questions asked, it doesn't mean they're ready to just scrap the ACA outright. There's no alternative system.
- Scott filed legislation two weeks ago as a starting point.
- Ever since the ACA was passed in 2010, Republicans have pledged to repeal and replace it with something better and consistently failed.
- Independent polling indicates Democrats are still more trusted when it comes to healthcare than Republicans. Many voters trust neither.
