The House Republican Obamacare replacement package is finally out, and the two main health care committees — Ways and Means, and Energy and Commerce — are scheduled to start working on the bills on Wednesday. Here's your speed read on what's in them — summaries are available here and here:
In:
- Pre-existing condition coverage
- Continuous coverage — 30 percent penalty if people don't keep themselves insured
- Special fund to help states set up "high-risk" pools, fix their insurance markets, or help low-income patients
- Enrollment in expanded Medicaid will be frozen
- Current enrollees can stay until 2020, and keep getting extra federal funds, until they leave the program on their own
- Medicaid will change to "per capita caps" (funding limits for each person) in fiscal year 2020
- A new, refundable tax credit will be available in 2020 to help people buy health insurance
- Covers five age groups — starts at $2,000 for people in their 20s, increases to $4,000 for people in their 60s
- It's not means tested, but phased out for upper-income people (starting at $75,000 for individuals, $150,000 for families)
- Insurers can charge older customers five times as much as young adults
Out:
- All Obamacare taxes
- All Obamacare subsidies, including its premium tax credit
- Individual, employer mandate penalties
- "Cadillac tax" (until 2025)
- No longer will limit the tax break for employer-sponsored health coverage
- No payments to insurers for cost-sharing reductions
- Selling insurance across state lines (can't be done in the "reconciliation" bill)
- Medical malpractice reform (can't be done in the "reconciliation" bill)
