Inside the current GOP healthcare bill. What's in it as of now:
Bottom Line: Trying to follow the details as they're made available for pending legislation is a little like trying pick up a shell on the beach when the surf is breaking on it. Anyway new details have been made available regarding the new healthcare bill and here's what we now know that would change over the existing ACA law:
- End of employer mandate - effective for 2016 (no that's not typo)
- End of individual mandate - effective for 2016 (ditto)
- End of federal Obamacare subsidies in 2020
- Age based refundable tax credits (younger credits would be lower with older being higher) in 2020
- States would have control over policy options pertaining to the handling of insurance pools for those with pre-existing conditions
- States would also retain control over coverage mandates under insurance offered in their states
- End of the "Cadillac tax" on higher-end employer plans
- Redirects Medicaid funding mandates to the states
- Significantly enhanced HSA limits starting in 2018
- Ends the 3.8% Obamacare tax on investment income and increased tax on upper income earners through the Medicare payroll tax
- Repeals all ACA taxes on medical devices, insurance companies and pharmaceutical companies
- Defunds Planned Parenthood for one year
- Creates a $100 billion "State stability fund" that would be used if imbalances occurred in a given state that would spike premiums due to temporary factors
There are a smattering of other less effectual details but you get the idea. This is better still but still embraces the "insurance first" model that I loathe. More to come...