5 Ways the GOP Could Gut ObamaCare
Full repeal may not be necessary. Here are five ideas:
Break the federal exchanges. Because of a “drafting error” the law does not give federal exchanges power to provide the same insurance subsidies given to state-run exchanges. Though Obama’s IRS has issued rules to correct for this problem, Romney’s IRS could reverse them.
Starve the federal exchanges. With Romney as president, House Republicans would merely have to block any language that explicitly funds federal exchanges.
Withdraw rules. Rules in progress can be thrown out or revised by a new administration, including the rule defining the essential health benefit package that everyone must have.
Be very “flexible.” The HHS secretary wields overwhelming discretionary authority in the new law and may grant states and employers more latitude (such as certifying state-based exchanges that do not meet the law’s requirements or allowing companies to forgo insurance updates consistent with the law’s demands).
Do nothing. Romney could halt the writing of new rules and prevent Medicare, Medicaid and the IRS from going forth with new programs and enforcement.
View entire commentary by J. Lester Feder in Politico.
This is actually rather disheartening. The political capital that would have to be spent to accomplish all of that would be enormous.
I agree with Alex. These are not good options unless they are used merely to stall until something better can be implemented. These actions would make Republicans look obstructionist and cold-hearted. Democrats are prone to say Republicans have a do nothing policy on health care. Indeed, many Republican politicians see health care as one of the Democrat’s issues. But health care is an uphill battle for Republicans. Bad policy that is unworkable often sounds compassionate. Good policy that’s fiscally sound often sounds uncompassionate.
You could do away with the whole HHS, or wait for the the whole diseconomic system to collapse, as it will in the present unworkable form
Change the definition of credible coverage. Lower the fine/penalty/tax for violating the mandate to zero. Get rid of the Medical Loss Ratio. Widen the pricing differential. Allow medical underwriting. Eliminate the slush funds. Abolish the databases.
But don’t for a minute think that full repeal isn’t necessary. Things that collapse of their own weight do a lot of damage as they go down.