Republicans may end up putting off Medicare changes and focus more narrowly on the Affordable Care Act, said Rodney Whitlock, a former health policy adviser to Grassley.
“Republicans want to repeal and replace the ACA and enact major Medicare and Medicaid reforms. Doing all three at the same time is challenging, bordering on impossible. Two is very possible. They are certain to tackle the ACA. Medicaid reforms fit more logically with the ACA. A major Medicare restructuring conversation at the same time will be much harder,” Whitlock said.
An added complication would arise if Republicans succeed at repealing Obamacare, which could mean restoring the law’s $700 billion in reimbursement cuts to Medicare providers and thereby shortening its solvency, which currently extends to 2024.
Wait for Replace
It’s that sort of conundrum that prompted Alexander to call for enacting an Obamacare replacement together with repeal, contrary to some Republicans who want to repeal it immediately and worry about replacing it later.
“I agree with President-elect Trump, who said those things should be done simultaneously,” Alexander said. “And I think if you replace and repeal Obamacare simultaneously, then you have to figure out how you’re going to replace it before you repeal it.”
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell was mum when asked twice Tuesday whether Americans should expect a Medicare overhaul effort in 2017.
“I’m not going to speculate on what the agenda may be on a variety of different issues next year,” he told reporters. “I can tell you where we’re going to start: with a process to repeal and replace Obamacare.”
This article was provided by Bloomberg News.