GOP's New Health Care Rallying Cry: Remember The Maine!

[DonViejo]

By ALICE OLLSTEIN Published APRIL 17, 2017, 6:00 AM EDT

Just before fleeing Washington for the April recess, Republicans unveiled a new amendment they said would revive their struggling bill to repeal the Affordable Care Act—a policy based on a program in Maine that aims to bring down health insurance premiums by funneling older and sicker people into a separate individual market subsidized by the federal government.

Though some lawmakers and staff privately admitted it was merely a stunt to create the appearance of progress on the stalled health care overhaul, others insisted the proposal would breathe new life into the moribund bill.

“This amendment alone is real progress and it will help us build momentum on delivering on our pledge to the country,” House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-WI) said.

But health care policy experts in Maine and in D.C. paint a different picture, telling TPM that not only was Maine’s system not as successful as the lawmakers claim, but it was propped up by several other policies—including the Affordable Care Act itself, which the GOP is gunning to repeal.

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http://talkingpointsmemo.com/dc/maine-high-risk-pools-are-freedom-caucus-solution-to-obamacare-repeal

[Hoyt]

1. That is essentially what we have with Medicare and Medicaid. Not sure it has brought premiums down

to affordable levels.