It protects preexisting conditions by expanding HIPAA protections to the Individual marketplace, repeals ACA (Obamacare) mandates and expands Health Savings Accounts. – C. Steven Tucker
Today, the Republican Study Committee released The RSC Health Care Plan: A Framework for Personalized, Affordable Care. Click here to download the full report.
Spearheaded by RSC Chairman Mike Johnson (LA-04), RSC Health Care Task Force Chairman Roger Marshall, M.D. (KS-01), and members of the RSC Health Care Task Force, the RSC Health Care Plan would protect vulnerable Americans – including those with pre-existing conditions, chronic illness, and serious health issues – while reducing premiums, deductibles, and overall health care costs.
The product of a year of research and stakeholder discussions, the RSC’s approach to achieve more personalized, affordable care is designed to empower patients and doctors rather than bureaucrats and insurance companies.
The RSC Health Care Plan is presented as an alternative to Democrat proposals to double-down on the failing status quo or force all Americans off their current insurance plans – including those with employer-sponsored coverage – and into a one-size-fits-all, government-run health care system.
“The RSC rejects the narrative that people with pre-existing conditions are thriving under the ACA. Democrats may be content to keep their heads in the sand, but conservatives will not stand by as millions of Americans suffer under a system in which they can no longer afford to use their insurance due to sky-rocketing premiums, egregious deductibles, and outrageous out-of-pocket costs,” said Johnson. “The RSC has put forward a plan that will protect individuals with pre-existing conditions; empower Americans with greater control over their health care decisions and dollars; and personalize health care to meet individual needs. Congress ought to use it as a blueprint to increase affordability, quality, and choice in the U.S. health care system.”
Specifically, the RSC Health Care Plan aims to:
Protect Americans with pre-existing conditions:
- Extend HIPAA portability and pre-existing condition protections that have long benefited Americans with employer-sponsored insurance to people in the individual marketplace.
- Establish federally-funded, state-administered Guaranteed Coverage Pools to ensure individuals with high-cost illnesses have access to quality and affordable coverage.
- Repackage existing funding for ACA premium subsidies and Medicaid expansion to fund state-administered flex-grants to subsidize health insurance for low-income individuals.
- Reduce regulatory barriers to give Americans access to quality care.
Empower Americans with greater control over their health care decisions and dollars:
- Reform the tax code to provide equal tax treatment in the employer and individual health insurance markets.
- Unleash Health Savings Accounts (HSAs) by empowering Americans to use their money – tax-free – to cover more health-related expenses including insurance premiums, direct primary care service fees, and health sharing ministry dues.
- Increase allowable pre-tax contributions to HSAs from $3,500 to $9,000 for individuals and from $7,000 to $18,000 for families.
Personalize health care to meet individual needs:
- Eliminate ACA mandates forcing Americans to pay more for coverage they do not want or need.
- Enhance HSAs in a way that allow for individuals to effectively own their personalized health care plan so they can take their plan from job to job.
- Embrace and remove barriers on innovative health care solutions such as telemedicine, direct primary care, association health plans, and health sharing ministries.
So why didn’t they do it when they controlled both chambers and the Presidency?
I’ve come to doubt and suspect Republican motives.
It’s all cinema.
This. This is why we need a Convention of The States. Because there are so many proudly, profoundly, retarded United Statesians. And they vote. With “their” dollars. And their feets. Because stupid people have rights! Too!
(For the “merely” slow: An army of en-titled “experts”, decide how — and how much — they want to be paid. For [allegedly] “designing” “the system”. A “system” that is so broken by design [note the lack of scare quotes], that even the mewling mass of tards that are in The United States, overwhelmingly choose Communism™, over “that”. Oh, and I know — not all tards. [Such profundity.] Just mostly most. So, the “experts” suggest, that if “we” pay them, again, they’ll come up with a new “plan”. That “expands” their old “plan”. It’ll work! This time! So much betterer! With the “new” bosses! Same as the old bosses! That the tards will forget all about the whole Communism™ thing. Because… Principles™… and… stuff.)
You can’t “insure” pre-existing conditions.
You can only subsidize them.
I know people want to be lied to … at … but … lies don’t change facts.
And – perhaps – people can understand the distinctions and not see them as contradictory – sometimes when we help others we help ourselves.
And YES – the Republicrats had 2 fucking years to do a bunch of stuff – but they dithered – seething in hatred of President Trump and America – and wishing for a back-bench where they could hide (like cockroaches) from being decisive.
izlamo delenda est …
“With John McCain gone…”
I had to stop right there and celebrate by refilling my cup. Then I lost interest.
Everything has an expiration date, including people.
Before calling for a Convention of The States, it would be wise to look at what happened at the last one back in 1787 that was called to fix a few problems with the Articles of Confederation which was our first Constitution.
An entirely new government was formed, but it certainly wouldn’t turn out as well this time, IMO.
@Anonymous October 24, 2019 at 10:38 am
Sometimes we give ourselves the creeps.
The GOP needs to be further cleaned out of rats and other vermin – mccain wasn’t enough: there is still the likes of Romney and McConnell.
Yes please. Also, please choose a good Speaker. Scalise, perhaps?
Individual HSA limits today are $4500. per individual, not $3500.
Also, joint HSA’s are $8000., not $9000.
This article is a little off the mark.
But hey, I’m all for the increases.
My understanding of HSAs was that what wasn’t used was swept up by the gov’t.
If that theft isn’t eliminated, no one in his right mind would open one.
(it’s possible I was misinformed)
izlamo delenda est …
Ditch it all. Including Pelousy.
Go back to pre-Obamacare.
I came to the conclusion a long time ago that Republicans don’t like being in the majority, they prefer the minority so they can say they tried but the Democrat party stopped them. Send us money so we can get elected and the dumb people send them money.
It wasn’t that long ago when they controlled both houses and they fought the President almost as much as the Democrats.
What happened to REPEAL?
Not one of those items is going to lower the cost of premiums. They are 300% higher than they were before obamacare. Insurance companies are getting rich while Americans who work are suffering under the consequences. You can’t get a decent plan with no deductible ANYWHERE. ACROSS STATE LINES COMPETITION.
Americankim,
Started out as “repeal” then morphed into “repeal and replace” and now it’s become “fix.”
It’s called “bait and switch.” The Rs are being paid just as handily as the Ds.
We’re the coconut heads in this story. They (Rs) sat around sniffing each others’ farts and rubbing each others’ dicks for 2 years while America suffered.
Now they’re pretending to support President Trump because “We, the People” are getting pissed at the unending Treasons perpetrated by the spook agencies, FBI, the Media, Academia, and their Demonrat flunkies.
It’s “show and tell” time in DC – then it’ll be nap time – watch.
izlamo delenda est …
I think McCain’s historic Romanesque Thumbs Down in the Senate really meant he was pointing which way he was going after he died.
So, in this bill, who is exempt, and who has to participate?
Does the Kongress exempt itself, and keep their Platinum Parachute?
Are unions exempt?
The solution is simple; first get government out of the insurance business (repeal not only ACA but Medicaid and Medicare, too), and then after a year or so make insurance illegal altogether. Competition between providers trying to stay in business will bring healthcare prices down in no time. We’ll have doctors making house calls again, too.
I would also like to see the abolishment of the reporting requirements by insurance companies and large companies. Preparation of those forms is a pain, and very time consuming!
If the GOP doesn’t repeal Obamacare, all this is just fake legislation. Obamacare is thousands of pages of rules the next liberal president can implement for the government to take over healthcare, even without a Medicare for All plan.