Paul Howard weighs-in on the debate surrounding options for GOP congressional leaders and the Trump administration to fulfill their promise to repeal Obamacare.
With the 115th Congress officially gaveled into session, Vice President-elect Mike Pence met with congressional Republicans to assure them that repealing and replacing Obamacare is still “the first order of business,” while President Barack Obama huddled with Democrats to plan how to defend the same law.
What the last six years ought to have taught us, however, is that there isn’t national agreement on a single health care solution for all 50 states. Even when fully implemented, Obamacare will leave 25 million Americans uninsured, with costs spiraling and many insurers pulling back on exchange coverage. In other words, the status quo can’t hold. Pragmatic, patient-centered reforms are badly needed to create more affordable insurance options.
Ironically, Obamacare itself contains an escape hatch, put there by U.S. Sen. Ron Wyden, D-Ore., called State Innovation Waivers. By embracing and expanding on Wyden’s vision for state flexibility, Congress can harness 50 state laboratories to find ways to deliver more affordable, high-quality health care options designed to meet local preferences and challenges.
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Paul Howard is a senior fellow and director of health policy at the Manhattan Institute. Follow him on Twitter here.