When it comes to looming changes in the health care field, Ken Woods isn’t sure what to expect. But if he had to hedge a bet, he would say that nothing will change in the coming months.
“It took about six years to fully implement Obamacare,” said Woods, president of Dublin Health and Benefit Group. “If a repeal and replace is to happen, I think it would be shorter than six years, but definitely longer than a few weeks.”
Woods, who is now signing up clients for health insurance during an open enrollment period, believes that 2017 will be a transition year for health insurance and the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare. The emphasis from President-elect Donald Trump and other Republicans may be to repeal the Affordable Care Act as soon as possible, but Woods doesn’t believe the the law will be voted down until a new plan is in place.
“It’s not to say that Trump couldn’t pull the plug, but I think it would be political suicide to repeal the Affordable Care Act without having another plan to implement in its place,” said Woods.
While many have expressed frustration in a potential repeal, Woods said there are some good ideas on the Republican side that could make health insurance better for the average American. Ideas such as transparency in pricing, eliminating redundancies, tax credits based on status, and streamlining the process of getting health insurance are all ideas brought up that could have positive impacts.
“We truly need to come together and create a bipartisan solution,” said Woods. “I would caution both sides. We can’t keep going back and forth because it is causing an enormous stress on the American people.”
This past week, both the House and the Senate took the first step in repealing the Affordable Care Act, approving a budget blueprint that would allow Republicans to remove major provisions of the health care law.
Democratic Congresswoman Annie Kuster voted against the proposed Republican budget that would pave the way to repeal the Affordable Care Act, saying that if repealed, seniors on Medicare would see the cost of prescription drugs increase. She added in a statement that the budget would also defund Planned Parenthood and put many in risk of losing their benefits.
“It’s disappointing that Republicans in Congress have moved ahead with efforts to repeal the Affordable Care Act without regard for the negative impact it will have on millions of Americans and thousands of Granite Staters,” said Kuster. “I’ve expressed my willingness to work across the aisle to make improvements to the law and foster a system that works for everyone. In the past, I have joined my Republican colleagues to make changes to the ACA, and I firmly believe that is the course we should follow.”
Sen. Jeanne Shaheen said “Republicans in leadership need to stop putting politics ahead of the well being of the American people.”
“The Affordable Care Act isn’t a perfect law but there’s no question that it has made New Hampshire healthier,” said Shaheen, in a statement. “New Hampshire cannot afford a roll-back in insurance coverage, especially as we continue to battle a raging opioid epidemic.”
Nicholas Handy can be reached at 924-7172 ext. 235 or nhandy@ledgertranscript.com. He is also on Twitter @nhandyMLT.