Kerby Anderson

For more than six years, Republican politicians have been repeating the mantra of “repeal and replace” concerning health care. But they were never very clear about what the replace part of the equation would look like. Now we have a much better idea. When Donald Trump tapped Representative Tom Price to head the Department of Health and Human Services, he signaled that the proposal by Dr. Price would most likely be the Obamacare replacement plan. For the last three years, Dr. Price has proposed (and updated) his bill for creating a more consumer-driven health insurance plan. In a recent column, Dr. Merrill Matthews reminds us of the various elements in his replacement plan. First, is a desire to provide all Americans with tax fairness. As I have mentioned in previous commentaries, people who do not obtain their medical insurance from an employer do not enjoy the tax benefits as others who have employer-provided insurance. The Price bill allows self-employed people to deduct 100 percent of their premiums. His bill also expands the use of Health Saving Accounts. These tax-free accounts can be used for smaller routine health care expenditures. They also encourage patients to comparison shop in the marketplace. Employers and individuals can make contributions to these accounts. Finally, the bill addresses the difficult issue of preexisting conditions. On the one hand, we want to protect people with such conditions. On the other hand, there is a problem of people who don’t bother to get insurance and only sign up for insurance after a medical event. That happened in Romneycare in Massachusetts and is also happening now in Obamacare. The Price bill would allow those who have had continuous coverage for 18 months to obtain coverage in the individual market. This would also be an incentive for the uninsured to get medical insurance. We will be hearing lots more about “repeal and replace.” At least now we know a little more about what the replace part will look like.