Mr. Pollack spoke to NPR‘s Robert Siegel Sept. 25 about how the Graham-Cassidy bill, if passed, would affect healthcare in the U.S.
The bill’s fundamental changes to the existing healthcare system include restructuring Medicaid’s financing and the introduction of state block grants. Mr. Pollack said the organization is “very concerned that the approach of cutting $275 billion over six years and then providing a block grant to the states is going to result in dramatic cuts in terms of coverage. … The amount of funding reductions that go with this new block grant is very problematic.”
Mr. Pollack also claimed the proposed legislation “does nothing” to stabilize individual insurance marketplaces. Right now, insurers face uncertainty about whether the federal government will continue funding subsidies that help cover low-income patients’ copayments and deductibles. This has made insurers more reluctant to sell policies in the ACA exchanges, he said. However, Mr. Pollack said the issue is solvable.
“The problem can be fixed. [Cost-sharing reductions] could be accompanied by different forms of reinsurance to further stabilize those markets. And that’s where the [policymakers’] immediate focus ought to be,” according to Mr. Pollack.
To read a transcript of Mr. Pollack’s interview, click here.
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