Congressional Democrats have at least five strategies to resist Republican efforts to repeal all or part of the healthcare reform law when the new Congress arrives in January, according to a report by the Hill.
1. Move ahead with implementation. As the Obama administration moves ahead with implementation, it would be more difficult and more expensive to repeal the law. HHS officials recently met with officials from 44 states to discuss development of health insurance exchanges that must be set up in the next two years.
2. Make GOP have to take way benefits. An unnamed administration official argued that Republicans' vow to repeal the law might have played well as a campaign pledge, but taking away actual benefits under the law would face intense public resistance.
3. Force GOP to replace pay-fors. If Republicans remove money-making provisions from the law, so-called pay-fors, they will need to find a replacement that brings in as much money. One example is as the "1099" tax reporting requirement providing $19 billion in revenues, which the Senate has failed to pass.
4. Present a united front against partial repeal. Democrats plan to form a united front against Republican efforts to repeal parts of the law that some Democrats also dislike, such as the Independent Payment Advisory Board. Democrats see this as a "divide and conquer" strategy.
5. Question motives of GOP-appointed judges. Some liberal groups have attacked the motives of Republican judicial appointees who have allowed the lawsuits against the reform law process to go forward.
Read the Hill report on healthcare reform.
Read more coverage of plans to repeal healthcare reform:
- Senate Rejects Repeal of Reform's 1099 Tax Reporting Mandate
- Incoming House Majority Leader Plans to Keep Parts of Reform Law
- Drive to Repeal Health Reform Raises Hopes to End Ban on Physician-Owned Hospitals
1. Move ahead with implementation. As the Obama administration moves ahead with implementation, it would be more difficult and more expensive to repeal the law. HHS officials recently met with officials from 44 states to discuss development of health insurance exchanges that must be set up in the next two years.
2. Make GOP have to take way benefits. An unnamed administration official argued that Republicans' vow to repeal the law might have played well as a campaign pledge, but taking away actual benefits under the law would face intense public resistance.
3. Force GOP to replace pay-fors. If Republicans remove money-making provisions from the law, so-called pay-fors, they will need to find a replacement that brings in as much money. One example is as the "1099" tax reporting requirement providing $19 billion in revenues, which the Senate has failed to pass.
4. Present a united front against partial repeal. Democrats plan to form a united front against Republican efforts to repeal parts of the law that some Democrats also dislike, such as the Independent Payment Advisory Board. Democrats see this as a "divide and conquer" strategy.
5. Question motives of GOP-appointed judges. Some liberal groups have attacked the motives of Republican judicial appointees who have allowed the lawsuits against the reform law process to go forward.
Read the Hill report on healthcare reform.
Read more coverage of plans to repeal healthcare reform:
- Senate Rejects Repeal of Reform's 1099 Tax Reporting Mandate
- Incoming House Majority Leader Plans to Keep Parts of Reform Law
- Drive to Repeal Health Reform Raises Hopes to End Ban on Physician-Owned Hospitals