As Senate Republicans work on a healthcare reform bill, they have many issues to examine, including how to pay for the legislation. One funding option under consideration is temporarily keeping some ACA taxes intact, reports Politico.
The ACA includes a myriad of taxes, such as an over-the-counter medication tax, a medical device tax, a health savings account tax, a health insurance tax and a tanning tax. Republicans have opposed the taxes, but GOP members of the Senate are contemplating keeping some of them in place for a while so other goals with the legislation, such as reducing premiums and covering more people than the House-approved plan, can be accomplished, according to the report.
"We haven't settled on anything," Sen. John Hoeven, R-ND, told Politico. "Obviously we want to get rid of as many of the Obamacare taxes as we can."
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., has indicated the chamber's Republican leaders are close to a healthcare bill. He said he wants a bill to be ready by the July 4th recess so senators can concentrate on other issues this year outside of healthcare, according to the report.
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