Repealing the ACA could have several unexpected, more subtle effects beyond depriving 21 million people of health insurance, according to The New York Times.
Five consequences of repealing the ACA:
1. Insurance customers could lose consumer protections. Health plans could start increasing deductibles, charging older customers at higher prices and dropping expensive benefits such as prescription drugs.
2. Drugmakers could be discouraged from continuing to invest in biosimilars, since the ACA allows the Food and Drug Administration to evaluate and approve those drugs. The FDA has already approved 21 biosimilars but could lose that approval.
3. Several Medicare experiments could be put in jeopardy. The ACA created a new office, the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation, which tests strategies for how to pay for health services. The office and its employees and programs could lose authorization.
4. Medicare payment formulas could change. The ACA altered several of these payment formulas, sometimes reducing the amount paid to hospitals. The changes have been incorporated into regulations and business models of several healthcare providers, so getting rid of them could be challenging.
5. Drug costs could increase, since the ACA reduced the so-called "doughnut hole" in Medicare drug plans requiring patients to pay for medications once they reached a specific total cost.
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