A new bipartisan Senate bill would allow states to opt out of key parts of the healthcare reform law, such as the individual mandate, three years earlier than the law now allows, according to a report by the Hill.
The bill, introduced by Sens. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) and Scott Brown (R-Mass.), would start the opt-out waiver in 2014. States have complained that the current 2017 deadline forces them to spend millions of dollars to meet the federal standards before they can opt out.
But to qualify for the waiver, states would still have to meet certain targets in the law, such as setting up a health insurance system covering as many people as the law requires, and insurers would have to meet levels of affordability and comprehensiveness.
"It really is a clever way to force an adult conversation," said Len Nichols, a professor of health policy at George Mason University. "It brings the conversation to the level where the state has to consider its options."
Read the Hill report on healthcare reform.
Read more coverage of repealing healthcare reform:
- Senate Republicans Seeking Democratic Allies to Repeal Reform Law
- Senate Democrats May Revise Reform Law to Find More Savings
- GOP Leader Says His Repeal-and-Replace Bill Would Cut Premiums by 10%
The bill, introduced by Sens. Ron Wyden (D-Ore.) and Scott Brown (R-Mass.), would start the opt-out waiver in 2014. States have complained that the current 2017 deadline forces them to spend millions of dollars to meet the federal standards before they can opt out.
But to qualify for the waiver, states would still have to meet certain targets in the law, such as setting up a health insurance system covering as many people as the law requires, and insurers would have to meet levels of affordability and comprehensiveness.
"It really is a clever way to force an adult conversation," said Len Nichols, a professor of health policy at George Mason University. "It brings the conversation to the level where the state has to consider its options."
Read the Hill report on healthcare reform.
Read more coverage of repealing healthcare reform:
- Senate Republicans Seeking Democratic Allies to Repeal Reform Law
- Senate Democrats May Revise Reform Law to Find More Savings
- GOP Leader Says His Repeal-and-Replace Bill Would Cut Premiums by 10%