House Republicans unveil plan to replace Obamacare

WASHINGTON — House of Representatives Republicans late Monday unveiled a replacement to the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare.

Two bills were drafted by separate House committees, if enacted, would replace federal insurance subsidies with individual tax credits and grants that would allow individual states to devise their own policies. It also would no longer penalize Americans for failing to have health insurance, instead opting to encourage Americans to keep medical coverage by allowing insurance to pose a surcharge of 30% for those who have a gap between plans.

The new plans would keep two aspects of Obamacare however. Young adults would still be able to stay on their parents’ health plans until age 26 and insurers would be forbidden to deny coverage or charge more for those with preexisting conditions.

Debate on these new proposed plans are expected to begin in House committees this week. Approving any new plan may not be an easy process.

“We will not support a plan that does not include stability for Medicaid expansion populations or flexibility for states,” Sens. Rob Portman (Ohio), Shelley Moore Capito (W.Va.), Cory Gardner (Colo.) and Lisa Murkowski (Alaska) wrote in a letter to Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.).

And Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.) told the Washington Post that “Trumpcare doesn’t replace the Affordable Care Act, it forces millions of Americans to pay more for less care.”