Thought the fight over the Affordable Care Act (ACA) was over, now that the Supreme Court has ruled it constitutional, and President Obama’s been re-elected? Think again. Republicans plan to do everything they can to weaken the law by chipping away at it—and they just might succeed.
Already, some GOP governors have said their states won’t participate in the law’s Medicaid expansion. And some, like New Jersey governor Chris Christie, say they won’t set up the health-care exchanges that are a key part of helping people find affordable insurance, meaning the federal government will need to step in and do it. The party also is also looking to use negotiations over the deficit to cut the budget for the ACA, as well as perhaps going after some of its cost-saving measures, which Tea Partiers derided as “death panels.” Much of this will happen under the radar, as part of Congress’s budgeting and appropriations process, but it nonetheless has the potential to severely undercut the law’s effectiveness, perhaps even making it easier for a future Republican president to repeal. That’s why Obamacare supporters know they can’t stop fighting just yet.
MS NOW staff Recommended
