Senate leaders worked Monday to modify their plan to overhaul the Affordable Care Act, adding a provision that would penalize consumers for not keeping their plans, by imposing a six-month waiting provision before they could re-enroll.
The change, intended to satisfy insurers and minimize the number of Americans who may drop their plans if the bill becomes law, received measured praise from some industry officials but sharp criticism from patient advocates.
The move — the first in a series of changes Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) plans to make in the next few days — underscores the degree to which Republicans need to retool their health bill if they hope to pass it this week.
Some of the targeted measures already in the bill have prompted a backlash, and leaders are navigating between moderate Republicans who want to preserve key aspects of the ACA and conservatives hoping to pare it back even further.
The latest change aims to provide a stronger incentive for younger and healthier Americans to maintain health insurance, by making consumers who drop their policies for 63 days or more face a six-month waiting period before coverage may begin in the following year.
More ...