The House Republican rank and file has successfully convinced its leadership, more than 40 times now, to hold votes on repealing various segments of the president’s health care law. But can it convince GOP leaders to bring up a new bill that would replace Obamacare entirely? Rep. Steve Scalise, R-La., thinks there’s substantial interest in and enthusiasm for a 181-page measure painstakingly drafted by a working group within the conservative Republican Study Committee, of which he is the chairman. “This would be a great bill even if there was no Obamacare,” Scalise said at a Wednesday afternoon news conference convened to unveil the legislation. The measure’s first item of business is to fully repeal the current health care law to give Congress, in Scalise’s words, a “clean slate.” Though supporters insist the measure maintains support for people with pre-existing conditions — a hallmark of Obamacare — it appears to allow insurance companies to deny coverage to those with pre-existing conditions if they experience a gap in coverage. A bill summary described the provision as guaranteeing "that individuals with pre-existing conditions can move between the large group, small group, and individual health insurance markets, so long as they maintain continuous coverage." When Obamacare fully takes effect next year, insurance companies will be prohibited from denying coverage based on pre-existing conditions. (more…)
