By Shannon Brown \/ current.com <\/p>\n
While the Obama administration waits for a Supreme Court ruling on its signature health care plan, the Republican opposition in the House and Senate is readying a replacement\" act if the court strikes down all or part of the so-called Obamacare\" reforms. <\/p>\n
Even if the Supreme Court allows the health care laws to stand as they are, GOP House Speaker John Boehner is committed to repealing all provisions of the bill, even some of the options most popular with the public, says The Hills Sam Baker: <\/p>\n
If the court upholds the entire law or only throws out the mandate, Republicans will have to decide how to handle its politically popular provisions, including the policy that bars insurers from denying coverage to people with pre-existing conditions. <\/p>\n
Conservatives are lobbying their colleagues to avoid the temptation of leaving popular elements in place. Boehner made clear on Thursday that hes committed to full repeal. <\/p>\n
At Talking Points Memo, Brian Beutler points out that Boehners hard-line stance is far from universally popular, and that some in the Republican party fear being held responsible for the dissolution of popular provisions such as allowing young people to remain on their parents health-insurance plans past college age as well as the return of harsh and highly criticized industry practices, including the discrimination against pre-existing conditions: <\/p>\n
Recent reporting by both The New York Times and Politico suggests the GOP congressional leadership might try to mitigate the political liabilities of HCR being overturned by introducing piecemeal legislation to reinstitute popular pieces of the law provisions banning discrimination, and allowing children to be covered by their parents health benefits until theyre 26. But that creates a host of new practical and political problems for the GOP. <\/p>\n
The biggest practical problem is that many of the popular provisions of the law are only affordable and effective in conjunction with the unpopular provisions. That leaves Republicans on the wrong side of insurers and other stakeholders all of whom know that the consumer protections in the ACA are only possible if people are required to carry health insurance. <\/p>\n
Politicos Jake Sherman says that the high stakes and the highly personal nature of health care reform have driven a wedge in factions of the Republican party and have driven some of the objections to Boehners plans underground and behind the scenes: <\/p>\n
Rather than sending out news releases or rushing to cable TV for a rant, conservatives blasted House Republican leadership on a private Google email group called The Repeal Coalition. The group is chock-full of think tank types, some Republican leadership staffers, health care policy staffers and conservative activists, according to sources in the group. <\/p>\n<\/p>\n
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GOP health care plan: A bridge to nowhere<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" By Shannon Brown \/ current.com While the Obama administration waits for a Supreme Court ruling on its signature health care plan, the Republican opposition in the House and Senate is readying a replacement\" act if the court strikes down all or part of the so-called Obamacare\" reforms. Continue reading