GOP Plans Obamacare Replacement This Year

Playbook: “Internally, Republicans say they will come up with an alternative in 2017. Yes, you read that correctly: The delay is to allow an orderly transition — but plans will be developed and unveiled this year, multiple senior GOP sources tell us. Republicans haven’t really communicated that too well. Of course, this could all change. The incoming administration seems to want near simultaneous action on repeal and replace, but that simply won’t happen. Republicans have a lot of ideas about health care, and they won’t simply rally around Trump immediately because he’s the president. Democrats don’t think much of this plan, and say it will cause chaos across the country.”

“But… There’s definitely fear on the Hill. Congress has only been in for a few days, but the conversation on Obamacare has definitely shifted. It’s no longer a ‘let’s-burn-the-joint-down’ type affair. Republicans are now realizing how hard it will be to replace the law, and many of them have plainly settled on the fact that they will never be able to craft a plan to insure as many people as Obamacare does. Several high-ranking members of Congress in both chambers told us they are extremely aware that this is a political minefield, and they’re not quite sure how they’re going to navigate it.”

For members: The GOP Faces Big Risks in Repealing Obamacare