John Hickenlooper’s Healthcare Plan

The Republican Party’s latest effort to repeal the Affordable Care Act has failed. Bente Birkeland looks at what that means for Democrats, including Colorado Governor John Hickenlooper, who is part of a bipartisan plan to improve the individual health insurance market.

Hickenlooper’s plan with Republican Governor John Kasich of Ohio would keep Obamacare’s requirement that individuals be insured. And it asks the Trump administration not to dismantle cost sharing reductions for health insurers. It also give insurers tax breaks for competing in less populated areas. Joe Hanel is with the non-partisan non-profit Colorado Health Institute.

And know that there are senators in both parties interested in these ideas. Maybe don’t expect something to happen right away. The era of one party health reform is over.

Hanel says even though Obamacare passed with only Democratic support the party has never been able to follow up with fixes. He says both parties are now needed to make changes to the law. He thinks that the Hickenlooper Kasich plan could play a larger role in future negotiations.

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