The Republican party is promising to repeal the sweeping healthcare reform act, many provisions of which went into affect today, in its “Pledge to America.”
The 21-page document, released today by the GOP, promises “a plan to repeal and replace the government takeover of healthcare with common-sense solutions focused on lowering costs and protecting Americans’ jobs.”
In its stead, the Grand Ole Party promises to enact “medical liability reform,” allow people to purchase health insurance plans across state lines, expand health savings accounts and “ensure that those with pre-existing conditions gain access to the coverage they need” by making it illegal for an insurance company to deny coverage.
The party also calls for a plan to codify the Hyde Amendment, a provision barring the use of some federal funds to pay for abortions, which was passed in 1976.
A draft of the document can be downloaded on the GOP’s website.
The White House released a rebuttal on its blog:
“Their agenda claims to protect people with pre-existing conditions, but it would repeal the Affordable Care Act’s ban on discriminating against uninsured Americans, including children, who have a pre-existing condition. It would raise taxes by more than $40 billion on up to 4 million small businesses that provide health benefits to their employees. It would result in premium increases by eliminating the billions of dollars in cost-saving measures, and will increase the deficit by more than $1 trillion dollars. It would mean that seniors will pay more for their prescription drugs, and their new free preventive Medicare benefits would be cut. And it would mean that millions of Americans would have to give up their new Patient’s Bill of Rights protections that take effect today.”
