Sen. Rand Paul, R-Ky., said he\u2019s drafting legislation for a health insurance plan that could replace the Affordable Care Act, including a provision to \u201clegalize\u201d the sale of inexpensive insurance policies that provide abbreviated coverage.
\u201cThat means getting rid of the Obamacare mandates on what you can buy,\u201d Paul said in an interview on CNN\u2019s \u201cState of the Union\u201d on Sunday. Obamacare, which Republicans are moving to repeal, requires insurers to cover a number of procedures \u2014 such as preventive care and pregnancy \u2014 that Paul said drives up the cost.
The Kentucky Republican said he\u2019ll propose helping people pay for medical bills through tax credits and health savings accounts, which allow users to set aside money tax-free to pay for medical expenses. His bill would allow individuals and small businesses to form associations when buying insurance, giving them more leverage, he said.
\u201cThere\u2019s no reason why someone with four employees shouldn\u2019t be able to join with hundreds and hundreds of other businesses\u201d to negotiate better prices, Paul said. Becoming part of larger pools would help small companies secure coverage \u201cthat guarantees the issue of the insurance even if you get sick.\u201d
President-elect Donald Trump made the repeal of the Affordable Care Act a central component of his 2016 campaign. The Senate and House adopted a budget resolution late last week that would help pave the way for repealing the act, President Barack Obama\u2019s signature domestic policy achievement.
Paul said his legislation is meant to address concern among Democrats and some Republicans that ending Obamacare would also end health care coverage for many of the 20 million people who acquired insurance under the law. While Republicans move ahead with their plans to eradicate Obamacare, they have yet to outline an alternative.
\u201cIt\u2019s incredibly important that we do replacement on the same day as we do repeal,\u201d Paul said on CNN. \u201cOur goal,\u201d he added, is to \u201cgive access to the most amount of people at the least amount of cost.\u201d
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