Democrats are finally acknowledging the Affordable Care Act's "catastrophic failures," and Republicans now have an opening to pursue major healthcare reforms, Sen. Roger Marshall, R-Kan., told Newsmax, Wednesday.
Marshall said 15 years of Obamacare have produced soaring premiums, high deductibles, and a system that "Democrats now own."
"The great news is the Democrats are finally admitting that Obamacare is an abstract failure," Marshall said during an appearance on Newsmax's "Rob Schmitt Tonight."
"They're admitting that the premiums have more than doubled. And a family of four with a $15,000 deductible that's making $80,000 a year is not access to healthcare."
Marshall outlined two pillars of the GOP's forthcoming healthcare proposal: redirecting roughly $150 billion in federal subsidies away from insurance companies and directly to patients, and requiring hospitals, imaging centers, and labs to display prices upfront.
He said empowering patients as consumers and enforcing price transparency would lower premiums and reduce overall costs.
Marshall blamed rising premiums partly on federal overregulation, saying the ACA forced small practices into unsustainable administrative burdens and contributed to industry consolidation.
While acknowledging the need to protect people with preexisting conditions, Marshall said a reinsurance program, not broad mandates, would better stabilize costs.
Marshall confirmed Republicans plan to introduce their proposal in early December, as Democrats push to extend Biden-era enhanced ACA subsidies. He said the true deadline for bipartisan negotiations is Jan. 30, when government funding expires.
"We're going to have a bill ready," he said, adding that it wouldn't be perfect but would include patient-directed funding, price transparency measures, and other reforms aimed at lowering premiums.
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James Morley III ✉
James Morley III is a writer with more than two decades of experience in entertainment, travel, technology, and science and nature.
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