MADISON, Wis. (AP) - Former Wisconsin Gov. Tommy Thompson says he’s working with top Republicans in Washington to deconstruct the Affordable Care Act.
Former President Barack Obama’s signature 2010 law covers about 20 million people nationwide, including 3.5 million in Wisconsin, according to the state Department of Health Service.
Thompson, who served as the secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services under former President George W. Bush, says he met with U.S. House Speaker Paul Ryan and Tom Price, President Donald Trump’s pick to lead the department, The Capital Times (https://bit.ly/2kRgcXd ) reported.
Thompson said it’s paramount to pass health care reforms before the 2018 election season. He said he has confidence and faith in Trump and Ryan to take advantage of the historic Republican majorities in Congress.
“The path forward is going to find individual bills,” Thompson said.
He said those bills and some administrative rules changes will most likely be how Obama’s health care law is deconstructed. Republicans will then have to agree on what a new health care model would include and rebuild it, Thompson said.
The law’s critics say it hurts individuals and businesses, pointing to health insurance premium increases, and note people are forced to obtain it or pay a fine. Supporters say the law has led to more people being covered with health insurance and has enabled coverage for people who have had difficulty getting it in the past, such as individuals with pre-existing conditions.
During his talk at a WisPolitics luncheon in Madison on Tuesday, Thompson also said a shift to a block grant model for the federal Medicaid program is on the horizon. Under such a model, states would get a fixed amount of money and decide for themselves how to best spend it instead of billing the federal government.
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Information from: The Capital Times, https://www.madison.com/tct
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