Dive Brief:
- Regardless of who the next president may be, the healthcare market and the Affordable Care Act are going to see some major changes in the new president's first term, according to Employee Benefits News.
- At a national level, the Democrat candidates have expressed a desire to keep or expand the ACA, though potentially repealing the Cadillac Tax, while Republican candidates want a full repeal, according to James Klein, president of the American Benefits Council (ABC).
- While the election is months away, Klein also told attendees that in 2017 states will receive more flexibility in how they implement the ACA.
Dive Insight:
Klein recently spoke at MetLife’s 2016 annual symposium in Washington D.C., EBN reports. He told attendees that if Hillary Clinton wins, her campaign comments indicate she'd keep the ACA, but possibly repeal the Cadillac Tax and/or expand the types of families who qualify for subsidies. He also noted that Republicans want to repeal the ACA and replace it with something different.
While the Democratic path is the one more in line with the ABC's views, Klein mentioned favoring a change that would allow employers to fund a “health reimbursement account,” which employees could use to purchase coverage through the public exchanges, along with the repeal or curtailing of COBRA.
State innovation may see a boost, however. According to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, for example, the ACA allows states to apply for State Innovation Waivers to try out innovative strategies for providing its residents with access to high quality and affordable health insurance within the ACA's basic protections, Klein told attendees.
