First few Article Sentences
As expected, Republicans kicked off the 115th Congress by voting in favor of repeal the Affordable Care Act (aka ObamaCare). Technically, to avoid a Democratic filibuster in the Senate, Republicans used a budget reconciliation measure to cut off ACA funding. So what comes next? Healthcare providers, plans, and patients are busy trying to read the tea leaves about what, if any, replacement is coming and what the changes mean for healthcare.
While it's not clear how things will unfold, some key clues about what is likely to come can be found in the recent political history of health reform. The 2010 enactment of the ACA was the most significant legislative revision in the 45 years since the enactment of Medicare and Medicaid. These two programs collectively comprise roughly 22% of the federal budget and cover healthcare costs for roughly 40% of Americans. The 45 years since Medicare and Medicaid launched were marked by growing recognition of three unresolved problems with U.S. healthcare: lack of access to care for the uninsured, steadily rising costs, and mediocre quality (as measured by health outcomes and mortality).