House Republicans also want to give states more flexibility to reshape their Medicaid programs, allowing states to potentially limit benefits or require poor patients to pay more for their medical care. The GOP plan would eliminate Obamacare’s unpopular insurance mandate, which requires Americans to have health insurance or pay a penalty. In its place, House Republicans have proposed to allow insurers to charge higher premiums to Americans who let their insurance lapse. “There was no mistaking he is exactly on the same page as House Republicans,” Brady said. Conservatives have criticized the House GOP plan as “Obamacare-lite,” accusing party leaders of replacing one tax-funded government entitlement with another.

Source: Los Angeles Times March 05, 2017 22:07 UTC