The Senate is considering adding waivers to its new healthcare bill that would allow states to opt out of certain insurer regulations mandated by Obamacare, but the waivers will not extend to two of the most contentious Obamacare provisions regarding pre-existing conditions.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell presented members with a list of major decisions that must be made in the course of drafting the Senate healthcare bill Tuesday. While much of the presentation was a recap of long-discussed topics, McConnell recommended a firmer state waiver policy, according to Axios.
The state waivers included in the Senate bill will allegedly not allow states to opt out of the prohibition against denying coverage due to a pre-existing condition or the prohibition against plans charging those with a pre-existing condition more than their healthy counterparts.
State waivers have been a point of contention within the GOP, as conservatives have pushed for greater state autonomy in opting out of certain Obamacare provisions while the moderate wing has remained committed to providing protections for Medicaid customers and people with pre-existing conditions.
The House-passed AHCA bill attempts to accommodate both sides of the GOP debate through the MacArthur Amendment, which allows states to opt out of certain Obamacare provisions while still ensuring that Medicaid customers and those with pre-existing conditions continue receiving coverage. (RELATED: Divide Among GOP In Congress Isn’t Going Anywhere)
The Senate bill, which is still in early draft stages, appears to be headed in a more moderate direction than the AHCA, the principal distinction being that the AHCA allows states to waive the prohibition against charging sick customers more than healthy ones under certain limited circumstances.
The Senate bill will not allow this provision to be waived under any circumstance, two senior GOP aides told Axios.
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