New York, Massachusetts and Vermont have already taken steps to defang the AHP strategy, and other states have indicated their opposition to the GOP strategy. (Image: Shutterstock)
Frustrated in their attempts to demolish in one fell swoop the Affordable Care Act, Republicans have turned to a “one thousand small cuts” strategy to disable the act. Among the largest of those small cuts: expansion and promotion of association health plans, or AHPs, via a White House written rule. But if several state authorities have their way, this cut, if not healed, may be wrapped in legal bandages.
Compared to the myriad other attacks, the AHP strategy offers more long-term promise for undermining Obamacare. The Trump Administration has marketed the “skinny” plans as a solution for “the little guy”—meaning small business owners—to provide affordable insurance to employers and small business owners themselves. The key to the affordability: Such plans don't have to meet the full requirements of the act.
Recommended For You
Complete your profile to continue reading and get FREE access to BenefitsPRO, part of your ALM digital membership.
Your access to unlimited BenefitsPRO content isn’t changing.
Once you are an ALM digital member, you’ll receive:
- Breaking benefits news and analysis, on-site and via our newsletters and custom alerts
- Educational webcasts, white papers, and ebooks from industry thought leaders
- Critical converage of the property casualty insurance and financial advisory markets on our other ALM sites, PropertyCasualty360 and ThinkAdvisor
Already have an account? Sign In Now
Dan Cook
Dan Cook is a journalist and communications consultant based in Portland, OR. During his journalism career he has been a reporter and editor for a variety of media companies, including American Lawyer Media, BusinessWeek, Newhouse Newspapers, Knight-Ridder, Time Inc., and Reuters. He specializes in health care and insurance related coverage for BenefitsPRO.
