On May 4, the U.S. House of Representatives passed the American Health Care Act (AHCA), the Trump administration’s attempt to repeal President Obama’s Affordable Care Act (ACA). At the time of this writing, the Senate bill, the Better Care Reconciliation Act, fell below the 50 votes necessary for reconciliation, meaning a repeal of the ACA is unlikely anytime soon. However, the House bill remains active and could be taken up at any time before this Congress ends on Dec. 31, 2018. Though much is expected to change before the AHCA would become law, this article provides some answers to the IR community’s early questions.
How will the proposed health care reforms impact me?
- According to the Congressional Budget Office (CBO), both the House and Senate bills would leave the number of uninsured at 19–23 million by the year 2026, while reducing the federal deficit by $119 billion over 10 years (2017–2026).
- Both bills would delay the “Cadillac tax” on high-cost health plans until 2026.
- Both bills would repeal the excise tax on certain medical devices.
- Both bills would eliminate the employer mandate penalty, which requires employers to provide health care coverage for employees
- Both bills would repeal the 3.8 percent fee on investment income, as well as a tax on individuals making $200,000 or more or couples making at least $250,000.
For more details, click the table to the right.
What can I do to help protect proper reimbursement for IR procedures?
The society provides several ways to get involved at the grassroots level. You can explore the opportunities in SIR’s Advocacy Toolkit, which provides valuable resources on contacting your representative, visiting a member of Congress and hosting a congressional fundraiser. View the toolkit.
As SIR’s nonpartisan political action committee, SIRPAC represents the needs of interventional radiologists as critical decisions are made. Thanks to its efforts and the support of SIR’s leaders, IR has not seen a specific cut to reimbursement due to an act in legislation since 2008.
Read more about SIRPAC or donate today.
For more information on SIRPAC or what you can do to support its efforts, contact Doug Huynh, SIR director of government and policy affairs, at dhuynh@sirweb.org.
Read another article about two IRs' perspective on health care reform.
