Senator Rounds discusses GOP health care proposal
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HURON – As details of the Senate GOP draft proposal to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act began to emerge, Sen. Mike Rounds, R-S.D., said he shared some of the highlights with South Dakota providers, hospitals, tribal officials, insurance carriers and others Wednesday to ask for their input in the coming days.
In a conference call with reporters on Thursday, he said he couldn’t provide a lot of information to providers, but wants them to review the 142-page plan and offer their feedback.
Technically speaking, he asked them to point out any errors in the plan, but more importantly he wants to know what the impact of the legislation would have on South Dakotans they serve, he said.
GOP leaders want to try to bring the bill to the Senate floor next week – in advance of the July 4 recess – although at least four conservative senators have already said they will vote no, potentially killing it.
Rounds said the draft plan would offer health care coverage to 13,000 South Dakotans who make less than $12,000 a year. Under the ACA, also known as Obamacare, they receive no help buying insurance.
Also, he said the GOP Senate plan would mean that more than 77,000 South Dakotans who buy their insurance in the individual market – who don’t get their insurance on the job or from the government – are more likely to be able to buy insurance next year instead of being in the collapsing Obamacare exchanges where there may be only one option, or even zero options, to buy insurance, Rounds said.
If nothing is done, premiums are going to go up by 40 percent in the individual market in South Dakota next year. He said they have gone up 124 percent since 2013.