Obamacare Bailout of Health Insurers

“House Republicans floated the idea Friday of demanding that the White House agree to end programs designed to assist insurance companies selling policies as part of the new health-care law in exchange for raising the debt ceiling for one year, according to a GOP lawmaker and senior leadership aides.”

“Under one scenario discussed Friday morning at the House GOP's annual policy retreat held on Maryland's Eastern shore, Republicans would agree to extend the debt limit for one year, but demand that there be "no bailouts for insurance companies under Obamacare," the lawmaker and aides said. House Majority Leader Eric I. Cantor (R-Va.) and House Budget Committee Chairman Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) described to colleagues how this scenario could play out and conservative lawmakers in the room seemed supportive of the idea, including Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-Minn.), who spoke up in support and offered to help whip up support for the plan among Republicans.”

“Concerns about a so-called "Obamacare bailout" have emerged in recent days, especially on conservative op-ed pages. The term is generally used to describe three programs in the health-care law — two temporary and one permanent — that make it less financially risky for health insurance plans to sell on the new exchanges. The term also is sometimes used to refer to one specific program in the health-care law known as "risk corridors" that limit both the amount of money that a health insurance plan can make and lose during the first three years it is sold on the new health-care exchanges established by the law.” - House Republicans might propose canceling ‘Obamacare bailouts’ to raise debt limit, Washington Post, 01/31/2014

Link to the entire article appears below:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/post-politics/wp/2014/01/31/house-republicans-might-propose-canceling-obamacare-bailouts-to-raise-debt-limit/