Verma Advances; Trump Touts Tax Credits; High-Risk Pools Loom – Part B News

Mike Strazzella, co-head of the firm's Washington D.C. office and Practice Group Leader in the Federal Government section, commented on the ACA repeal bill and Medicaid reform in a Part B News article, "Verma Advances; Trump Touts Tax Credits; High-Risk Pools Loom." (Subscription required)

Yet the Republican party remains divided over core issues such as the use of tax credits to help pay for coverage, notes Mike Strazzella, co-head of the Washington, D.C., office of law firm Buchanan, Ingersoll & Rooney and practice group leader for federal government relations. For instance, Rep. Steve Scalise, R-La., opined that Ryan's bill would not pass the House, while Ryan, for his part, announced he was working with fellow Republicans on gaining consensus. "That's why something's a draft bill," says Strazzella.

Other pieces of reform remain muddled. Recently, a number of Republican governors, including John Kasich, R-Ohio, announced their support for the Medicaid expansion that exists under Obamacare. Until the GOP can figure out the "Medicaid piece" of health reform and what to do with the approximately 20 million individuals who gained coverage under the Affordable Care Act, they'll have a hard time moving forward, suggests Strazzella.