“If They Want To Blow It Up, They Can” – How Republicans Can Hobble Healthcare Without Repeal

ObamaCare will explode and we will all get together and piece together a great healthcare plan for THE PEOPLE. Do not worry!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) March 25, 2017

Following President Trump’s clarifying tweet yesterday that “Obamacare will explode” on its own…
It is becoming increasingly clear that, even without the ‘repeal’, the Trump administration has already begun using its regulatory authority to water down less prominent aspects of Obamacare.
The Republicans’ failure to repeal Obamacare, at least for now, means it remains federal law. But as Reuters reports, newly confirmed Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price’s power resides in how to interpret that law, and which programs to emphasize and fund. Earlier this week, Price stalled the rollout of mandatory Medicare payment reform programs for heart attack treatment, bypass surgery and joint replacements finalized by the Obama administration in December.
Hospitals and physician groups have been counting on support from Medicare – the federal insurance program for the elderly and disabled – to continue driving payment reform policies built into Obamacare that reward doctors and hospitals for providing high quality care at a lower cost. The Obama Administration had committed to shifting half of all Medicare payments to these alternative payment models by 2018. Although he has voiced general support for innovative payment programs, Price has been a loud critic of mandatory federal programs that dictate how doctors should deliver healthcare.

This post was published at Zero Hedge on Mar 26, 2017.