On Thursday, the House voted to repeal and replace Obamacare with the narrow passage of the American Health Care Act. The passage of the bill was just the first step in fulfilling campaign promises that Republicans have been championing throughout the Obama era.
Before the vote, members of Iowa’s insurance community were in Washington to discuss the realities of the healthcare situation with lawmakers. Business Record reports that Iowa Insurance Commissioner Doug Ommen and Iowa Insurance Division communications director Chance McElhaney discussed the seriousness of the situation in Iowa, which as recently as May 3 saw the final insurer under the Affordable Care Act questioning remaining with the program after 2017.
“This is causing significant angst among Iowa consumers that depend on the individual health market for their health coverage,” said McElhaney in a written statement, according to Business Record. “This is not an Iowa-specific problem. This is a federal problem that was created by the ACA and needs to be fixed by Congress. Time is of the essence to find a solution for Iowans, and we now look forward to action from the U.S. Senate to fix this federal problem.”