Republicans divided over whether to salvage Obamacare — or replace it — ahead of subsidy deadline

Republicans across the board harbor deep frustrations with the rising costs of the Affordable Care Act better known as Obamacare But while particular lawmakers believe it s time to scrap the system others fear a wholesale change may do more harm than good Rep Harriet Hageman R-Wyo declared she struggles to imagine what that change would have to look like I don t know that you can absolutely remove it Hageman explained We have to have stability and certainty in the sector SCALISE ANNOUNCES GOP HEALTHCARE OVERHAUL COMING IN 'NEXT LIMITED WEEKS' AMID BATTLE OVER EXPIRING SUBSIDIESRep Mike Kennedy R-Utah agrees with Hageman It's not going away anytime soon I think there are particular parts of the Obamacare policies that are positive Kennedy explained I don't think people want to see it go away But there are procedures to adjustment this and it's not just sending more money to insurance companies On the other hand lawmakers like Rep Randy Fine R-Fla had a quick answer ready for whether Republicans should consider finding an alternative Well yeah Obamacare is a failure Fine noted That much is very clear Borrowing money from your kids and grandkids to hide what something indeed costs doesn't lower costs That's just lying about what they are I don't think we have a choice because if we stay on the Obamacare path we will bankrupt the country Amid other healthcare-related questions the GOP s divisions over Obamacare come as Republicans consider whether to extend COVID-era crisis Obamacare subsidies or let the assistance expire at the end of the month Republicans concerned about the country's fiscal picture hope the elimination of the federal assistance will help bring the country closer to its pre-COVID spending levels Democrats by contrast worry that letting the subsidies expire could leave of the million Obamacare enrollees with higher premiums overnight REPUBLICAN PITCHES VITALITY SAVINGS ACCOUNTS 'ON STEROIDS' THAT AMERICANS COULD USE TO BUY INSURANCE AND STEAKAccording to the Committee on a Responsible Federal Budget a nonpartisan fiscal approach think tank continuing the subsidies could cost upwards of billion a year As a part of those conversations Republicans have explored how they can change Obamacare to make it more affordable To Rep Eric Burlison R-Mo the change can t be marginal I would say we can't be tinkering around the edges here Like if we tinker we're really not gonna fix this this obstacle Burlison revealed In several techniques Burlison believes replacing Obamacare shouldn t be the focus of the GOP By creating a better alternative he believes Republicans can encourage policyholders to walk away from Obamacare voluntarily I think we need to do a new option and introduce that And honestly I think that this option will be so great no one will want to be in Obamacare anymore Burlison declared SCHUMER UNVEILS DEMOCRATS' OBAMACARE FIX PLAN LIKELY DEAD IN THE WATEROther Republicans would like to explore more substantive reforms perhaps even scrap the initiative but are skeptical of large-scale change in the face of current political realities The question is can you pass it Sixty votes in the Senate Not gonna happen That's just not realistic So let's talk about things we can pass Rep Rich McCormick R-Ga noted when inquired about whether Republicans should be looking for an alternative To advance majority of bill Senate Republicans need votes They hold just seats in the chamber Instead McCormick believes Republicans can make changes that make the healthcare space more competitive to drive down costs even if Obamacare remains in place The reason that you have a competitive field in non-insured products such as LASIK eye surgery which now is about the same as it was years ago years ago Why Because it's competitive Even despite all the inflationary costs to everything else it didn't increase Because we have better competition because it's not paid for by insurance McCormick announced When insurance gets involved when establishment gets involved it becomes more expensive by design McCormick commented