As Pennsylvania’s Republican senator and representatives prepare to take office and make good on promises to repeal Obamacare, they would be wise to wait until a viable replacement is identified.

In 2017, the commonwealth’s health insurance marketplace will see the exit of four insurance carriers, an average premium increase of 32.5 percent and the potential resolution of Highmark’s nearly $223 million lawsuit alleging nonpayment of risk corridor payments (for just 2014) promised to insurers. Highmark calculates that its marketplace losses exceed $800 million since 2014. Despite the clear need for reforms to lower premium costs and fairly incentivize insurers to cover people with pre-existing conditions, a vote to repeal Obamacare without a viable replacement will only exacerbate our nation’s thorny problem.

Repeal without replacement is a misguided strategy that will cause uncertainty among insurers in the marketplace and will likely force the commonwealth to forgo the federal government’s commitment to pay 95 percent of Pennsylvania’s Medicaid expansion costs. At a time in which the commonwealth is struggling to revamp its Medicaid system to avoid budget shortfalls, a repeal of Obamacare for short-term political gain is not in its people’s best interests.

While many can agree that Obamacare is expensive and in need of reform, we should not lose sight of our nation’s goal to provide health care to all people. Obamacare provided health care coverage not only to those with lower incomes but also to many of the commonwealth’s small-business owners, community leaders and individuals whose employers cannot provide coverage. By failing to replace Obamacare at the time of repeal, Pennsylvania’s representatives in Washington would fail not only their constituents but also the commonwealth.

BRYAN MURRAY
Lawrenceville

The writer is an attorney in the health care sector.

First Published: January 12, 2017, 5:00 a.m.