New proposed ACA-alternative plan calls to 'repeal and replace'

September 4, 2014 | By Dori Zweig

In the words of those who oppose the Affordable Care Act, "the U.S. healthcare system is in need of substantial reform."

This statement comes from the latest installment of proposals to the healthcare reform law. In his "Transcending Obamacare: A Patient-Centered Plan for Near-Universal Cover and Permanent Fiscal Solvency," Senior Fellow at the Manhattan Institute and Opinions Editor at Forbes Roy Avik's report highlights the need to repeal certain ACA mandates that drive up healthcare spending.

While Avik proposes to change many aspects of the ACA, like Medicare and Medicaid, for example, he intends to preserve the original intention behind the healthcare reform law, which guarantees every American can purchase healthcare regardless of preexisting conditions.

The main goals of the Universal Exchange Plan, Avik writes, is to improve the quality of coverage for low-income Americans, while reducing both the federal deficit and the cost of health insurance.

Listed below are three of the five main elements Avik proposes that can achieve the plan's goals:

Exchange reform: Repeal of the individual mandate. State-based exchanges would dominate, and will give insurers the freedom to develop plans solely on an exchange basis. This hopefully will provide consumers with more attractive plans.
Medicaid reform: Medicaid responsibility would fall into the laps of the state-based exchanges, with states fully funding the plans. This aims to reduce waste spent by state governments and improve overall coverage to the poor.
Medicare reform: Raise the Medicare eligibility age by four months each year. The goal is to preserve Medicare for current and future retirees. Hopefully, this will make the Medicare Trust Fund permanently solvent.

This is not the first time critics of the ACA narrowed in on specific provisions. Earlier this year, three Republican senators released a framework for the Patient Choice, Affordability, Responsibility, and Empowerment Act (CARE), which would revoke the ACA's individual and employer mandates, FierceHealthPayer previously reported.

For more:
- here's the full proposal (.pdf)