The National Retail Federation (NRF), a group that represents US retailers, has applauded the US House of Representatives for approving the American Health Care Act, legislation that is likely to repeal the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare.
The NRF sent a letter to House leadership, urging lawmakers to take advantage of a 'real opportunity' to repeal the Affordable Care Act (ACA). It believes that debating details of the bill will ‘risk failing to move forward’.
The new legislation would effectively repeal the ACA’s employer mandate, stating that businesses are required to provide health insurance to full-time workers.
Budget reconciliation won't allow the mandate to be repealed completely. It will, however, reduce the penalties for non-compliance to zero.
The NRF has been a long-time advocate for ‘true healthcare reform’ against the Affordable Care Act. It notes that there are some elements of the ACA that it supports, but it ‘opposed passage because of the law’s failure to adequately address health-care costs and its job-killing employer mandate’.
Needed Change
David French, senior vice-president for government relations, said, “The American Health Care Act is not perfect, but if we are going to get to a health-care system that works without mandates and stifling regulation, the process has to start somewhere. This bill is an important milestone on that journey.”
The House narrowly approved the legislation last Thursday, going through with 217 votes to 213. The bill now goes to the Senate, which will consider the final draft before sending it to the President or back to the House.
© 2017 European Supermarket Magazine – your source for the latest retail news. Article by Aidan O'Sullivan. Click subscribe to sign up to ESM: The European Supermarket Magazine.
