Two Republican U.S. senators are proposing a bill that would allow states that like the Affordable Care Act, commonly known as Obamacare, to keep it instead of taking whatever replacement President Donald Trump and the Republicans come up with.
"Republicans think that if you like your insurance, you should keep it. And we mean it," Louisiana's Bill Cassidy said Monday. "So California and New York, you love Obamacare? You can keep it."
Cassidy is co-sponsoring the bill with Maine's Susan Collins, who insists Obamacare must not be tossed out until a clearly spelled out replacement is ready.
Collins said Monday that Trump's executive order aimed at "minimizing the economic burden" of Obamacare is "very confusing." She says it is difficult to understand what it means or what impact it will have on the health insurance plan.
Senate Democratic Leader Charles Schumer has dismissed the Cassidy-Collins plan as an "empty facade."
"It is nearly impossible to keep the benefits of the Affordable Care Act without keeping the whole thing," he said.
The Affordable Care Act was former President Barack Obama's signature achievement of his eight years in office. It assures coverage for every American so they will not face financial ruin in case of a serious illness.
Trump campaigned on repealing and replacing it, calling it a "disaster." He said it is too expensive and puts too big of a burden on small businesses.
