Governor Scott Walker
Governor Scott Walker says the plan offered by House Republicans to repeal and replace Obamacare still needs a lot of work.
Asked about the plan during a stop in Madison Wednesday, Walker would not say if he supports it as currently written – but said that he knows changes are likely. “It’s a work in progress,” Walker said, adding that he appreciates the commitment of Congress to doing something. “I just think more work needs to be done.”
Walker argued that the Affordable Care Act is collapsing, and the right thing to do is repeal and replace the health care law. He hopes those reforms will give states “maximum flexibility” in making decisions for how Medicaid programs operate, whether it be through block grants or per capita payments.
The governor also noted that the bill still has not been scored by the Congressional Budget Office, and he wants to see what the costs of the proposal are. He said it would “unconventional” for Republicans to take up the proposal in the House, until that report has been completed.
Despite being a vocal critic of Obamacare, Walker says he ultimately doesn’t think most people will be affected by its repeal. “This doesn’t affect people who get health insurance through their employer. If someone is a retiree and gets their insurance through Medicare, this doesn’t affect them,” he said.
While he admitted the Republican plan could cause premiums hikes, Walker argued doing nothing would actually be worse – as seen in the increases experienced by many of the people purchasing coverage through the exchanges. “If they keep intact the principle that they got to both repeal and replace, and I would add I hope they reform, I think that will actually help things,” the governor said.