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Some cheer Senate GOP health failure, but three concerns are ahead

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Photo by AP Photo/Cliff Owen

Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, passes reporters as she leaves the Senate Chamber after voting ‘no’ on a a measure to repeal parts of former President Barack Obama’s health care law, on Capitol Hill in Washington, Friday, July 28, 2017.

(Harrisburg) — Some are cheering the failed Republican effort in the Senate to repeal parts of the Affordable Care Act.

But Insurance Commissioner Teresa Miller is looking ahead, and sees potential trouble.

Miller says she was relieved about the vote last night.

But she has three main concerns going forward: whether payments to insurers for low-income people will continue, whether the individual mandate will stay in place, and how open enrollment on healthcare dot gov will be promoted.

President Donald Trump’s administration has the power to make changes to all three issues without legislative approval.

“You know, what we’re hearing from our carriers, is that they want to be in this market, they don’t expect to leave, but obviously the CSRs and getting a committment to continue paying those is weighing heavily on their mind,” says Miller.

Trump could also tell the Internal Revenue Service to stop fining people who don’t have health insurance.

Miller says such a move would be damaging to the individual market.

“Maybe we’ll see a tweak that the individual mandate is not going to be enforced, and what happens at that point,” adds Miller.

Miller says if insurers need to submit final rates and don’t know what Congress or President Trump is going to do, they may have to raise premiums even higher in case things change in the future.

Rates need to be locked in later this fall.

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