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What Means the "Upton Bill"??
At 1:36 PM ET November 14, 2013 the United States House of Representatives passed a bill (H.R. 3350: "Keep Your Health Plan Act of 2013") that would require insurance companies to reinstate individual insurance policies lost due to Obamacare and also allow policies to be issued to new customers. The Senate is not in session today so it is uncertain what that body will do when the “Upton” bill comes across to it. If it is remotely possible this thing becomes a part of the law, “If you like your insurance, you can keep it”.
Not having more information we can only guess of the content or consequences but theoretically this could be good or bad depending how it plays out.
Such a change to the law, if constitutional, will not only reinstate the 5,000 plus policies lost and will likely add thousands or millions of new customers who fear the alternative ACA/Obamacare (and affectionately called the OSMI, Obama Socialized Medical Initiative). One stipulation that could alter that scenario is the expiration date of December 31, 2014. The insurance industry would most likely not, under real law, have to provide new policies nor would it even if they could. Potential new customers would also be deterred knowing that on expiration, they might again be subjected to the same potential loss of private coverage in 2015 and so forced into Obamacare.
The positive news is that such a change would exempt so many people from Obamacare it would be weak of starvation by expiration of this change in the law. At the end of 2014, before the elections, there will not be a taste for Obamacare by the majority of Americans. It will be up to the conservatives in the Republican Party to continually remind the populace of the original supporters of Obamacare in order to keep a majority in the House of Representatives and secure a majority in the Senate. There is now tremendous pressure on Democrats and RINOs to keep the private sector insurance industry alive simply to preserve their seats. This is something of a double edge sword; however, if the conservatives in the Congress keep their eye on the ball we can unseat the progressives (in spite of their weak opposition to Obamacare too little too late).
These are ramblings, which should be considered simply that, because we know that the left will not roll over. We cannot underestimate the power and compulsiveness of the progressives. We cannot expect the president to all of a sudden start observing the law.
It is probably not even possible that the insurance companies can or will reinstate the expired policies or issue new ones. They have prepared for years and adjusted business models and financing to accommodate Obamacare. Obama knows that the industry cannot turn on a dime (to coin a phrase) and has vowed a veto of this bill.
This is a last ditch effort by desperate politicians (a few well intentioned representatives not withstanding) to save their political careers. It could work. It could provide relief for those who have lost their policies. It could persuade millions to obtain private insurance including those not previously insured to circumvent Obamacare. Ultimately, if this bill passes we will have some time in which to move the public against the ACA and those who supported it. In any event, this is a stick in the spokes of Obamacare if it is made a part of the law.
