Gov. Pence Says Recent Affordable Care Act Rulings Are A Signal Congress Should Repeal It

Gov. Mike Pence says recent court rulings on the Affordable Care Act should send a message to Congress to repeal the controversial healthcare law. 

Two federal appeals courts this week issued conflicting rulings on subsidies offered to consumers who purchase health insurance through federally-run exchanges – one court invalidated them, the other upheld them. 

Indiana has a federally-operated exchange, and Pence says he stands by his decision not to set up a state-run marketplace.  And he says he’s hopeful Congress will take a step back and pursue a different kind of healthcare reform.

“A combination of giving states flexibility to provide innovative programs like the Healthy Indiana Plan for people that are just getting started out on the first rung of the ladder of the American Dream, as well as bringing market-based reforms that give people better and broader choices in health insurance but gives people the opportunity to choose whether or not they have health insurance is a much better pathway for the future of healthcare in this country,” he said.

Democrats renewed their criticisms of the governor’s decision not to expand Medicaid after the state Thursday announced it is cutting off enrollment in the Healthy Indiana Plan this year due to funding restrictions.  Pence says he’s committed to building on the success of the HIP program by pursuing expansion that encourages Hoosiers to take more ownership of their healthcare decisions. 

The Governor will be in Washington D.C. next week and will meet with new Health and Human Services Secretary Sylvia Burwell to discuss the state’s expansion proposal known as HIP 2.0.