Some Republicans see attacking Obamacare through regulationWASHINGTON (Reuters) - Congressional Republicans are looking for the quickest ways to tear down Obamacare following Donald Trump’s election as U.S. president, including rapidly confirming a new health secretary who could recast regulations while waiting for lawmakers to pass sweeping repeal legislation. Trump’s victory on Tuesday means Republicans will control the White House, Senate and House of Representatives. But congressional Democrats are expected to put up a huge fight against Republican efforts to repeal the 2010 law considered President Barack Obama’s signature domestic policy achievement. The Affordable Care Act, dubbed Obamacare, has provided 25 million previously uninsured Americans with health coverage. Republicans have launched repeated legal and legislative efforts to dismantle the law, which they call a government overreach. Wyoming Senator John Barrasso, a member of Senate Republican leadership, said one way for the incoming president and Congress to attack Obamacare immediately after Trump takes office on Jan. 20 would be to quickly confirm a new secretary of Health and Human Services, the official who writes the rules and regulations that enforce the law. “We could confirm someone on Jan. 20 who could come in immediately and could be working right now on rewriting rules and regulations to give more freedom and choice to the states, to insurance companies and to businesses that are trying to provide affordable care to their workers,” Barrasso said in a telephone interview. Barrasso noted that the Senate needs only a simple majority vote in the 100-seat chamber to confirm Cabinet members, as opposed to 60 votes to overcome procedural hurdles the Democrats could present to repeal legislation. Passing repeal legislation “is not a ‘Day One’ activity. But a new secretary of HHS going after the regulations can be a ‘Day One’ activity,” Barrasso added. Trump during the campaign called Obamacare “a disaster” and joined fellow Republicans in vowing to repeal and replace it with proposals like tax-free health savings accounts. His transition website says Trump wants a solution that “returns the historic role in regulating health insurance to the states.” In repealing Obamacare, congressional Republican may have to resort to a special procedure known as reconciliation to get around Democrats in the Senate, where rules protect the rights of the minority party. Republicans in Congress used reconciliation to try to undo large chunks of Obamacare in January, but Obama vetoed the legislation. The bill would have wiped out tax subsidies provided to help people afford insurance coverage, as well as tax penalties on people who do not obtain insurance as required by the law, and would have eliminated expansion of the Medicaid insurance health insurance program.  Republican Representative Chris Collins of New York, one of Trump’s earliest supporters on Capitol Hill, said he hopes Congress can pass a similar bill gutting Obamacare within Trump’s first 100 days in office, a promise Trump made during the presidential campaign. But some changes will doubtless be phased in over time, Collins said. “There’s nothing that we will be able to do or would want to do that would impact anyone’s health insurance plan for 2017,” Collins said in an interview. “From a replacement standpoint, our position has always been as Republicans to move forward in a step-by-step fashion,” Barrasso said. In an interview with the Wall Street Journal published on Friday, Trump said he was considering retaining parts of Obamacare including provisions letting parents keep adult children up to age 26 on their insurance policies and barring insurers from denying coverage to people with pre-existing medical conditions. While waiting for Congress to act on legislation, the new HHS secretary could be reworking Obamacare regulations, Barrasso said. For example, regulations could give U.S. states more flexibility under a provision that lets states seek waivers from key provisions of the law, such as exemptions from the so-called individual mandate requiring Americans to obtain insurance and the employer mandate to provide it. Kim Monk, an analyst at Capital Alpha Partners, which provides policy research to financial institutions, said Trump’s HHS might be able to tighten up the rules governing special enrollment periods for Obamacare. Insurers complain that these periods have allowed some people who initially skipped buying insurance to sign up after becoming ill. HHS might also be able to alter the language on “essential benefits” that the law requires insurance plans to cover, which include trips to the emergency room, maternity and newborn care, and mental health services, Monk said. “The law requires they have to cover 10 essential health benefit categories, but how that gets defined, a lot of that is interpretative,” Monk said. “And of course, everything the Obama administration interpreted was more, more, more, more expensive coverage, and all these things lead to premium increases.” Collins, a member of the Trump transition team’s executive committee, said the job of HHS secretary or surgeon general “would be great for Ben Carson,” referring to the neurosurgeon who ran unsuccessfully for the Republican presidential nomination and later endorsed Trump. politicsNews
some republicans see attacking obamacare regulationwashington reuters congressional republicans looking quickest ways tear obamacare following donald trump election president including rapidly confirming new health secretary could recast regulations waiting lawmakers pass sweeping repeal legislation trump victory tuesday means republicans control white house senate house representatives but congressional democrats expected put huge fight republican efforts repeal law considered president barack obama signature domestic policy achievement the affordable care act dubbed obamacare provided million previously uninsured americans health coverage republicans launched repeated legal legislative efforts dismantle law call government overreach wyoming senator john barrasso member senate republican leadership said one way incoming president congress attack obamacare immediately trump takes office would quickly confirm new secretary health human services official writes rules regulations enforce law we could confirm someone could come immediately could working right rewriting rules regulations give freedom choice states insurance companies businesses trying provide affordable care workers barrasso said telephone interview barrasso noted senate needs simple majority vote chamber confirm cabinet members opposed votes overcome procedural hurdles democrats could present repeal legislation passing repeal legislation day one activity but new secretary hhs going regulations day one activity barrasso added trump campaign called obamacare disaster joined fellow republicans vowing repeal replace proposals like health savings accounts his transition website says trump wants solution returns historic role regulating health insurance in repealing obamacare congressional republican may resort special procedure known reconciliation get around democrats senate rules protect rights minority party republicans congress used reconciliation try undo large chunks obamacare january obama vetoed legislation the bill would wiped tax subsidies provided help people afford insurance coverage well tax penalties people obtain insurance required law would eliminated expansion medical insurance health insurance program republican representative chris collins new york one trump earliest supporters capitol hill said hopes congress pass similar bill getting obamacare within trump first days office promise trump made presidential campaign but changes doubtless phased time collins said there nothing able would want would impact anyone health insurance plan collins said interview from replacement standpoint position always republicans move forward fashion barrasso said in interview wall street journal published friday trump said considering retaining parts obamacare including provisions letting parents keep adult children age insurance policies barring insurers denying coverage people medical conditions while waiting congress act legislation new hhs secretary could reworking obamacare regulations barrasso said for example regulations could give states flexibility provision lets states seek waivers key provisions law exemptions individual mandate requiring americans obtain insurance employer mandate provide kim monk analyst capital alpha partners provides policy research financial institutions said trump hhs might able tighten rules governing special enrollment periods obamacare insurers complain periods allowed people initially skipped buying insurance sign becoming hhs might also able alter language essential benefits law requires insurance plans cover include trips emergency room maternity newborn care mental health services monk said the law requires cover essential health benefit categories gets defined lot interpretation monk said and course everything obama administration interpreted expensive coverage things lead premium collins member trump transition team executive committee said job hhs secretary surgeon general would great ben carson referring neurosurgeon ran unsuccessfully republican presidential nomination later endorsed trump politicsnews
Your task is to classify the provided input as real or fake news. Label 0 is meant for fake news, Label 1 is for real news. TEXT: Some Republicans see attacking Obamacare through regulationWASHINGTON (Reuters) - Congressional Republicans are looking for the quickest ways to tear down Obamacare following Donald Trump’s election as U.S. president, including rapidly confirming a new health secretary who could recast regulations while waiting for lawmakers to pass sweeping repeal legislation. Trump’s victory on Tuesday means Republicans will control the White House, Senate and House of Representatives. But congressional Democrats are expected to put up a huge fight against Republican efforts to repeal the 2010 law considered President Barack Obama’s signature domestic policy achievement. The Affordable Care Act, dubbed Obamacare, has provided 25 million previously uninsured Americans with health coverage. Republicans have launched repeated legal and legislative efforts to dismantle the law, which they call a government overreach. Wyoming Senator John Barrasso, a member of Senate Republican leadership, said one way for the incoming president and Congress to attack Obamacare immediately after Trump takes office on Jan. 20 would be to quickly confirm a new secretary of Health and Human Services, the official who writes the rules and regulations that enforce the law. “We could confirm someone on Jan. 20 who could come in immediately and could be working right now on rewriting rules and regulations to give more freedom and choice to the states, to insurance companies and to businesses that are trying to provide affordable care to their workers,” Barrasso said in a telephone interview. Barrasso noted that the Senate needs only a simple majority vote in the 100-seat chamber to confirm Cabinet members, as opposed to 60 votes to overcome procedural hurdles the Democrats could present to repeal legislation. Passing repeal legislation “is not a ‘Day One’ activity. But a new secretary of HHS going after the regulations can be a ‘Day One’ activity,” Barrasso added. Trump during the campaign called Obamacare “a disaster” and joined fellow Republicans in vowing to repeal and replace it with proposals like tax-free health savings accounts. His transition website says Trump wants a solution that “returns the historic role in regulating health insurance to the states.” In repealing Obamacare, congressional Republican may have to resort to a special procedure known as reconciliation to get around Democrats in the Senate, where rules protect the rights of the minority party. Republicans in Congress used reconciliation to try to undo large chunks of Obamacare in January, but Obama vetoed the legislation. The bill would have wiped out tax subsidies provided to help people afford insurance coverage, as well as tax penalties on people who do not obtain insurance as required by the law, and would have eliminated expansion of the Medicaid insurance health insurance program.  Republican Representative Chris Collins of New York, one of Trump’s earliest supporters on Capitol Hill, said he hopes Congress can pass a similar bill gutting Obamacare within Trump’s first 100 days in office, a promise Trump made during the presidential campaign. But some changes will doubtless be phased in over time, Collins said. “There’s nothing that we will be able to do or would want to do that would impact anyone’s health insurance plan for 2017,” Collins said in an interview. “From a replacement standpoint, our position has always been as Republicans to move forward in a step-by-step fashion,” Barrasso said. In an interview with the Wall Street Journal published on Friday, Trump said he was considering retaining parts of Obamacare including provisions letting parents keep adult children up to age 26 on their insurance policies and barring insurers from denying coverage to people with pre-existing medical conditions. While waiting for Congress to act on legislation, the new HHS secretary could be reworking Obamacare regulations, Barrasso said. For example, regulations could give U.S. states more flexibility under a provision that lets states seek waivers from key provisions of the law, such as exemptions from the so-called individual mandate requiring Americans to obtain insurance and the employer mandate to provide it. Kim Monk, an analyst at Capital Alpha Partners, which provides policy research to financial institutions, said Trump’s HHS might be able to tighten up the rules governing special enrollment periods for Obamacare. Insurers complain that these periods have allowed some people who initially skipped buying insurance to sign up after becoming ill. HHS might also be able to alter the language on “essential benefits” that the law requires insurance plans to cover, which include trips to the emergency room, maternity and newborn care, and mental health services, Monk said. “The law requires they have to cover 10 essential health benefit categories, but how that gets defined, a lot of that is interpretative,” Monk said. “And of course, everything the Obama administration interpreted was more, more, more, more expensive coverage, and all these things lead to premium increases.” Collins, a member of the Trump transition team’s executive committee, said the job of HHS secretary or surgeon general “would be great for Ben Carson,” referring to the neurosurgeon who ran unsuccessfully for the Republican presidential nomination and later endorsed Trump. politicsNews
Your task is to classify the provided input as real or fake news. Label 0 is meant for fake news, Label 1 is for real news. TEXT: some republicans see attacking obamacare regulationwashington reuters congressional republicans looking quickest ways tear obamacare following donald trump election president including rapidly confirming new health secretary could recast regulations waiting lawmakers pass sweeping repeal legislation trump victory tuesday means republicans control white house senate house representatives but congressional democrats expected put huge fight republican efforts repeal law considered president barack obama signature domestic policy achievement the affordable care act dubbed obamacare provided million previously uninsured americans health coverage republicans launched repeated legal legislative efforts dismantle law call government overreach wyoming senator john barrasso member senate republican leadership said one way incoming president congress attack obamacare immediately trump takes office would quickly confirm new secretary health human services official writes rules regulations enforce law we could confirm someone could come immediately could working right rewriting rules regulations give freedom choice states insurance companies businesses trying provide affordable care workers barrasso said telephone interview barrasso noted senate needs simple majority vote chamber confirm cabinet members opposed votes overcome procedural hurdles democrats could present repeal legislation passing repeal legislation day one activity but new secretary hhs going regulations day one activity barrasso added trump campaign called obamacare disaster joined fellow republicans vowing repeal replace proposals like health savings accounts his transition website says trump wants solution returns historic role regulating health insurance in repealing obamacare congressional republican may resort special procedure known reconciliation get around democrats senate rules protect rights minority party republicans congress used reconciliation try undo large chunks obamacare january obama vetoed legislation the bill would wiped tax subsidies provided help people afford insurance coverage well tax penalties people obtain insurance required law would eliminated expansion medical insurance health insurance program republican representative chris collins new york one trump earliest supporters capitol hill said hopes congress pass similar bill getting obamacare within trump first days office promise trump made presidential campaign but changes doubtless phased time collins said there nothing able would want would impact anyone health insurance plan collins said interview from replacement standpoint position always republicans move forward fashion barrasso said in interview wall street journal published friday trump said considering retaining parts obamacare including provisions letting parents keep adult children age insurance policies barring insurers denying coverage people medical conditions while waiting congress act legislation new hhs secretary could reworking obamacare regulations barrasso said for example regulations could give states flexibility provision lets states seek waivers key provisions law exemptions individual mandate requiring americans obtain insurance employer mandate provide kim monk analyst capital alpha partners provides policy research financial institutions said trump hhs might able tighten rules governing special enrollment periods obamacare insurers complain periods allowed people initially skipped buying insurance sign becoming hhs might also able alter language essential benefits law requires insurance plans cover include trips emergency room maternity newborn care mental health services monk said the law requires cover essential health benefit categories gets defined lot interpretation monk said and course everything obama administration interpreted expensive coverage things lead premium collins member trump transition team executive committee said job hhs secretary surgeon general would great ben carson referring neurosurgeon ran unsuccessfully republican presidential nomination later endorsed trump politicsnews