House Guts Health Reform Law Funding

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The House of Representatives voted on Tuesday, May 3, to deny funding for a major component of the health reform bill, the state-based insurance exchanges. Proponents of the exchanges maintained that this structure would be a successful method for expanding access to health insurance to those who did not receive insurance through their employers and could not afford to buy it on their own via the private insurance market. The nearly straight-line party vote was 238-183, with all Republicans voting for the funding cut; they were joined by just three Democrats. Previous House bills aimed at killing the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act failed after the Senate refused to go along. Republicans have vowed to continue their efforts to repeal most or all of the reform act's provisions. For more information see http://pn.psychiatryonline.org/content/45/9/4.2.full.