Three weeks ago, I watched along with other Americans as Republicans gained control of the 115th U.S. House of Representatives and Senate.

Last Friday, Americans and the world watched as businessman Donald J. Trump was sworn in as the 45th president of the United States.

As a consumer of the Affordable Care Act, I have been closely following what the new Congress will do to the health care laws and the new health care plan its members are expecting to propose to the 20 million Americans insured under the Affordable Care Act, known as Obamacare.

Hours after being sworn in, President Trump signed an executive order giving federal agencies the authority to chip away at the economic and regulatory burdens under the ACA.

Trump’s executive order gives authorities more flexibility and control with states to create and implement an open health care system.

The order gives authorities discretion to waive penalties and regulatory burdens on individuals, families and health care providers.

It also orders the head of each health care or health insurance company to encourage an open market across states to provide maximum options for consumers.

Prior to Trump’s executive order, the Senate voted 51-48 and the House of Representatives voted 227-198 to approve a budget resolution allowing them to begin the process of repealing major parts of the ACA.

A CNN.com article dated Jan. 13 and titled “House takes first step toward repealing Obamacare,” written by Tom LoBianco, Deirdre Walsh and Tal Kopan, states U.S. Congressman Charlie Dent, R-15th, along with eight other Republicans, voted with Democrats against the budget resolution.

According to the article, “Some Republicans, like Pennsylvania moderate Dent, said they were concerned the GOP does not have a clear plan to replace Obamacare yet. Dent cautioned Friday’s decision could further send insurance markets into a spiral.”

Dent commented after the vote: “If there’s uncertainty and these markets are already collapsing without us doing anything, this type of action could accelerate the collapse. So we have to make sure we have a clear idea how we’re going to land this plane,” Dent said.

In a Jan. 15 Washington Post article titled “Trump vows ‘insurance for everybody’ in Obamacare replacement plan,” written by Robert Costa and Amy Goldstein, Trump has a different tone.

According to the article, “President-elect Trump said in a weekend interview he is nearing the completion of a plan to replace President Obama’s signature health care law with the goal of ‘insurance for everybody,’ while also vowing to force drug companies to negotiate directly with the government on prices in Medicare and Medicaid.”

The article further stated Trump declined to reveal specifics about his plan in his telephone interview with Washington Post reporters.

On Jan. 16, in an interview with a reporter from WISC TV News 3 in Madison, Wis., House Speaker Paul Ryan said he and Trump are on the same page regarding a health care plan.

“Our goal is to give everyone access to affordable insurance. That doesn’t mean we are going to make you buy what you don’t want to buy, which is what Obamacare does,” Ryan said in the interview. “We are not going to have a government-run system that denies choices and raises prices. We want more choices, lower prices, more competition, so that at the end of the day everyone has access to affordable coverage - even people who have pre-existing conditions.”

Republicans have proposed four health care plans: “A Better Way for Health Care” by House GOP Leadership (Paul Ryan); “Patient Care Act” by Utah Sen. Orrin Hatch, “Empowering Patients First Act” by Georgia Rep. Tom Price and “Health Care Choice Act “by Texas Sen. Ted Cruz.

The idea of not being penalized for not having insurance under Trump’s executive order is appealing.

• However, as the penalties were helping keep Obamacare financially afloat, will the proposed insurance plans be financially stable if they do away with the penalties?

• Will young adults age 26 and younger be able to remain on their parents’ insurance under the proposed health care plans?

• Will the final health care plan restore 40 hours as the standard for full-time work as opposed to the 30 hours under Obamacare?

• Will the new health care plan be able to cross state lines to increase competition and lower costs?

• Will pre-existing conditions such as cancer, heart disease, diabetes and birth defects be covered under the new plan?

One question remains, however - how will the final plan affect all Americans?

Susan Bryant

editorial assistant

Parkland Press

Northwestern Press