Repeal & Run? Republicans Move to Axe Obamacare, But What Will Replacement Look Like?

Republicans in the newly sworn-in 115th Congress are moving swiftly to repeal the Affordable Care Act, President Obama’s signature healthcare law. By a vote of 51 to 48 last week, the Senate approved a procedural measure clearing a way for a budget resolution that could repeal major sections of the law. The charge was led by Vice President-elect Mike Pence, who admitted his party has not yet decided how to replace the Affordable Care Act. "The Republicans’ rebranded version of the Affordable Care Act will be much meaner and skimpier," says Dr. Steffie Woolhandler, a primary care physician. She is a lecturer at Harvard Medical School. "It will have much more in the way of copayments and deductibles, particularly for poor people who are unable to afford it." Woolhandler is a professor at CUNY-Hunter College and the co-founder of Physicians for a National Health Program.