On May 23, 2016. Congressman Pete Sessions (R. Texas) and Senator Bill Cassidy (R. La.), introduced the “Healthcare Accessibility, Empowerment, and Liberty Act of 2016,” (HAELA). The HAELA is a bold and unconventional proposal. It is 117 pages long  — far shorter than the ACA, but also far less comprehensive in its reach. Unlike most Republican proposals it does not purport to repeal the ACA. It would repeal the individual and employer mandates and a number of the consumer protections of the ACA, but would leave much of the infrastructure in place, including the ACA’s marketplaces and income-based premium tax credits, Medicare reforms, and tax increases.

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