Here's what's going on with ObamaCare


With Congress convened and only 15 days left until the inauguration of President-elect Donald Trump, the topic of the week seems to be "health care." On Wednesday, Vice President-elect Mike Pence declared repealing and replacing the Affordable Care Act the "first order of business" — so how will that roll out?
For the time being, Congress is planning to repeal ObamaCare as quick as it can, with the White House aiming to implement executive action to "ease the transition," Politico's Playbook reports. Some lawmakers floated a deadline of Feb. 20 to have a bill prepared for Trump that repeals the health care law, although Speaker Paul Ryan's spokeswoman, AshLee Strong, disagreed with that assertion, CBS News reports. What top Republicans did agree on was not "pull[ing] the rug out from under" Americans — "We don't want people to be caught with nothing," Ryan said. Or, as Playbook puts it: "The stuff everyone likes isn't going anywhere for the foreseeable future."
Then there is the question of the ACA replacement, or "TrumpCare," as Obama has asked Democrats to call it:
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Internally, Republicans say they will come up with an alternative in 2017. Yes, you read that correctly: The delay is to allow an orderly transition — but plans will be developed and unveiled THIS YEAR, multiple senior GOP sources tell us. Republicans haven't really communicated that too well. Of course, this could all change. The incoming administration seems to want near simultaneous action on repeal and replace, but that simply won't happen. Republicans have a lot of ideas about health care, and they won't simply rally around Trump immediately because he's the president. Democrats don't think much of this plan, and say it will cause chaos across the country. [Politico Playbook]
In a series of tweets Thursday morning, Trump again appeared to caution against razing the ACA, demanding Republicans and Democrats work together "and come up with a health care plan that really works — much less expensive & FAR BETTER!" What that means is unclear, and harder to approach: "Republicans are now realizing how hard it will be to replace the law," Playbook writes, "and many of them have plainly settled on the fact that they will never be able to craft a plan to insure as many people as ObamaCare does."
Sign up for Today's Best Articles in your inbox
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.
-
Syria's Druze sect: caught in the middle of Israeli tensions
The Explainer Israel has used attacks on religious minority by forces loyal to Syria's new government to justify strikes across the border
-
Athens city and beach: The Dolli at Acropolis and Cape Sounio
The Week Recommends Luxury living in two Grecotels designed to showcase ancient Greek ruins and modern Greek style
-
Tivoli Kopke Porto Gaia Hotel: a foodie haven in Portugal's Douro Valley
The Week Recommends Luxury city hotel with food from a Michelin-starred chef – and plenty of port
-
Warren Buffet announces surprise retirement
speed read At the annual meeting of Berkshire Hathaway, the billionaire investor named Vice Chairman Greg Abel his replacement
-
Trump calls Amazon's Bezos over tariff display
Speed Read The president was not happy with reports that Amazon would list the added cost from tariffs alongside product prices
-
Markets notch worst quarter in years as new tariffs loom
Speed Read The S&P 500 is on track for its worst month since 2022 as investors brace for Trump's tariffs
-
Tesla Cybertrucks recalled over dislodging panels
Speed Read Almost every Cybertruck in the US has been recalled over a stainless steel panel that could fall off
-
Crafting emporium Joann is going out of business
Speed Read The 82-year-old fabric and crafts store will be closing all 800 of its stores
-
Trump's China tariffs start after Canada, Mexico pauses
Speed Read The president paused his tariffs on America's closest neighbors after speaking to their leaders, but his import tax on Chinese goods has taken effect
-
Chinese AI chatbot's rise slams US tech stocks
Speed Read The sudden popularity of a new AI chatbot from Chinese startup DeepSeek has sent U.S. tech stocks tumbling
-
US port strike averted with tentative labor deal
Speed Read The strike could have shut down major ports from Texas to Maine