Health Care Collapse Not a Viable Option for Congressional Republicans – NBCNews.com

2016 Election Results, by County Carrie Dunn / NBC News

Sen. Mike Rounds, R-S.D., whose state has just two options for insurance in the individual market, said that its not about politics but making sure people dont suffer.

We have to do something to reduce premiums, we have to stabilize the market or real people are going to get hurt, Rounds said. I dont think the American people want us to simply walk away and let this think explode which is what its doing.

But Trump vacillates between urging Republicans to keep working and making statements that make the insurance system stable and predictable.

And Republicans are starting to blame Trump for some of the health systems problems.

Im troubled by the uncertainty that has been created by the administration, said Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, on NBCs Meet the Press on Sunday. The uncertainly of whether that subsidy is going to continue from month to month is clearly contributing to the destabilization of the insurance market.

Republicans are open to do something they wouldnt normally do to ensure that the system doesnt collapse: prop up Obamacare with federal funding.

Sen. Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn., who represents a state with just one or two insurers in most counties, has said throughout this process that his first priority is to help people who are facing few insurance choices. He plans to hold hearings soon on how to ensure that insurers stay involved in the current system.

Republicans will need to temporarily support some things we would not normally support over the longer term and I would hope Democrats would do that as well, said Alexander, chair of the Senate health committee.

A group of about 40 centrists Republican and Democrat members of the House of Representatives released a framework for fixing the problems with Obamacare Monday. At the top of their list is to fund the so-called cost sharing reduction payments and to create a stability fund to prop up the Obamacare exchange market.

That plan doesnt seem to have any real momentum yet and any idea that involves throwing money at the problem is likely going to be a last resort in the Republican Congress.

AshLee Strong, a spokesperson for Speaker Paul Ryan, responded saying, while the speaker appreciates members coming together to promote ideas, he remains focused on repealing and replacing Obamacare.

While Trump is urging Obamacares implosion, he is also continuing to push Republicans to hand him a victory. He met with Sens. Lindsey Graham R-S.C., Bill Cassidy, R-La., and Dean Heller, R-Nev., on Friday at the White House to discuss their plan to give federal funds to the states for states to implement components of their own health care plan. Sen. Cassidy had another meeting at the White House on Monday to continue discussions.

But theres not a lot of time. The deadline for insurers to set their plans and pricing for 2018 is at the end of September. And the administration is supposed to decide if it will pay the subsidies for low-income Americans by the end of August: two deadlines with major repercussions for the insurance markets.

But coming to an agreement is going to be difficult will likely need Democrats.

"There's just too much animosity and we're too divided on healthcare," Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, told Reuters.

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Health Care Collapse Not a Viable Option for Congressional Republicans - NBCNews.com

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