One way forward is the approach that Sen. Lindsey O. Graham (R-S.C.) and I laid out in the Graham-Cassidy amendment to the Senate health-care bill. This amendment invokes traditional conservative principles and would devolve power to states. It would ensure access to adequate coverage while allowing a state to craft solutions specific to that state. Congress has already done this with Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, Medicaid and other programs.
Under the amendment, each state would receive a set level of federal assistance based on the size of its eligible population, cost of care and other factors. If a state’s eligible population grew, the amount it received would likewise increase.
Congress would give states guidelines to ensure adequate coverage; for instance, requirements covering preexisting conditions would stay in place. But states would be free to craft their own system to best address the needs of patients in their states.
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