Senator to unveil plan B for ObamaCare

The Republican chairman of the Senate Finance Committee on Monday said he will release a backup plan for ObamaCare in case the Supreme Court rules against the law this summer.

Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-Utah) said he has been crafting a “solution for those Americans who may be affected” by the looming King v. Burwell case, which threatens to end healthcare subsidies for people living in 37 states.

“That solution will address immediate concerns and set the stage for a more permanent solution,” Hatch said during a speech at the Heritage Foundation, about one week before oral arguments in the case are set to begin. The senator said he would share details about his plan “in the coming days.”

Hatch’s announcement of an ObamaCare “backup plan” comes about two weeks after he and two other top Republicans unveiled what they called an ObamaCare replacement plan, though few conservatives rallied around it.

Hatch said Monday that his plan B could help shape the GOP’s platform in the next election, adding, “Well, we have two years until 2017.”

House Republicans are also working on their own contingency plans, as charged by House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif). Rep. Paul Ryan (R-Wis.), one of three chairmen leading the effort, said last week that it was too early to disclose details.

The stakes for King v. Burwell are extremely high: Both parties have acknowledged that a plaintiff victory could force a rewrite of the entire law.

Republicans have hailed the court case as their best chance of undoing ObamaCare, putting the party on the line to come up with a way to shield people from the possible financial fallout of rising insurance costs.