It happens so often now that it has stopped being remarkable: another health insurance company leaves the Obamacare exchange. Near the end of May, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas City announced it would be exiting the Missouri and Kansas exchanges, causing 67,000 people to lose coverage. That will likely leave people in 25 Missouri counties without an insurer in the individual market.
There is an opportunity here for congressional Republicans, one that could both bridge the gap between moderates and conservatives over Obamacare repeal and give them a big boost going into the 2018 election.
The moderates in the GOP want to keep Obamacare’s protection for preexisting conditions. It is an understandable position, as protecting people with preexisting conditions is compassionate, and it does not make for good press to have some of the sickest people lose insurance.