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Rand Paul at the Hardin County Chamber of Commerce | Photo by Mary Alford/The News-Enterprise

By Mary Alford | The News-Enterprise

Despite failed Republican attempts to repeal the Affordable Care Act last week, U.S. Sen. Rand Paul says its not over.

Continuing his search for the best health care options, Paul met Monday morning with community leaders in Elizabethtown to hear their stories and concerns with health care and to make a push for his association health care plan, which would allow Americans to join large groups across state lines for less expensive health insurance.

In addition to local government and community leaders, the crowd at the Hardin County Chamber of Commerce building included several small-business owners. Mondays meeting is one of many recent visits Paul has made to the area to discuss the Senate health care bill with Kentuckians.

I dont think it is, Paul said about the Senates efforts to repeal the Affordable Care Act. I am talking to several people who voted no, to see if there is any way they can get to yes. Well see, maybe there is some way.

Paul, who has been advocating for the repeal of the ACA, also known as Obamacare, across Kentucky, was denied by three Republicans last week in the GOPs effort to pass a skinny repeal of the act.

At least three Republicans senators John McCain of Arizona, Susan Collins of Maine and Lisa Murkowski of Alaska voted against the bill, which needed a simple majority to pass.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky described Fridays vote as a disappointing moment.

We have to get behind the situation differently if we are going to get everybody on board. I dont think its over, Paul said. Part of the problem was Obamacare was all Democrats and no Republicans. Same could be said for the repeal, its all Republicans and no Democrats.

Paul said if he was going to assign blame on the repeal not passing, he would direct the blame on those who said they would vote to repeal and then didnt.

My disappointment is mostly with those who promised to vote for repeal and then didnt vote for repeal, he said.

Paul also said he is looking to use executive orders from Republican President Donald Trump to push his idea of association health care forward in the wake of the GOP failure.

I would like to see more coming out of the executive branch, he said. He has the power to legalize nationwide insurance. Im going to talk to him about it again this week.

Paul said the hope is Trump will use the Employee Retirement Income Security Act, a law from the 1970s that governs how private companies provide benefits, to push his national insurance plan forward.

Overall, Paul said he received good feedback at the small gathering.

Every time I come to these meetings, I hear good ideas, he said, noting they talked about how legislation could expand the Kentucky Health Association through something called self insurance.

Self insurance is an innovation that has kept prices down for people, Paul said. I learn something every time. I sense frustration with the current system and I also sense they want us to get it right.

The rest is here:
Rand Paul: Health care battle not over - Insider Louisville