Providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule submitted by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services relating to Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act; Marketplace Integrity and Affordability.
Summary
This joint resolution aims to disapprove a rule submitted by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) related to the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA), specifically concerning "Marketplace Integrity and Affordability". The resolution utilizes the Congressional Review Act (CRA), allowing Congress to overturn agency regulations. If passed, the rule would have no force or effect.
Expected Effects
The primary effect of this resolution, if enacted, would be to nullify the CMS rule regarding the ACA marketplace. This could lead to a continuation of the existing policies and regulations that the CMS rule intended to modify or replace. The impact would largely depend on the specific provisions of the disapproved rule and the rationale behind it.
Potential Benefits
- Potentially prevents unintended negative consequences of the CMS rule on healthcare access or affordability.
- Allows Congress to exert its oversight authority on executive agency regulations.
- May preserve existing consumer protections or market stability measures.
- Could lead to a re-evaluation and refinement of the rule by CMS, addressing congressional concerns.
- Ensures that changes to the ACA marketplace are subject to congressional scrutiny and approval.
Potential Disadvantages
- May prevent beneficial reforms or improvements to the ACA marketplace that the CMS rule intended to implement.
- Could create uncertainty for healthcare providers and consumers if the rule aimed to clarify existing regulations.
- Potentially hinders efforts to address issues related to marketplace integrity or affordability.
- May lead to continued inefficiencies or problems that the CMS rule sought to resolve.
- Could be viewed as political interference in agency rulemaking, undermining the expertise of CMS.
Constitutional Alignment
This resolution aligns with the principle of legislative oversight of the executive branch, as outlined in Article I, Section 1 of the Constitution, which vests all legislative powers in Congress. The Congressional Review Act, under which this resolution is being considered, is a mechanism for Congress to check the power of administrative agencies. However, the specific constitutionality of the underlying CMS rule would need to be assessed separately.
Impact Assessment: Things You Care About ⓘ
This action has been evaluated across 19 key areas that matter to you. Scores range from 1 (highly disadvantageous) to 5 (highly beneficial).