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CEO of Local Healthcare Cooperative Hopes for Improvements to the ACA

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The clock is ticking for Republican Congressional leaders hoping to pass healthcare reform legislation as part of the budget reconciliation process. September 30th is the deadline for a measure to pass the Senate with a simple majority. Earlier this week, a bipartisan effort to offer changes reportedly stalled. Taking its place was a measure cosponsored by Senators Cassidy and Graham. But that bill faces opposition from governors on both sides of the aisle, and its future is uncertain.

Cathy Mahaffey is still holding out hope of some reform taking place this fall. Mahaffey is the CEO of one of the five remaining healthcare co-ops that came into existence after the passage of the Affordable Care Act. The Common Ground Healthcare Cooperative is based in Brookfield and its members come from the eastern side of Wisconsin.

"My main concern is that the market needs to be stabilized, the premium increases that consumers are going to see next year are higher than they’ve ever seen - and we’re very concerned at our co-op about folks that are going to be hurt," she explains.