One of the more prominent plans for the United States Republican party's efforts to overhaul the national health care system entails offering health insurance policies that are made to cover fewer items.These are also known as "bare bones" health insurance policies.These are being promoted as more affordable options for health care but opponents of the bill are especially arguing that such policies will not work well.

The plans for the bill would work to try and ensure that people do not have to pay all that much money.Even so, there are issues surrounding whether or not sick people could actually get the support they need from those who are healthy with regards to getting certain bills covered.

How Do These Policies Work?

Such bare bones policies are being promoted by the GOP in that the bill would allow insurance companies to sell policies that do not meet the standards of the Affordable Care Act that the new GOP bill is trying to repeal and replace.All an insurance provider has to do in order to quality to offer such insurance is to provide at least one optional plan that covers the standards that the ACA already covers.The bare bones option would be one of various choices being promoted to the public.

The change to the bill to allow bare bones coverage programs was introduced by Senator Ted Cruz, a Republican from Texas.This is to be added onto the rest of the bill as it already exists and will not change too many other aspects of it.

The Affordable Care Act as it currently stands requires all insurance policies to cover a number of functions.These include coverage for prescription drugs and lab services and various other forms of care including maternity services.

Reasons For the Change

The upcoming change is designed to make it easier for people to afford health insurance and to ensure they can get access to policies that only contain the particular services that they actually want to pay for.There is especially the belief that healthy people will be kept separate from sick people in terms of getting policies prepared.This ensures that people will have lower premiums.

This also comes amid the belief that people may not want to pay for certain services or functions that are offered in an ACA-supported health insurance policy.This is especially over the concern about how much money people are spending on services that they do not necessarily have much of a need for.

What About Subsidies?

The subsidies used under the ACA would still be available to many who are looking for these bare bones programs.These would be available to those who are earning up to 350 percent of the federal poverty level.

Criticism of the Plan

Although Republicans are trying to pass this part of the bill, there are some concerns being raised by many opponents of the new plan.The Center on Budget and Policy Priorities states that such a change would not work out all that well unless the people who qualify for such plans are already healthy.

There is the argument that by offering a sense of choice with bare bones plans involved, it might be harder for sick people to afford coverage.This comes as the options that will cover more functions would end up costing more than what they are worth right now.As a result, there could be a potential for millions to go without health insurance.

This comes from the concept that healthy people who pay their insurance premiums are essentially covering the costs for medical care for those who are ill.If the healthy and sick are separated then there is a risk that the healthy people are not going to be covering the costs that sick people would be subjected to.As a result, the risk of the system falling apart will be significant.

Some people on the Republican side have also expressed concerns about many other aspects of the health bill.Florida Senator Marco Rubio has especially expressed worries about how Medicare might be impacted as well as whether the rules of the new bill would be fair to people in his state.

Will a Vote Occur?

Ongoing efforts to get the bill to go to a vote are still moving along although it is unclear as to when the vote will take place with the new bare bones health insurance addition in mind.A recent surgical procedure for Arizona Senator John McCain prompted a delay in the process to vote on the bill.

There are also concerns from how many on the Republican side have been undecided as to whether or not they are going to actually vote on the bill.Democrats have unanimously gone against the bill.