There is zero chance 2018s various medical costs will be lower than 2017, or 2016, or 2015.
About the only thing that can be done is obfuscate it with block grants and tax credits and maybe claim you slowed increase. But you can’t get prices down unless you cut doctor salaries and hospital management salaries.
No way conservatives will support govt dictating salaries for non govt employees.
$12,000 in annual premiums for coverage that had a $7,000 annual deductible. The guy had an ER visit in December and had to pay the entire cost out of his pocket.
Guess what -- he's decided to go uninsured in 2017 because he really doesn't give a f#&% about it anymore and figures he might as well have the $12,000 in his bank account if he has to pay for the first $7,000 in medical bills out of his pocket anyway. If the Republicans in the House and Senate can't fix that sh!t, I'm sure he wouldn't walk from his kitchen to his den to vote for a Republican in 2018.
Multiply that by several million voters in the same situation, and you can see a bloodbath on the horizon for the GOP in the 2018 midterms.
They have one chance to fix this.