The content below is sponsored by Americans for Limited Government.
In Washington, the common belief is that Republicans often talk tough about the Affordable Care Act, known as Obamacare, but don’t follow through with substantial action. However, the GOP has quietly built a notable record of dismantling parts of the legislation.
While it may not be widely discussed, Republican lawmakers have effectively chipped away at some of Obamacare’s most controversial elements over the years. During President Trump’s administration, significant strides were made: the individual mandate was scrapped, the “Cadillac tax” was repealed, the Independent Payment Advisory Board (IPAB) was dissolved, and the medical device tax was removed. These actions not only saved taxpayers billions but also curbed the law’s expansion of federal control over healthcare.
Currently, as Congress grapples with the impending end of a Biden-era policy that expanded Obamacare’s insurance subsidies, one major aspect of the original law remains — the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation, or CMMI. Initially presented in 2010 as a hub for innovative payment strategies aimed at reducing costs and enhancing care quality, CMMI has not lived up to its promises.
The Congressional Budget Office reports that from 2011 to 2020, CMMI increased federal spending by $5.4 billion, with projections indicating an additional $1.3 billion in costs by 2030. Instead of delivering savings, CMMI has evolved into a vast, unaccountable entity, imposing experimental payment models on millions of seniors, often without their consent or clear benefits.
The public’s dissatisfaction is evident. A recent poll by the Council for Citizens Against Government Waste highlighted widespread voter discontent with CMMI’s shortcomings. A significant 61 percent believe any CMMI model failing to generate savings should be scrapped, while over 75 percent are concerned about the excessive federal control over personal healthcare decisions that CMMI represents.
At a time when voters want health care freedom and choice, CMMI represents the opposite: Washington-driven mandates and centralized decision-making. For conservatives and those who believe in America First, this should be a no-brainer. If Republicans want to show they are serious about shrinking bureaucracy and restoring patient control, repealing CMMI is the clearest, most immediate step they can take.
It is also smart politics. With the 2026 midterms on the horizon, Republicans have an opportunity to demonstrate that their opposition to Obamacare is more than rhetoric. They can point to a track record: repealing the individual mandate penalty, the Cadillac tax, the Independent Payment Advisory Board, and the medical device tax. Repealing CMMI would give them yet another concrete accomplishment to take to voters — a proof point that they are doing exactly what they promised: fighting government overreach and protecting patients.
Moreover, eliminating CMMI would help clear the way for real innovation driven by doctors, patients, and the private sector — not by bureaucrats in Washington experimenting with people’s care. Competition, choice, and flexibility come from empowering individuals, not from federally dictated “models” that too often restrict how providers treat their patients.
CMMI was designed in the Obama era, for the Obama era. It has failed at its mission, wasted taxpayer dollars, and expanded federal control over health care. It needs to be ended before it can cause any more damage.
As Congress negotiates a health-care package to deal with expiring Obamacare subsidies, GOP lawmakers should make their move to repeal CMMI. Strike it from the books. Shut it down. Send this leftover piece of Obamacare exactly where it belongs — the ash heap of failed federal experiments.
Americans want accountability. They want choice. And they want leaders who take action. Repealing CMMI gives Republicans the chance to deliver all three.
