WASHINGTON _ The Republican drive to repeal President Barack Obama's health care law just as soon as President-elect Donald Trump takes office already has hit snags, and new state-by-state data help show why.
Of the five states whose residents receive the most in subsidies to help them buy insurance, four _ Florida, Texas, North Carolina and Georgia _ have Republican-controlled congressional delegations.
Florida has the most to lose: Its residents will receive an estimated $5.2 billion in Obamacare tax credits this year, about one-sixth of the money that the federal government distributes to help people with their insurance premiums. That's even more than California, the nation's most populous state and the one Democratic bastion on the top-five list.
The data on the amount of the subsidies in each state were compiled by the Kaiser Family Foundation, which has tracked data on the Affordable Care Act since it took effect. The foundation based its estimates on the average amount of the tax credits and the number of people buying insurance under the law in each state.
The law provides subsidies to about 9.4 million Americans with moderate or low incomes to help them buy insurance. Almost half of those receiving subsidies live in the top five states.
The amount of the subsidy depends on recipients' incomes and on the premiums in their market. As a result, the amounts vary considerably among states. In North Carolina, for example, the average subsidy is $401; in New York it is only $178. The national average subsidy is $291.
Republicans have a number of proposals to repeal the law but have not agreed on how to replace it. They seem likely to try a "repeal and delay" plan that could keep subsidies flowing for at least another year or two while they seek agreement on a replacement plan, but some conservatives, particularly in the House, are pushing for faster action.
