House approves bill to extend some plans that don't meet health law standards

The legislation would allow people to use the once-canceled policies through 2018. However, the measure is not expected to get a vote in the Senate.

Politico: House Returns To Anti-Obamacare Votes
House Republicans on Thursday returned to the Obamacare well for another vote against the law, this time to allow consumers to stay on once-canceled plans until 2019. The House approved the bill, 247-167, with the support of all Republicans and 25 Democrats. It was the first vote on the health care law since April (Haberkorn, 9/11).

Modern Healthcare: House Backs Bill Extending Small-Group Plans That Violate ACA
Legislation that would allow insurers to continue selling small-group plans that don't comply with the coverage requirements of the federal health care law through 2018 cleared the House with bipartisan support on Wednesday. But there is practically no chance the proposal will be taken up this year by the Democratic-controlled Senate (Demko, 9/11).

CBS News: Rob Portman: Obamacare Repeal Still Atop Senate Republicans' To-Do List
Sen. Rob Portman, R-Ohio, vice chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, said Thursday that if Republicans take the Senate in November, he suspects that repealing President Obama's signature Affordable Care Act will be a policy priority. "I suspect we will vote to repeal early -- to put on record the fact that we Republicans think it's a bad policy and we think it's hurting our constituents," he said at a Christian Science Monitor breakfast. "We think health care costs should be going down, not up. We think people should be able to keep insurance that they had. We're worried about the fact that the next shoe to drop is going to be employer coverage" (Alemany, 9/11).

The Wall Street Journal's Washington Wire: Portman: Four Things A GOP Senate Could Do Quickly
Another early item on a GOP Senate's agenda is oft-debated legislation to repeal the 2010 health care law, Mr. Portman said, but he hoped that it would be followed by other measures to replace the law with other health measures. President Obama, in fundraising events for Democrats this year, has made a big plea for keeping the Senate in Democratic hands to keep a check on Republican obstructionism (Hook, 9/11).