Ryan expressed optimism that Congress could pass a bill similar to one sponsored by Sens. Susan Collins (R-Maine) and Bill Nelson (D-Fla.)
The bill would provide billions of dollars to states to help establish high-risk pools or reinsurance programs, mechanisms that help cover the costs of expensive patients.
"I've talked to Susan Collins and Democrats about this. I think there might be a bipartisan opportunity there to get risk pools, risk mechanisms — in Maine, they do risk sharing. In Alaska, Wyoming, I think it is, they do reinsurance ... It's basically different ways of saying, let's all agree a person with a catastrophic illness shouldn't go bankrupt if they get sick," Ryan said at an event in Wisconsin.
He noted that Wisconsin had a successful high-risk pool before ObamaCare was implemented.
