Story highlights Now that GOP has control of Congress, they are proposing reforms to health law

Their plan to redefine full-time employment as 40 hours a week would hurt Americans

(CNN) The Republicans have taken control of Congress, and with it ownership of health care reform. As long as the Republicans were in opposition, they could just complain. And they did, voting repeatedly — and futily — to repeal the Affordable Care Act.

Now, they are coming up with actual reform ideas. Their first reform proposal — to redefine full-time employment as 40 hours a week under the ACA — may be emblematic of what is to come.

Timothy Jost

The idea is favored by business groups that support the GOP financially. But such a change would increase the number of uninsured and raise the federal budget deficit by $53 billion over the next 10 years.

Currently, full-time employment is defined as 30 hours per week, and under the health care law, large companies must offer health insurance to those working full time. Most American workers now work close to 40 hours a week and are insured. But under the Republican proposal, employers could send employees home a half-hour early on Friday and drop their coverage.

The Congressional Budget Office estimates this change could "lead employers to make changes that would affect many more workers than will be affected under current law" as well as cause a million American workers to lose their employer-sponsored health insurance.

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