Republicans Tweak Medicaid, Taxes, Abortion Provisions To Bring Wary Lawmakers On Board
The revisions were made to appease both the conservative wing of their party and moderates who had voiced concerns for their older constituents who would have been particularly hard hit by the first version of the American Health Care Act.
Reuters:
Republicans Tweak Obamacare Bill As Trump Moves To Promote Overhaul
Congressional Republicans recrafted their Obamacare replacement bill on Monday in hopes of satisfying critics as U.S. President Donald Trump prepared to promote his first major legislative initiative on Capitol Hill. In a sign of deepening concern among Republicans about the bill's future, Trump will speak to the party's lawmakers in Congress on Tuesday about the healthcare overhaul, two House Republican aides said. (Morgan and Cornwell, 3/20)
USA Today:
Republicans Modify Obamacare Repeal Bill To Win More GOP Votes
Under the modified version of the GOP replacement bill, states would be allowed to require able-bodied Medicaid recipients without dependents to work beginning in October — and would get a funding boost as a reward for doing so. States could also receive federal funding for the program as a lump sum — instead of a per capita allotment — for children and non-disabled, non-elderly adults. Taxes imposed by the ACA on the wealthy, sectors of the health care industry and others to pay for expanded coverage would be repealed in 2017 instead of 2018. (Groppe, 3/20)
The Wall Street Journal:
Changes To The Republican Health-Care Bill
The bill would repeal most of the Affordable Care Act’s taxes starting in 2017, a year earlier than in the prior version. A tax on generous employer health plans, known as a “Cadillac tax,” would begin in a year later, in 2026. (Armour, 3/21)
Politico:
GOP Leaders Pile On Sweeteners To Sell Obamacare Repeal
The bill also includes provisions nodding at anti-abortion GOP leaders. Among other changes to the repeal bill, the amendment would delete a provision that would have allowed consumers to move leftover tax credit money into a Health Savings Account. Anti-abortion groups had raised concerns that the provision might be eliminated under the Senate's strict budget rules and inadvertently allow for taxpayer funding of abortion. (Haberkorn, Pradhan and Dawsey, 3/20)
Los Angeles Times:
In A Bid To Get Votes, House Republicans Prepare Changes To Their Bill Rolling Back Obamacare
The revisions do not include any provisions targeting high drug prices, even though Trump told a rally in Louisville on Monday night that the bill would. (Mascaro and Levey, 3/20)
The New York Times:
House Republicans Turn To Upstate New York To Lure Votes For Health Bill
House Republican leaders, trying to lock down the votes of wavering upstate New York Republicans, inserted a last-minute special provision in their health care bill that would shift Medicaid costs from New York’s counties to its state government. (Kaplan and Pear, 3/20)
The Hill:
GOP Leaders Unveil Changes To Healthcare Bill
New York Republican lawmakers argue this will relieve counties from having to pay into Medicaid and lead to property tax relief for constituents. But Democrats are already labelling that change a “backroom amendment.” (Sullivan, 3/20)
Bloomberg:
GOP Leaders Tweak Health Bill As Conservatives Repeat Opposition
House leaders praised the changes Monday night, with House Speaker Paul Ryan saying Republicans were “one step closer” to repealing Obamacare. “I want to thank the White House and members from all parts of our conference who have helped make this the strongest legislation it can be,” he said in a statement late Monday. (Edney, Edgerton and Tracer, 3/20)
Atlanta Journal-Constitution:
Republicans Unveil Changes To Health Bill, As GOP Leaders Press For Approval
The changes seem certain to further reduce the amount of deficit reduction linked to the bill, which was at $337 billion over ten years – now that figure may drop to under $200 billion. (Dupree, 3/21)
The Associated Press:
How GOP Health Care Plan Would Turn Into Law
Republicans leaders want to push their bill repealing and replacing much of the 2010 health care law through Congress by April. But the GOP must navigate a complicated path to get the proposal to President Donald Trump's desk. (3/21)
