Senate Republicans divided over revised healthcare bill
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Modifications to the healthcare bill may not be enough to win votes
Senate Republican leaders released a revamped version of the healthcare plan to repeal and replace Barack Obama’s 2010 healthcare law. The bill which is still in its proposed form is already being met with skepticism and outright opposition by some key Republican Senators.
The revised proposal seeks out conservative support by letting insurers sell low-premium policies with limited coverage. It provides an additional $70 billion to states to help reduce premiums and out-of-pocket costs and otherwise make healthcare more affordable. The new version retains the big cuts to Medicaid. Some changes in its new version includes a mechanism that would let states increase Medicaid spending in the event of a public health emergency that drives up per-person costs. Several sections of the bill directly hurt hospital operations, they would have to pay for low-income patients in a way that benefits states with more uninsured people, which would likely help states that chose not to expand Medicaid. The bill which originally had $2 billion in funding to combat the opioid abuse has been increased to $45 billion an attempt to win over votes of Republicans Rob Portman of Ohio and Shelly Moore Capito of West Virginia. The new version retains three tax increases listed under the current law. The first being the 3.8% investment-income tax on people making over $200,000 a year, other taxes including one on health-insurance executives and a Medicare health-insurance tax would no longer be repealed in the updated version.
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The proposed GOP healthcare bill is a win for Senator Ted Cruz from Texas, as it includes a version of his amendment to let insurers sell plans that do not meet Obamacare’s mandates if they also sell a plan that does meet those rules.
Two Republican senators, Susan Collins of Maine and Rand Paul of Kentucky appear to have hardened their opposition this week, signalling a no vote to the motion to proceed that opens a debate on the bill. The draft bill needs at least 50 Republicans to sign off on the procedural motion and with Collins and Paul apparently out, it needs every other Republican member to agree. With Vice President Mike Penace’s tie breaking vote and no Democrats expected to support the bill, Republicans need the support of 50 of their 52 members to pass the legislation.
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