Republican House members appear to be ready to take another stab at repealing the Affordable Care Act (ACA) when they return from a two-week recess.
House Speaker Paul Ryan, R-Wisconsin, tells The Hill that Republicans are putting the finishing touches on an ACA replacement bill that could be scheduled for a floor vote as soon as next week.
Politico reports that the White House is pushing for ACA repeal to coincide with President Donald Trump hitting his 100-day milestone. The president has said that he would like a health care bill passed prior to the administration and Congress tackling tax reform. The Politico story says the White House believes it is close to having the needed 216 votes, but a senior official says lawmakers are reluctant to commit until they see the bill text, which is likely to be circulated Friday or by the weekend.
The GOP’s earlier attempt at repeal and replace legislation, the American Health Care Act (AHCA), was pulled from the floor because it lacked the necessary votes for passage. Conservative Freedom Caucus members said the AHCA didn’t go far enough in rolling back the ACA’s tax subsidies, while moderate Republicans joined Democrats in their concern about too many Americans losing coverage and the loss of pre-existing condition protections.
The American Hospital Association (AHA), LeadingAge and SDAHO have opposed earlier ACA replacement legislation, saying it would cause too many people to lose insurance coverage and raise costs for those who can least afford it.
