The Senate began work this week on the House version of the American Health Care Act (AHCA) as scoring from the congressional budget office (CBO) is sought.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has appointed a working group that will overhaul most if not all of the House version of the bill. The working group includes Sen. John Thune and others who are experienced in health insurance and finance. Sen. Thune’s leadership will be especially pivotal as he has been working on measures aimed at easing concerns related to the tax credit provisions in the bill.
Current timeline estimates for Senate approval is several months, with many predicting a likely vote by the August recess. The Senate will use the reconciliation process, which means it must pass the scrutiny of the Byrd Rule. This rule requires that provisions in the bill are related to budget issues.
