ACA Repeal Vote Could Come Soon

Senate Republicans are planning to hold a vote on their version of repealing Obamacare by the end of June. No one knows yet what their bill contains.

Republicans in Congress are moving forward with their plans to repeal the Affordable Care Act.

The House of Representatives previously passed a bill that would do just that. It would have cut funding for Medicaid and increased health insurance costs dramatically for many seniors who have not yet reached retirement age.

A Senate version is expected soon, as Politico reports in “Senate GOP prepares for Obamacare repeal vote next week.”

The biggest problem with the Senate bill from an elder law perspective, is that no one knows what the problems are.

Since President Trump is reported to have told Republican Senators in private that the House bill is “mean,” it is expected that the Senate version will contain some softer provisions.

However, the negotiations over the Senate bill are being conducted behind closed doors. It is also expected that no hearings or debate will be held on the bill before it is called for a vote.

That makes it difficult for elder law advocates to determine whether the bill is supportable or not.

When details of the bill are released, it will need to be quickly and thoroughly scrutinized from an elder law perspective.

Reference: Politico (June 20, 2017) “Senate GOP prepares for Obamacare repeal vote next week.”