Healthcare Bill Fails to Pass, Keeping ACA Intact for Now
By: Cohen, Placitella & Roth @ Oct 11, 2017
Since the election of President Trump, one of the biggest goals of the administration, and of Republicans in Congress, has been to repeal the Affordable Care Act (ACA), also known as “Obamacare” and replace it with something else. However, as much as Republicans may want to replace the bill, they have been unsuccessful at reaching any sort of consensus as it pertains to what will stand in its place. Yet another healthcare proposal – the Graham-Cassidy bill – has failed to pass.
What You Need to Know About Graham-Cassidy
Named for Senators Lindsey Graham and Bill Cassidy, the proposed healthcare bill would have spelled danger for millions of Americans. To be sure, an opinion piece published in Philly.com, states that the healthcare bill, had it passed, could have taken away healthcare coverage from up to 32 million Americans, and 18 million in the first year alone. An article published in The New Yorker states that the healthcare plan would have also threatened coverage for those will preexisting conditions, as the legislation contained a provision that would have allowed states to obtain individual waivers to rules in the ACA that ban insurers from denying coverage to those with preexisting conditions.
The Bill May Have Died, but What’s Next?
On September 26, the attempted ACA repeal died, with Senators not even holding a vote on the legislation, knowing that it did not have the votes it needed to pass. However, those who support the ACA and are advocating for healthcare coverage for Americans shouldn’t get too excited yet; the fight is not over, and so long as Republicans hold power in Congress, the battle could be a long one. New proposals are being devised.
But as explained by an article in Fortune, a legislative overhaul isn’t the only way that Republicans may be able to get what they want. In fact, the funding for outreach for Obamacare during its open enrollment season has been cut, and Trump has actively threatened to end certain subsidies.
An Unsure Future for Americans Who Rely on the ACA
For those Americans who have benefited from the ACA, and certainly for those who rely on it to meet their healthcare needs, the future is very uncertain. While there are some Republicans in both the Senate and the House who are committed to protecting their constituents’ healthcare needs, there are others whose primary objective is to repeal the ACA and terminate Obamacare. This aim could end up causing harm to millions of Americans.
Our Law Firm Strongly Believes in the Right to Health Care
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