Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell released the Senate’s revised Better Care Reconciliation Act on Thursday. The major change was incorporating demands from Sen. Ted Cruz to allow insurers to offer less expensive plans that have less robust coverage. It also would allow people to pay premiums using money in health savings accounts. And it allocates $45 billion to opioid addiction treatment.
Meanwhile, Sen. Lindsay Graham and Sen. Bill Cassidy were on CNN talking about their alternative to the plan, which would keep many of the federal taxes and send that money to the states to spend as they see fit. The plan would keep in place the essential benefits of the ACA and would continue to protect people with pre-existing conditions from being denied coverage.
As of Thursday afternoon, it’s unclear if the bill has the votes to pass. The analysis from the Congressional Budget Office is expected early next week and McConnell has said he wants to bring it to the Senate floor next week.
Here is some selected reading:
- Revised Better Care Reconciliation Act
- The New Health Insurance Bill Faces The Same Old Roadblocks, FiveThirtyEight
- New Senate health bill still risky for older people’s premiums, any pre-existing conditions, USA Today
- The updated Senate health care bill: What you need to know, Politico
- Senate Health Bill Still Short On ‘Yays’ But Leaders Vow Vote Next Week, Kaiser Health News
- Senate Republicans one vote away from Obamacare repeal failure, Politico
- GOP has razor-thin margin to advance Senate healthcare bill, Washington Examiner
- Senate health care bill: Republicans release draft of new plan, Fox News
- New Senate health bill includes option for lower-cost, skimpier insurance, The Associated Press
- Senate Republicans Unveil New Health Bill but Divisions Remain, The New York Times
- Senate Republicans exempt own health coverage from part of latest proposal, Vox
- Competing GOP health-care plans deal Senate push a surprise setback, The Washington Post
- New GOP health care bill could allow cheaper plans with fewer benefits, CNN
- Revised Senate Health Bill Would Allow Sales of Skimpy Plans, Medscape
- Sen. Graham releases alternative health care proposal, Lindsay Graham’s website
- Graham, Cassidy unveil details of alternative health care plan, CNN
- Graham introduces repeal back-up plan, Politico
