Trump, Senate Republicans looking for healthcare bill this summer
Medicaid is being revamped from AHCA, though the plan would still set spending limits through a per-person cap.
President Donald Trump and GOP leaders want the Senate to finish its healthcare legislation before Congress goes on summer recess in August, so that lawmakers can focus on tax reform in the fall, according to several published sources.
Some Republicans say they will have a vote before July 4, according to The Wall Street Journal.
On Tuesday, GOP leaders met behind closed doors on a plan to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act. Vice President Mike Pence said they were near reaching a consensus on a bill that would be scored by the Congressional Budget Office.
They also discussed plans to stabilize insurance markets, according to the Associated Press.
Building a consensus in the Senate is seen as an uphill battle. Moderates want to protect beneficiaries through current ACA mandates, while conservative members want a full repeal. The GOP needs full support among its members as they have only two votes to spare in the Senate and will get no Democratic buy-in.
House Speaker Paul Ryan's American Health Care Act narrowly passed the House.
[Also: Providers still hate AHCA after revised CBO score shows 23 million uninsured]
The Republican Senate plan also includes some of its controversial features, such as a phase out of Medicaid expansion under the ACA.
Medicaid is reportedly being revamped in the Senate, though the plan would still set limits on spending through a per-person cap, as did the House bill.
However, the Senate is considering exempting from the cap spending for some categories of Medicaid beneficiaries such as the elderly, disabled, pregnant women, and children, according to the WSJ report.
The Senate bill is looking at basing tax credits not just on age, as the AHCA does, but also on factors such as income and locale.
But the Senate plan would not allow states to waive rules preventing people with pre-existing conditions from being charged more, a departure from the House-passed bill, according to The Hill.
[Also: Providers still hate AHCA after revised CBO score shows 23 million uninsured]
Democrats and some Republicans have panned the AHCA because it allows states to get waivers to cover essential benefits. Also setting up high risk pools for beneficiaries with high cost chronic conditions will not do enough to protect coverage, opponents say. The CBO has estimated that over the next 10 years, an estimated 23 million more Americans will become uninsured under the AHCA if it goes through.
Twitter: @SusanJMorse
