Republicans modify health care bill to appeal to conservatives, moderates

WASHINGTON — House Republican leaders, racing toward a planned Thursday vote on their proposed health-care overhaul, unveiled changes to the legislation late Monday that they think will win over enough members to secure its passage.

The tweaks addressed numerous GOP concerns about the legislation, ranging from the flexibility it would give states to administer their Medicaid programs to the amount of aid it would offer older Americans to buy insurance.

The bill’s proponents also appeared to overcome a major obstacle Monday after a key group of hard-line conservatives declined to take a formal position against the bill, known as the American Health Care Act. The House Freedom Caucus has threatened to tank the legislation, arguing that it does not do enough to undo the Affordable Care Act. Their neutrality gives the legislation a better chance of passage: If the group of about three dozen GOP members all opposed the bill, it could block its passage.

Their decision not to act as a bloc frees House leaders and White House officials to persuade individual members to support the measure.

A major push was made to win moderate votes, including a maneuver that House leaders said would allow the Senate to beef up tax credits for older Americans who could see major increases in premiums under the GOP plan.

There were signs Monday that the bill had growing support among the moderate wing of the House GOP. Rep. Tom MacArthur, R-N.J., who had voted against the leadership in an early procedural vote on the health-care legislation, said that he was “satisfied enough that I will support the bill.”

MacArthur said he was assured that the bill would do more for older and disabled Americans covered under Medicaid and that an additional $85 billion in aid would be directed to those between ages 50 and 65.

“That’s a $150 billion change in this bill to help the poor and those who are up in years,” he said.