Dems smile now, but rising costs still dog program
Democratic opponents of the controversial Obamacare replacement bill are breathing sighs of relief after it was pulled from the House floor, but analysts say the next version will only grow more conservative to garner more GOP support and avoid another embarrassing loss.
The American Health Care Act was dead on arrival yesterday after House Speaker Paul Ryan withdrew the bill following President Trump’s request to stop the debate.
“This version was an attempt to make the far-right happy and also pull some Democrats on board,” said Sara Bleich, professor of Public Health Policy at Harvard University. “The lingering concern is that Ryan realizes he’s not going to be able to pass a bill by appealing to Democrats. That would mean more severe cuts.”
The bill underwent last-minute changes in an attempt to get more Republican support, including a requirement that able-bodied adults must be employed to receive Medicaid.
The legislation had already proposed extreme cuts to Medicaid, ending the massive expansion under Obamacare.
And though the AHCA failed even before a vote, cuts will “overall only get deeper, but particularly to Medicaid,” Bleich said.
Gov. Charlie Baker released a statement yesterday saying he was “pleased” the bill was halted, stating his administration “remains focused on working with our federal partners and other governors to protect critical Medicaid funding and secure the flexibility we need to address health care issues” in Massachusetts.
Edmund Haislmaier, senior research fellow in health policy for the Heritage Foundation, said the Medicaid provisions will likely stay but the next version must focus more on lowering skyrocketing premiums.
“This is what people are talking about: this thing has driven up costs,” Haislmaier said of Obamacare. “They’ll need to focus on the core issue for people who supported repealing it. They’re going to need relief from the cost increases they’ve seen.”