HEALTH CARE VOTE SETS UP SHOWDOWN

$ 8B in patient provisions added to win moderates’ backing

Republican leaders suggested they would have enough votes to pass the bill in the House

After wooing GOP moderates with extra money for patients with pre- existing conditions, House Republicans said they would vote Thursday on a revised bill to repeal and replace Obamacare, setting the stage for a highstakes showdown on one of President Trump’s top priorities.

House GOP leaders announced the vote Wednesday night after weeks of negotiations, hours of wooing wavering Republicans and a last- minute sweetener added to the bill: an $ 8 billion amendment that would help patients with preexisting conditions pay for higher premiums and out- ofpocket costs.

Republican leaders suggested they would have enough votes to pass the bill in the House of Representatives, although the vote could be a down- tothe- wire squeaker.

The decision to schedule the vote could ramp up the pressure on a clutch of undecided lawmakers, and Republicans had momentum Wednesday evening.

“I support the bill with this amendment,” said Rep. Fred Upton, R- Mich., after meeting with Trump at the White House on Wednesday morning about his proposal to beef up funding to help individuals with pre- existing conditions.

Upton is an influential player on health care policy, and he had opposed the bill amid concerns it would put insurance out of reach for those with chronic illnesses and other health conditions.

Another holdout, Rep. Billy Long, R- Mo., switched from a “no” to a “yes” after meeting with Trump and working with Upton on his amendment.

The biggest sticking point: the provision in Obamacare that bars insurance companies

GETTY IMAGES Rep. Fred Upton, RMich., says he’ll support his party’s health care bill.