Health care bill has hurdles to clear

After vote delay, Senate must negotiate major issues to bring naysayers on board

Majority Leader WASHINGTON Mitch McConnell, R- Ky., delayed a vote on the Senate health care bill that would repeal and replace Obamacare after it became clear the legislation lacked enough votes for even an initial motion to bring the bill to the floor Tuesday.

At least eight senators have come out against the bill, and a handful of others have raised concerns. Republicans can lose just two votes because no Democrats are expected to back the bill.

Getting a bill that appeases at least 50 senators is difficult because there are a variety of factions within the party. Something that makes one person happy could bleed votes on the other side. But it’s not impossible: The House version of the bill was declared dead before coming back to life after a couple of compromise amendments that narrowly squeaked it across the finish line.

Here are some of the key changes that could bring various factions on board:

UNREGULATED OPTIONS FOR INSURANCE PLANS

Conservative Sens. Mike Lee, RUtah; Ted Cruz, R- Texas; and Rand Paul, R- Ky.; have all said they want less regulation in health care coverage. Lee is looking for an addition to the bill that would allow insurance companies that are offering regulated plans to also be able to offer unregulated options.

Basically, that would mean that as long as an insurer offers plans that cover the minimum benefits required by the Affordable Care Act — including maternity care, substance abuse treatment and prescription drugs — the insurer could also offer policies don’t include these services. Those plans would cost less because they don’t cover as many procedures.

The concern from moderates would be that healthier people would likely buy the cheaper plans with fewer benefits, leaving only the oldest and sickest people to buy the “regulated coverage,” causing prices to go up. That would essentially do away with the ACA’s ban on insurers basing prices on a customer’s health status.

LONGER PHASE- OUT OF MEDICAID EXPANSION

Thirty- one states plus Washington, D. C., expanded Medicaid enrollment under Obamacare. Medicaid is a joint federal- state program that provides health insurance for the poor, disabled and elderly. Republicans want to decrease funding for the program. The current health care

MICHAEL REYNOLDS, EUROPEAN PRESSPHOTO AGENCY President Trump meets with Sens. Susan Collins, R- Maine, and Lisa Murkowski, R- Alaska, to discuss health care on June 27.