What's in the latest Obamacare repeal bill?

Posted: 6:30 PM, Sep 18, 2017
Updated: 2017-09-18 22:58:31-04
What's in the latest Obamacare repeal bill?


Senators Lindsey Graham of South Carolina and Bill Cassidy of Louisiana last week released  a bill  that would eliminate or overhaul major sections of the health reform law. The duo had been trying to garner interest in earlier versions of their bill for months, but hadn't gotten much traction.

Now, however, Republicans likely have only two weeks left to use their 2017 budget reconciliation bill as a way to dismantle Obamacare with a simple majority in the Senate. The Graham-Cassidy bill is the only repeal effort left on the table, coming even as a bipartisan Senate committee is working on legislation to stabilize the Affordable Care Act.

The Congressional Budget Office said Monday it may take several weeks for it to release an analysis of the Graham-Cassidy bill so it remains to be seen how many fewer people could be insured under it or what the impact on premiums may be.

Here's what's in the bill:




For instance, they could help enrollees pay their premiums and out-of-pocket costs or set up high-risk or reinsurance pools to help protect insurers from costly enrollees and entice them to stay in the individual market. States could use a portion of money to help those enrolled in Medicaid afford care.

Graham and Cassidy say that this provision would return power to the states and allow them to create programs that fit their residents' needs. Also, it would equalize Medicaid funding across the states. The bill's authors note that four states get 37% of Obamacare funding.


Loosens Obamacare's regulations regarding pre-existing conditions: The bill would also waive several key Obamacare protections for those with pre-existing conditions. While it would still require insurers to provide coverage to everyone, it would allow carriers to charge enrollees more based on their medical history. So younger, healthier folks could see their premiums go down, but sicker Americans could find themselves priced out of policies.










