Earlier today, Senate leaders released a new proposal to overhaul the Affordable Care Act. The latest proposal maintains the basic structure of the American Health Care Act passed by the House of Representatives last month but includes key differences important to the PH community.
Senate leaders want a vote on a health care bill before July 4, but the bill they vote on will likely be different from the one they released today. Additional information is expected from the Congressional Budget Office on Monday and PHA will continue to analyze the proposal and update the PH community over the coming week.
According to coverage from the Washington Post, the Senate proposal differs from the House bill in the area of patient protections and pre-existing conditions. The House bill allows states to opt-out of protections for those with pre-existing conditions. The Senate proposal does not allow this opt-out – a positive for those with PH. The Senate bill also delays cuts to Medicaid by a few years. However, in the long run the Senate bill cuts Medicaid more than the House bill, a change that could negatively impact many individuals with PH.
Next week’s process of debating and changing the proposed bill means that your voice still matters!
Sign up for advocacy updates to receive a health care action email from PHA next week. Or, check back to PHA’s Advocacy Action Center and Facebook page tor additional updates throughout the upcoming week.
