The Manager’s Amendments To American Health Care Act and The Bill Still Sucks

The original AHCA, as it passed the House Budget Committee, (Budget Committee Report) contained provisions that would: Read List

After many conversations with Members and the White House, House Republicans have made a couple of key improvements to the American Health Care Act.

We are:

1. Moving up the repeal of Obamacare taxes from 2018 to 2017
2. Enabling the Senate to increase tax credits for older Americans
3. Immediately prohibiting any additional states from expanding the current broken Medicaid program
4. Allowing states to opt-in to a traditional Medicaid block grant as well as implement work-requirements for Medicaid
5. Enhancing the growth rate for the aged and disabled population on Medicaid.

Here’s the takeaway: With these changes, we are accelerating tax relief, giving states additional options to spend health care dollars how they choose, strengthening what were already substantial pro-life protections, and ensuring there are necessary resources to help older Americans and the disabled.

In two days, the House will vote on the American Health Care Act. 

AMERICAN HEALTH CARE ACT Manager s Amendment by Barbara Espinosa on Scribd

The manager’s amendment leaves most of these provisions in place. It consists of two sets of amendments, labeled technical changes, (summary) and policy changes (summary). In fact, however, some of the policy amendments (which deal primarily with the Medicaid program and tax repeals) are quite technical, while a few of the technical amendments (which deal primarily with changes in the tax credit program as well as Medicaid) make significant policy changes. Speaker Ryan states that the technical changes were necessary for the House bill to comply with Senate reconciliation rules, although it is not easy to discern how they do this.