Almost exactly seven years after Barack Obama’s Affordable Care Act was signed, President Trump is “threatening” GOP lawmakers to leave the act in place since they were unable to reach a concensus and agree to his newly proposed American Healthcare Act. As of Friday, his ultimatum is looking to be the final option as House Speaker Paul Ryan has reportedly informed Trump that they don’t have enough votes for it to pass, according to The New York Times. As a result, they are now moving to pull back on the bill.
Republicans were deeply at odds as some felt that the newly proposed healthcare bill is too similiar to Obama’s Afforadable Care Act, like Arizona Congressman Andy Biggs who said, “I cannot support anything less than a clean repeal of Obamacare.” More centrist and moderate Republicans worry that it could neglect those assisted by Medicaid and Medicare.
Raul Labrador, a Republican representative in Idaho, stated “The majority of Americans don’t like this bill, and the majority of Republicans in our districts don’t like this bill. Let’s make it a bill we can all be proud of.”
Many are concerned that Trump’s repeal could endanger the Affordable Healthcare Act’s “10 Essential Benefits.” Some Republicans who have criticized Trump’s bill argue that it is just an “Obamacare Lite” version and propose that those ten benefits be scrapped. They are:
- Outpatient care
- Emergency room trips
- In-hospital care
- Pregnancy and maternity benefits
- Mental health and substance abuse services
- Prescription drugs
- Rehabilitation services
- Lab tests
- Preventative services
- Pediatric care
Of course, President Trump’s new bill would harm Planned Parenthood, banning Medicaid reimbursements and federal grants which they heavily rely on. One thing that he planned on adopting from Obamacare, though, would be that children under the age of 26 can remain under their parent’s coverage (whew!) and also the prohibiting of insurance companies denying for preexisting conditions. Check out this comprehensive explanation of potential changes and replacements that the GOP hopes to make.
Some say that President Trump’s credibility has been been deteriorating and lawmakers have voiced concern that if something serious actually happens, the public may struggle to believe if it’s a real threat or just another Twitter rampage. For someone who has boasted about his deal-making capabilities, losing out on his administration’s first big piece of legislation would be a huge deal.
In a recent telephone interview with the New York Times, Trump has continued to cast the blame on Democrats. Apparently, he did not fault House Speaker Paul Ryan, who oversaw the creation of the new bill, and said that he move on from his “first legislative fight,” the Times reports. He predicted “Obamacare explodes” in the next year because of high premiums and that Democrats would soon be seeking a new deal.
Until a new proposal is created, however, Obamacare prevails and has the last word on the matter. Former President Obama made a statement on Thursday saying, “The reality is clear: America is stronger because of the Affordable Care Act.”
“I’ve always said we should build on this law…. So if Republicans are serious about lowering costs while expanding coverage to those who need it…. that’s something we all should welcome. But we should start from the baseline that any changes will make our health care system better, not worse for hardworking Americans. That should always be our priority,” Obama stated.