Senate Republicans released a new version of their legislation to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act (ACA) on July 13. The new bill, like previous versions, would cause millions of people to lose health insurance and slash Medicaid funding for supportive housing services that benefit people experiencing homelessness. The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) will release its analysis of the updated bill early this week. An analysis done by the CBO estimated that an earlier version of the Senate bill would have resulted in 22 million more uninsured over ten years.
The revised bill seeks to unite Senate GOP support by providing additional funds states could use to reduce premiums and lower out-of-pocket costs. The bill would also allow insurers to offer health plans that do not comply with ACA standards. But the new bill does not depart from the basic structure of earlier versions, which roll back Medicaid expansion, dramatically cut its funding, and change the structure of the program by converting it into a block grant. The new bill also includes harmful previsions from past versions, allowing states to impose work requirements, higher premiums, and emergency room co-payments within Medicaid.
The bill continues to face considerable challenges in the Senate, with neither conservative nor more moderate Republican members satisfied. It is uncertain whether even a procedural motion to take up the bill this week will pass.
It is critical that housing advocates continue call their senators and tell them to oppose any healthcare bill that slashes Medicaid.
To contact your senators, call the congressional switchboard toll free at 202-224-3121.
Look up your federal elected officials on NLIHC’s website at: http://bit.ly/2s3UwGJ