What's Next In Federal Healthcare Policy? Two Industry Observers Offer Predictions
House Republicans introduced President Trump's American Health Care Act, which could cut the federal deficit by $337 billion over 10 years. However, it could also lead to the loss of health insurance for 24 million Americans. Senior Public Affairs Advisor Miranda Franco weighs in on why Republicans targeted Medicaid.
"This [bill] is pretty much the first step in three steps. The fact that Medicare was untouched was purposeful. This first leg, the AHCA, was intended to pass under budget reconciliation, which means that only provisions that have a tax or revenue component can be included," explained Ms. Franco. "The purpose under Title I was to address taxes under [the] Ways and Means [Committee], and Medicaid, under [the] Energy and Commerce [Committee]. The Republicans had said that Medicaid was fiscally unstable and had to be addressed. So it's no surprise that they would address Medicaid issues first."
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