WHEN the House of Representatives passed the American Health Care Act in early May, it was widely thought that the Senate would rewrite it. The House’s bill, among its many reforms, would unwind Obamacare’s expansion of Medicaid, health insurance for the poor. That expansion has given health insurance to 12m Americans. Surely moderate Senate Republicans could not tolerate a reversal?
Yet the Senate bill, the Better Care Reconciliation Act (BCRA), revealed on June 22nd after a secretive drafting process (see leader), merely delays the start of the Medicaid cuts by an additional two years, to 2021. In fact, the cuts to the programme would end up being deeper than under the House plan.
By contrast, Senate Republicans have significantly altered the House’s approach to the individual market, which serves those who buy health insurance for themselves. The House...Continue reading
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