The House-passed reconciliation bill would make the largest changes to healthcare since the Affordable Care Act—but in the opposite direction, with less input and worse projected outcomes.
This analysis was originally published by The Century Foundation.
While most think that the House-passed budget reconciliation bill is about tax cuts and the budget, it would also make the largest changes to healthcare since the 2010 Affordable Care Act (ACA).
Unlike the effort to pass the ACA:
- President Trump has not held any public forums or sessions on the megabill,
- the Republican Congress has not adopted any bipartisan amendments to it, and
- the public has limited support for it.
The impact of the two bills stands in sharp contrast as well. Just before the final votes to approve the ACA, the Congressional Budget Office projected it would increase health coverage and reduce the nation’s budget deficit; meanwhile, the House-passed bill is currently projected to reduce the number of Americans with health coverage and increase the national deficit and debt, despite its claim of improving the budget outlook:
Health coverage can mean the difference between life and death for people—so their elected representatives and senators should ensure a full debate with input before voting on a bill that transforms American healthcare.
