Report: U.S. Senate Poised

The Republican majority in the U.S. Senate is about to reveal a new health care bill less brutal than that proposed by the House of Representatives, The Washington Post reported Wednesday.

The proposals, which stand to upend the landmark Affordable Care Act signed into law by former president Barack Obama, will be revealed Thursday.

According to the Post, the draft legislation would dramatically roll back the U.S. Medicaid system but reduce the impact on Americans who stood to lose the most under the House version. 

The bill recently passed by the House would leave 23 million more Americans without insurance, compared to the status quo, in 2026, according to an estimate by the Congressional Budget Office.

Republicans hold 52 out of 100 seats in the Senate and the latest bill is designed to find an agreement between the conservative wing and more moderate Republicans.

The Post reported that the Senate version would still radically alter the Affordable Care Act, also known as "Obamacare," by reducing taxes created by the 2010 law, limiting the expansion of Medicaid, reconfiguring subsidies and giving states wider abilities to opt-out of regulations.

Although the Senate proposal slows Medicaid's expansion more slowly than the House bill it would institute deeper long-term cuts to the program, which helps low-income Americans, the Post said.

The new legislation would also eliminate federal funding for Planned Parenthood, a non-profit reproductive health organization that U.S. President Donald Trump's administration has targeted for cuts.    

Mitch McConnell, the Senate majority leader, is scheduled to present the draft bill to Republican senators on Thursday. Debates could begin in the chamber next week, with a final vote before the end of the month.

Source: AFP