Republicans are carefully scrutinizing the Senate's most awaited Health Care Bill to meet a self-imposed deadline to ensure its passage before July 4, when the Senate is expected to adjourn for recess.
Over the weekend, top officials of the trump administration and Republican Senators countered, the widely disseminated criticism in the Better Care Reconciliation Act that was just released. The issues addressed include, further reduction in health insurance, and how many people would lose health care coverage under the Senate bill.
According to Yahoo News, White House counsel Kellyanne Conway refuted the claims that the Senate bill would cut health insurance.
She maintained her ground that health insurance funding would continue.
Trump administration officials defend bill
Tom Price, Secretary of Health and Human Services supported Conway’s argument that people would not lose their coverage under the Senate legislation.
However, on Monday, the Congressional Budget Office released a report stating that 22 million people would lose coverage under the Senate bill by 2026. It is a bit better outlook than the prediction of the CBO earlier this year, which projected that 23 million fewer Americans would lose health coverage under the House version of the bill.
Health experts say the version of the health care legislation in the Senate would produce a less disastrous amount of coverage for Americans.
Avik Roy, a health care policy analyst said he disagrees with CBO prediction, and that the legislation should receive a higher score than the CBO projection. Roy said he expects the Senate health care bill to be around 18-20 million coverage less than the Affordable Healthcare Act, also known as Obamacare.
Hillary Clinton, who lost the 2016 presidential election to his rival Donald Trump, said if the plan is passed by the Senate it would be equivalent to the death penalty.
Predictions that could influence decision
The CBO’s projections could influence moderate Senators. Republican Sen. Lisa Murkowski, from Alaska, has cited the Congressional Budget Office’s predictions as their yardstick to whether to vote in support of the bill or not. Moderates and senators who cite the CBO’s dismal scores of the House legislation are currently facing the attacks of disparaging adverts by a pro-Obamacare group.
Collins said the CBO prediction was very important and she cannot vote for a bill that will lead to the loss of millions of health insurance coverage.
On Friday, Republican Senator Dean Heller announced he was withdrawing support for the bill. The lawmaker said the bill, if passed, would cause many people in his constituency, Nevada, to lose coverage. Four other Senators said they did not support the bill.
