ACA replacement set for vote in House on March 23

The Republican-sponsored replacement for the Affordable Care Act (ACA), the American Health Care Act (AHCA), will get a vote in the full U.S. House on March 23, despite doubts that it has enough votes to pass.

The Republican majority in the House could fail to pass the bill if more conservative members vote against it. A source familiar with positions of members of the House Freedom Caucus told The Hill that despite conservative changes to the bill, such as allowing states to impose work requirements on Medicaid beneficiaries, the group remains opposed to the legislation.

"If the bill were brought to the floor today, it would fail to get enough votes," said the unnamed source.

Republicans can afford to lose 21 votes in the House. In the Senate, it can only lose two—and Democratic leaders have already said no member of their party will support the bill after estimates that it would result in 24 million more uninsured by 2026.

Read the full article below:

""
John Gregory, Senior Writer

John joined TriMed in 2016, focusing on healthcare policy and regulation. After graduating from Columbia College Chicago, he worked at FM News Chicago and Rivet News Radio, and worked on the state government and politics beat for the Illinois Radio Network. Outside of work, you may find him adding to his never-ending graphic novel collection.

Around the web

Compensation for heart specialists continues to climb. What does this say about cardiology as a whole? Could private equity's rising influence bring about change? We spoke to MedAxiom CEO Jerry Blackwell, MD, MBA, a veteran cardiologist himself, to learn more.

The American College of Cardiology has shared its perspective on new CMS payment policies, highlighting revenue concerns while providing key details for cardiologists and other cardiology professionals. 

As debate simmers over how best to regulate AI, experts continue to offer guidance on where to start, how to proceed and what to emphasize. A new resource models its recommendations on what its authors call the “SETO Loop.”