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.

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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.

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