At the insistence of conservative lawmakers, House Republican leaders agreed to let states apply
for waivers allowing insurers to charge higher rates based on a person’s “health status.”
The original version of the Republican repeal bill would have established a $100 billion fund
that states could use to help people pay for health care and insurance from 2018 to 2026.
Leader Says ‘We Have Enough Votes’ -
By THOMAS KAPLAN and ROBERT PEARMAY 3, 2017
WASHINGTON — House Republican leaders planned to hold a showdown vote Thursday on their bill to repeal
and replace large portions of the Affordable Care Act after adding $8 billion to the measure to help cover insurance costs for people with pre-existing conditions.
The liberal health advocacy group Families USA said another $8 billion would do little to improve the “high-risk pools”
that could be set up by states to provide coverage to people with pre-existing medical conditions who could not find affordable insurance in the open market.
“This Republican amendment leaves Americans with pre-existing conditions as vulnerable as they were before under this bill.”
If House Republicans can pass the bill, it would be a moment of redemption for both Mr. Ryan
and Mr. Trump, who suffered a resounding political defeat in March when they failed to muster the votes to win approval of an earlier version.