GOP healthcare bill passes CBO muster

The Congressional Budget Office released its updated score for the House GOP’s healthcare bill today, giving the greenlight for the Senate to begin work on its version. House Republicans passed the American Health Care Act (AHCA) with just two votes to spare on May 4. They did not wait for an updated score from the CBO, adding several last-minute amendments. The Senate already holds daily meetings to discuss healthcare legislation but needed the CBO score before it could begin drafting its own bill. Because Republicans are using the budgetary reconciliation process, only legislation that shaves at least $2 billion from the federal deficit can be considered. The new CBO score estimates the AHCA will cut the deficit by $119 billion. Passing the CBO test is a win for Republicans because failing could have forced the House to redo its vote, further delaying healthcare reform. But the CBO score still doesn’t look good on paper. The report projects the bill, if implemented, could leave 23 million more Americans uninsured by 2026, compared to the current law. That’s slightly lower than the 24 million estimated under the previous version of the AHCA.

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