Sources: Health Policy Institute of Ohio and American Academy of Family Physicians Washington, D.C. Office
House Republican leaders abruptly pulled a Republican rewrite of the nation’s health care system, the American Health Care Act (ACHA), from consideration on March 24.
The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) cost estimate for the revised legislation projected it would cost billions more than the original bill did, reducing the deficit by $150 billion over 10 years rather than the $337 billion initially projected. The CBO forecast that the revised AHCA would have still left 24 million more Americans without insurance by 2026.
The decision came hours after Speaker Paul Ryan visited the White House to warn President Donald Trump that despite days of intense negotiations and sales pitches to skeptical members, the legislation lacked the votes to pass. According to the White House, President Trump had personally lobbied 120 lawmakers, either in person or on the phone. The decision means the Affordable Care Act remains in place, at least for now, and a major GOP campaign promise goes unfulfilled.
On March 20, the American Academy of Family Physicians wrote to the House leadership in opposition to the AHCA and encouraged all Members of the House of Representatives to vote no. The AAFP then followed up on March 21 and March 23 with a personalized version of that letter to each House member detailing the reasons for AAFP’s opposition to the AHCA.