Repeal and Replace Effort Fails Again in U. S. Senate

REPEAL AND REPLACE EFFORT FAILS AGAIN IN U.S. SENATE

Republican leaders in the U.S. Senate again fell short of the votes needed to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act.

The latest bill was authored by Senators Lindsay Graham (R-SC) and Bill Cassidy (R-Louisiana). It would have transferred more decision-making on Medicaid to the states and could have led to significant rate reductions. The bill was opposed by AHCA and many other health care groups.

Like previous attempts at repeal, however, the bill was opposed by all of the chamber’s Democratic members and failed to get support from enough Republican members to pass.

The failure of the Senate to pass a plan before September 30 is widely seen as a death blow to efforts to repeal the ACA this year as a 60 vote majority in the 100 member chamber would now be needed.

A bipartisan effort to address the issue, led by Senators Lamar Alexander (R-Tennessee) and Patty Murray (D-Washington), is underway but no recommendations have yet emerged.