The deal that has revived efforts to repeal and replace parts of the Affordable Care Act in the House doesn’t do enough to protect people with pre-existing conditions, and doesn’t help states that expanded Medicaid, a centrist Republican said Thursday.
Rep. Charlie Dent, R-Pa., said on MSNBC he still can’t support the American Health Care Act because the problems with the bill haven’t been solved by a new amendment released this week. That amendment is an attempt at compromise between centrists and conservatives and includes the ability for states to waive some pre-existing condition protections in order to bring down the cost of insurance.
That’s unacceptable to Dent. “That’s my principle concern with this amendment,” he said.
“It is the law of the land and we’re going to have to figure out a way to reform it,” he added. “I think we need to reform this bill from the center out.”
House Republicans have renewed their push to fulfill their pledge to repeal and replace Obamacare in President Trump’s first 100 days this week. Some reports have indicated that a vote could come on Friday in the House, but a vote had not been scheduled as of Thursday morning.
While the 40 or so conservative Republicans in the House Freedom Caucus have endorsed the bill, centrist Republicans are now the big obstacle. Reports indicate about 30 Republican lawmakers are either a “no” or undecided on the bill, and Republicans can only afford 21 defections.
Dent, the co-chair of the centrist Tuesday Group, said the new deal would leave too many people out in the cold in states that expanded Medicaid.
“People on Medicaid who are going to be taken off by 2020 are going to have a problem because they’re going to be forced into the exchanges, and the maximum tax credit is about $4,000 and many of them won’t be able to afford it,” he said.
Dent said he’s still planning to vote against the bill, but he would expect House leadership to move quickly if they ever get enough commitments to vote in favor of the amendment.
“I suspect there will be a vote when there are enough votes to pass it,” he said. “And, at the moment, I suspect those votes aren’t there.”
