U.S. House of Representatives Withdraws Vote on the American Health Care Act.

The United States House of Representatives (House) postponed a vote on the American Health Care Act of 2017, H.R. 1628 (AHCA) on Friday, March 24.  The House Republican leadership introduced the bill on March 6, 2017 as part of the Republican plan to repeal and replace the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA).  The Chairmen of the House Ways & Means and Energy & Commerce Committees introduced technical and policy amendments to the bill (Mangers Amendments) on March 20, 2017.  The vote was originally scheduled for March 23, 2017.

Key aspects of the AHCA, as originally proposed, includ the following:

• States could continue to expand Medicaid enrollment until January 1, 2020;
• Individuals would no longer pay a penalty for their failure to have health insurance;
• Individuals would be encouraged to purchase health insurance through a new tax credit system;
• Large employers would no longer be required to offer health care coverage to their full-time employees;
• Private health insurers would still be required to provide essential health benefits, although mental health and substance abuse benefits would not be required in some Medicaid plans;
• Insurers would remain unable to deny coverage to those with pre-existing conditions;
• Adult dependent children up to the age of 26 would continue to be covered under their parent’s plans; and
• Insurers would still be required to include preventive services without cost-sharing.

The Manager’s Amendments made several changes to the AHCA to appeal to the more conservative House representatives.  Additional changes were contemplated during the days leading up to the vote.

The full text of the original AHCA bill can be found at:

https://www.congress.gov/115/bills/hr1628/BILLS-115hr1628rh.pdf.