Skip to main content

Possibilities for passing a bipartisan healthcare bill

14659496 m
Possibilities for passing a bipartisan healthcare bill

Possibilities for passing a bipartisan healthcare bill July 18, 2017

The plan designed to replace the Affordable Care Act (ACA) has faced numerous debates and delays. In the Republican-controlled Senate, there are not yet enough votes to pass a new healthcare plan. Even though Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell plans another vote on yet another version of the plan sometime during the week of July 17, many speculate that it will take bipartisan cooperation to see positive results.

Many Republican Senators heard from their constituencies over the July 4 break and are now either expressing concerns or are noncommittal. A number of lawmakers have proposed securing bipartisan support for fixing certain parts of the ACA while leaving the basic structure intact. Dick Durbin, the second-ranking Senate Democrat agreed that there is “a bipartisan appetite to tackle this issue.”

In fact, Reuters reports that on Friday, July 14, the American Medical Association (AMA) “called the new bill inadequate and said more bipartisan collaboration is needed in the months ahead to improve the delivery and financing of healthcare.” At the heart of the debate is whether those covered by Medicaid and by health plan subsidies will be adversely affected.

Another significant aspect of the growing resistance reflects on the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) prediction that 22 million people would lose their healthcare insurance coverage under the proposed new plan. The AMA, medical advocacy groups, and independent physicians are all concerned with the impact that the new healthcare plan will have on patients who will no longer seek care if they have no coverage.

At Elation, we are committed to continuing our goal of helping independent physicians focus on their patients’ positive outcomes, regardless of the outcome of the possible bipartisan healthcare bill. We recognize that certain healthcare trends will move forward, including the use of electronic health records (EHRs) to simplify medical records, improve communication, and enable independent physicians to provide the quality care necessary for their patients.

[ximagination] © 123RF.com