PathWays PA Policy Blog

Last week, it seemed as though the Senate Healthcare Bill was stopped in it's entirety. The Bill did not have enough votes to pass and Sen. McConnell's attempts to pass a repeal-only Bill forward were shut down, so it seemed as though the Affordable Care Act was safe for the time being. However, we are now hearing that there is a possibility of the Bill being revived and voted on once again this week. A CBO analysis showed the statistics behind the revised Senate Healthcare Bill - 22 million Americans would be kicked off of their insurance should it pass. This number was found before taking into account the "Cruz Amendment" which would allow insurance companies to offer less comprehensive insurance. Both repealing and replacing the ACA in this form (causing 22 million Americans to lose coverage) or repealing without replacing  (causing 32 million Americans to lose coverage), are unacceptable options.  Take advantage of this opportunity to call your senators at 866...

Update 1:13 PM EST - Three Republican senators have already stated they will not support any outright repeal of the ACA without a replacement in place, making it unlikely that repeal will happen anytime soon. Last night, the latest effort to repeal and replace the Affordable Care Act appeared to collapse when two Republican senators joined the ranks of those unable to vote yes on the bill. There are not enough votes to pass the bill, or even bring it up for debate. So what comes next? Senator Mitch McConnell has now called for a vote to repeal the ACA without replacing it. According to the Senator, the repeal would not actually take effect for two years . A look at ACA repeal by the independent Congressional Budget Office (CBO) in January 2017 found that repeal legislation, by 2026, would: lead to 32 million people losing coverage double insurance premiums leave 75% of Americans without access to the individual market You can read an article from FiveThirtyEight.com here t...

***Watch this space for updates as we learn more*** Senators today unveiled changes to the proposed American Health Care Act (AHCA), and information is drabbling out to the public (and to most senators). Here's what we've heard - we will update below as we learn more : The revised bill will add $70 billion in additional money to states to make health care more affordable. As in previous versions, Medicaid will move to a block grant system. However, during public health emergencies, spending will not count towards Medicaid caps. These cuts could mean 15 million fewer people would be insured by Medicaid in 2026. Insurers will have the option to offer plans that do not meet ACA standards as long as at least one of their offerings meets "sufficient minimum coverage" under the ACA. People who enroll in catastrophic health insurance will be able to use subsidies to pay for those plans. $45 billion will be added to combat opiod addiction. Updated 7/13 3:25 PM - T...

With thanks to our friends at PCCY As we have previously mentioned on this blog, the Senate has recently released their upcoming Health Care Bill. The bill was not voted on, but the details are now available to the public. The Senate is currently in recess for this week which makes this an ideal time to be vocal about the effect the bill will have. Whether it is to family, friends, the public or directly to your legislators, this is a great opportunity to educate and inform about the implications of the bill. The Senate bill currently retains caps on Medicaid which would harm millions of children, seniors and individuals who are disabled. Below are ways that you can continue to be active around the Senate Health Care Bill, including daily actions you can do and upcoming events you participate in. Things you can do every day this week: Call Senator Casey and Senator Toomey and ask them to reject the Senate bill. Tell them how it would affect your child and/or cause millions of A...

**UPDATE**  - The Congressional Budget Office released its scoring of the bill, showing that 22 million more people would become uninsured under the program. On June 23rd, Senate Republicans revealed their plan for a new Health Care bill that will act as a replacement for the Affordable Care Act (Obamacare). With information on the bill now available to the public, it is important to check to see how your coverage will be affected by the American Health Care Act (AHCA) and how the new bill compares to the Affordable Care Act. Below, a table has been attached to show how coverage for different groups was affected by the Affordable Care Act and how things will change should the AHCA be passed through Congress. Information used in the table regarding the AHCA was found at NPR.org, click here for more detailed information . Make sure to have your voice be heard by reaching out to your Senators and telling them how you feel they should vote on the upcoming bill. Call se...

Every time my soon-to-be 3 year old son hears sirens - police, fire, ambulance - he starts yelling "Emergency! It's an emergency!" And if you're not saying the same thing about the Senate healthcare bill, you probably should be. After negotiating for over a month behind the scenes, the Senate healthcare bill is ready to see the light of day. And, despite saying that the House healthcare bill was "dead on arrival " in the Senate, they've done a pretty good job of resuscitating it. (See a chart from NPR here  comparing the ACA, the AHCA, and the new Better Care Reconciliation Act.) Medicaid: Medicaid is the largest government health program in the country. It covers about half of all births in the US, and provides insurance to nearly 40% of all children . Under the Affordable Care Act (ACA or Obamacare), states could choose to expand Medicaid to more low-income families. The House version of the American Healthcare Act (AHCA) would roll back that...

UPDATE 4/27/17 - Some reports are making the rounds that a vote could be held in the House as early as Friday or Saturday of this week. If you have thoughts on the bill, now is a good time to weigh in. On Capitol Hill today, members of the Freedom Caucus announced their support for the latest version of healthcare reform. An amendment drafted by Rep. Tom MacArthur of NJ would let states opt out of certain ACA provisions. The waivers primarily affect current protections for people with preexisting conditions, a term that covered everything from allergies to cancer. House Majority Leader Ryan says that even with Freedom Caucus support, he is not prepared to hold a vote until the bill has enough support to pass. For more on repeal and replace, check out our blog from a few weeks ago. And, if you want to share your thoughts on the law, call your Representative. Visit http://whoismyrepresentative.com to find contact information for your Representative and make a call today.

We published our first blog post on the Affordable Care Act (ACA) on August 17, 2009 . Now, almost eight years later, the House of Representatives is set to vote on legislation that would repeal and replace the ACA with a new law - the American Health Care Act (AHCA). Here's what we know about the AHCA: It would make comprehensive changes to Medicaid : Additional money to states (such as Pennsylvania) that accepted Medicaid Expansion, which allows more people to get their insurance through Medicaid, would end. The entire funding mechanism for Medicaid would change, with states receiving a capped amount of funding regardless of how many people qualify for the program. Recent reports indicate that states may be able to impose a work requirement on "able-bodied individuals" applying for or using Medicaid. Under the AHCA, Medicaid could no longer be used at Planned Parenthood clinics. These clinics provide birth control, mammograms, and other types of reproductive care ...