US Democrats furious with Republican secrecy brought Senate business to a standstill Monday, launching an hours-long protest against President Donald Trump&#39;s party crafting a back-room Obamacare repeal plan and refusing to hold public hearings about it.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has said he wants the legislation passed by June 30. Democrats fear he is purposely keeping the bill under wraps until the last minute so he can jam the controversial plan through with just a few hours of floor debate.

The strategy is a 180-degree shift from the Republican position during the 2009-2010 debate on Barack Obama&#39;s health care reforms, when conservatives demanded transparency and dozens of public hearings in a months-long process.

In the six weeks since the House of Representatives passed its Obamacare repeal legislation, Senate Republicans have insisted they will craft their own bill, but few details have emerged.

With just 10 legislative days before McConnell&#39;s deadline, all that most lawmakers and the public have to work on is the House bill, which a non-partisan congressional review predicted would leave 23 million fewer people insured over the next decade.

&quot;Republicans are drafting this bill in secret because they&#39;re ashamed of it, plain and simple,&quot; said Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, shortly before Democrats took to the Senate floor in anger.

Republicans argue that Obamacare has failed to prevent premiums and other health costs from skyrocketing. Democrats warn that Trump&#39;s delay of government subsidy payments is leading to instability and causing costs to rise.

Senator Cory Booker called the Republican strategy &quot;tragic&quot; and broken.

&quot;People (are) working in secret on a bill that they&#39;re going to try to force through Congress with no public input, no hearings, no meetings, no markups, no debate, no public accountability,&quot; he said in the talk-a-thon, which dragged into a fifth hour.

Even as McConnell downplays the secrecy, few Republicans appear to know what will be in the legislation. Some have begun speaking out.

&quot;If it is an effort to rush it from a small group of people, straight to the floor in an up or down vote, that would be a problem,&quot; Senator Marco Rubio told CNN Sunday.

&nbsp;

&#39;Afraid&#39; of debate?

Republicans have signaled one of the main internal debates focuses on reforms to Medicaid, the health care program for low-income people.

Critics have estimated that the House bill would curtail Medicaid by some $800 billion, and some Republican senators from states where Medicaid was expanded under Obama have expressed concern about passing legislation that slashes aid to thousands of constituents.&nbsp;

The Senate version is expected to end the Medicaid expansion more slowly than the House bill would, and it could include larger tax credits to help older Americans purchase health insurance.

But with no text finalised, it remains a guessing game.

&quot;Most Republicans don&#39;t have a clue as to what&#39;s in this legislation, let alone Democrats, let alone the average American,&quot; fumed Senator Bernie Sanders. &nbsp;&quot;So I say to the Republican leadership: what are you afraid of? Bring that bill out.&quot;

White House spokesman Sean Spicer pointed to &quot;very good&quot; progress on the bill, but he declined to say whether White House aides had even seen a draft.

An exchange on the Senate floor late Monday highlighted the tension. Schumer asked McConnell whether there would be sufficient time to review and debate the legislation.

&quot;I think we&#39;ll have ample opportunity to read and amend the bill,&quot; McConnell said curtly.

(AFP)

This is a 180-degree turn from when conservatives demanded transparency and dozens of public hearings in a months-long process

US Democrats furious with Republican secrecy brought Senate business to a standstill Monday, launching an hours-long protest against President Donald Trump's party crafting a back-room Obamacare repeal plan and refusing to hold public hearings about it. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has said he wants the legislation passed by June 30. Democrats fear he is purposely keeping the bill under wraps until the last minute so he can jam the controversial plan through with just a few hours of floor debate. The strategy is a 180-degree shift from the Republican position during the 2009-2010 debate on Barack Obama's health care reforms, when conservatives demanded transparency and dozens of public hearings in a months-long process. In the six weeks since the House of Representatives passed its Obamacare repeal legislation, Senate Republicans have insisted they will craft their own bill, but few details have emerged. With just 10 legislative days before McConnell's deadline, all that most lawmakers and the public have to work on is the House bill, which a non-partisan congressional review predicted would leave 23 million fewer people insured over the next decade. "Republicans are drafting this bill in secret because they're ashamed of it, plain and simple," said Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, shortly before Democrats took to the Senate floor in anger. Republicans argue that Obamacare has failed to prevent premiums and other health costs from skyrocketing. Democrats warn that Trump's delay of government subsidy payments is leading to instability and causing costs to rise. Senator Cory Booker called the Republican strategy "tragic" and broken. "People (are) working in secret on a bill that they're going to try to force through Congress with no public input, no hearings, no meetings, no markups, no debate, no public accountability," he said in the talk-a-thon, which dragged into a fifth hour. Even as McConnell downplays the secrecy, few Republicans appear to know what will be in the legislation. Some have begun speaking out. "If it is an effort to rush it from a small group of people, straight to the floor in an up or down vote, that would be a problem," Senator Marco Rubio told CNN Sunday. 'Afraid' of debate? Republicans have signaled one of the main internal debates focuses on reforms to Medicaid, the health care program for low-income people. Critics have estimated that the House bill would curtail Medicaid by some $800 billion, and some Republican senators from states where Medicaid was expanded under Obama have expressed concern about passing legislation that slashes aid to thousands of constituents. The Senate version is expected to end the Medicaid expansion more slowly than the House bill would, and it could include larger tax credits to help older Americans purchase health insurance. But with no text finalised, it remains a guessing game. "Most Republicans don't have a clue as to what's in this legislation, let alone Democrats, let alone the average American," fumed Senator Bernie Sanders. "So I say to the Republican leadership: what are you afraid of? Bring that bill out." White House spokesman Sean Spicer pointed to "very good" progress on the bill, but he declined to say whether White House aides had even seen a draft. An exchange on the Senate floor late Monday highlighted the tension. Schumer asked McConnell whether there would be sufficient time to review and debate the legislation. "I think we'll have ample opportunity to read and amend the bill," McConnell said curtly. (AFP)

US Democrats fume over secret Republican health plan

A bill passed by US&nbsp;House Republicans would cause 23 million people to lose healthcare coverage by 2026 while de-stabilising health insurance markets in some states and making it hard for sick people to buy insurance, a budget watchdog agency said on Wednesday.

The Congressional Budget Office, a non-partisan group of experts who analyse US&nbsp;legislation, said the bill would reduce federal deficits by $119 billion between 2017 and 2026.

The report could give added ammunition to Democrats who have accused President Donald Trump and congressional Republicans of putting sick and low-income people at risk with their effort to roll back former President Barack Obama&#39;s signature 2010 healthcare law, formally known as the Affordable Care Act but often called Obamacare.

The report also complicates the job of Senate Republicans - some of whom already have doubts about the House bill - as they craft their own healthcare legislation.

Republicans have sought to unravel Obamacare since its passage and Trump promised on the campaign trail to repeal it, saying it is too costly and an overreach by government in the healthcare market.

As Trump and Republican leaders sought to bring wavering lawmakers on board with the House bill, they added a controversial last-minute amendment that would give states leeway to drop an Obamacare requirement that forces insurers to charge sick and healthy people the same insurance rates.

Another change would allow states to decide whether to require insurers to cover health benefits such as maternity care and prescription drugs that are mandatory under current law.

But the CBO report said the amendment would make it difficult or impossible for people in poor health to purchase comprehensive coverage in some states.

&quot;People who are less healthy (including those with preexisting or newly acquired medical conditions) would ultimately be unable to purchase comprehensive non-group health insurance at premiums comparable to those under current law, if they could purchase it at all,&quot; the CBO report said.

The CBO said markets for people to buy individual insurance plans could then become &quot;unstable&quot; in states that choose to waive the Obamacare requirements for coverage of pre-existing medical conditions and essential health benefits.

Even before the report, many Republican senators were wary of the House version of the healthcare bill, saying it unraveled Obamacare too much and too quickly. About 20 million people gained insurance under Obamacare.

The House bill would eliminate most Obamacare taxes that help subsidise private health coverage for individuals, roll back the government&#39;s Medicaid health plan for the poor and disabled and replace the law&#39;s income-based tax credits for buying medical coverage with credits based on age.

A group of 13 Republican senators led by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is expected to draft its own version of the healthcare bill in the coming months. McConnell, however, told Reuters on Wednesday he does not yet know how Republicans will get the necessary votes.

&quot;This is a very challenging undertaking,&quot; McConnell said.

&nbsp;

REPUBLICAN OPPOSITION

After the release of the CBO report, several Republican senators said they could not support the House bill.

&quot;While I am in favor of repealing Obamacare, I am opposed to the American Health Care Act in its current form,&quot; Republican Senator Dean Heller said in a statement.

Republican Senator Susan Collins said too many people would lose insurance and that older and low-income Americans would be hurt.

House Republicans, who argue their healthcare bill would allow insurance markets to function more efficiently, focused on the projected budget savings from it and a finding in the CBO report that said insurance premiums for some people would decline.

Groups representing hospitals, insurers and doctors who opposed the House bill said the CBO report showed the Senate should start fresh with an eye to maintaining coverage and benefits.

Democrats also blasted the bill and said the CBO report proved it would be catastrophic for millions of people who would lose health insurance.

&quot;The report makes clear Trumpcare would be a cancer on the American healthcare system,&quot; Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer said at a news conference.

The new CBO score predicts the AHCA would cover 1 million more Americans than Republicans&#39; previous version of the bill, which the agency estimated would have left 24 million more people uninsured than Obamacare in 2026.

To allay concerns about coverage of people with pre-existing illnesses, House Republicans allocated an additional $8 billion over five years in their bill to help sick people pay for insurance premiums but the CBO said the money would not be enough to help them afford coverage.

The CBO said premiums would fall for younger people and rise for older people in states that did not waive Obamacare requirements for an overall decline of about 4 per cent. In states that made moderate changes to their markets, representing about one-third of the US&nbsp;population, premiums would fall 20 per cent on average.

Reaction on Wall Street was muted, with shares of hospitals affected by the cuts to Medicaid, like Community Health Systems, and health insurers specialising in Medicaid, such as Molina Healthcare&nbsp;and Centene Corp&nbsp;unchanged in light after-hours trading.

The Republicans&#39; first attempt at undoing Obamacare this year resulted in a setback for the Trump agenda in March. Conservative and moderate Republican factions in the House were opposed to the initial legislation and the leadership decided not to put it up for a vote.

(Reuters)

'...Trumpcare would be a cancer on the American healthcare system,' said Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer

A bill passed by US House Republicans would cause 23 million people to lose healthcare coverage by 2026 while de-stabilising health insurance markets in some states and making it hard for sick people to buy insurance, a budget watchdog agency said on Wednesday. The Congressional Budget Office, a non-partisan group of experts who analyse US legislation, said the bill would reduce federal deficits by $119 billion between 2017 and 2026. The report could give added ammunition to Democrats who have accused President Donald Trump and congressional Republicans of putting sick and low-income people at risk with their effort to roll back former President Barack Obama's signature 2010 healthcare law, formally known as the Affordable Care Act but often called Obamacare. The report also complicates the job of Senate Republicans - some of whom already have doubts about the House bill - as they craft their own healthcare legislation. Republicans have sought to unravel Obamacare since its passage and Trump promised on the campaign trail to repeal it, saying it is too costly and an overreach by government in the healthcare market. As Trump and Republican leaders sought to bring wavering lawmakers on board with the House bill, they added a controversial last-minute amendment that would give states leeway to drop an Obamacare requirement that forces insurers to charge sick and healthy people the same insurance rates. Another change would allow states to decide whether to require insurers to cover health benefits such as maternity care and prescription drugs that are mandatory under current law. But the CBO report said the amendment would make it difficult or impossible for people in poor health to purchase comprehensive coverage in some states. "People who are less healthy (including those with preexisting or newly acquired medical conditions) would ultimately be unable to purchase comprehensive non-group health insurance at premiums comparable to those under current law, if they could purchase it at all," the CBO report said. The CBO said markets for people to buy individual insurance plans could then become "unstable" in states that choose to waive the Obamacare requirements for coverage of pre-existing medical conditions and essential health benefits. Even before the report, many Republican senators were wary of the House version of the healthcare bill, saying it unraveled Obamacare too much and too quickly. About 20 million people gained insurance under Obamacare. The House bill would eliminate most Obamacare taxes that help subsidise private health coverage for individuals, roll back the government's Medicaid health plan for the poor and disabled and replace the law's income-based tax credits for buying medical coverage with credits based on age. A group of 13 Republican senators led by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell is expected to draft its own version of the healthcare bill in the coming months. McConnell, however, told Reuters on Wednesday he does not yet know how Republicans will get the necessary votes. "This is a very challenging undertaking," McConnell said. REPUBLICAN OPPOSITION After the release of the CBO report, several Republican senators said they could not support the House bill. "While I am in favor of repealing Obamacare, I am opposed to the American Health Care Act in its current form," Republican Senator Dean Heller said in a statement. Republican Senator Susan Collins said too many people would lose insurance and that older and low-income Americans would be hurt. House Republicans, who argue their healthcare bill would allow insurance markets to function more efficiently, focused on the projected budget savings from it and a finding in the CBO report that said insurance premiums for some people would decline. Groups representing hospitals, insurers and doctors who opposed the House bill said the CBO report showed the Senate should start fresh with an eye to maintaining coverage and benefits. Democrats also blasted the bill and said the CBO report proved it would be catastrophic for millions of people who would lose health insurance. "The report makes clear Trumpcare would be a cancer on the American healthcare system," Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer said at a news conference. The new CBO score predicts the AHCA would cover 1 million more Americans than Republicans' previous version of the bill, which the agency estimated would have left 24 million more people uninsured than Obamacare in 2026. To allay concerns about coverage of people with pre-existing illnesses, House Republicans allocated an additional $8 billion over five years in their bill to help sick people pay for insurance premiums but the CBO said the money would not be enough to help them afford coverage. The CBO said premiums would fall for younger people and rise for older people in states that did not waive Obamacare requirements for an overall decline of about 4 per cent. In states that made moderate changes to their markets, representing about one-third of the US population, premiums would fall 20 per cent on average. Reaction on Wall Street was muted, with shares of hospitals affected by the cuts to Medicaid, like Community Health Systems, and health insurers specialising in Medicaid, such as Molina Healthcare and Centene Corp unchanged in light after-hours trading. The Republicans' first attempt at undoing Obamacare this year resulted in a setback for the Trump agenda in March. Conservative and moderate Republican factions in the House were opposed to the initial legislation and the leadership decided not to put it up for a vote. (Reuters)

Under US Republican bill, 23 million would lose health coverage: Watchdog

In a possible breakthrough for US Republicans&#39; effort to roll back Obamacare, the House of Representatives plans to hold a vote Thursday on compromise legislation, potentially ending a logjam that has delayed advancing President Donald Trump&#39;s campaign promise to repeal the law.

The decision to hold a vote comes after key moderate lawmakers met with Trump on Wednesday and said a revised bill might win approval as conservatives voiced no objections.

House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy said Republican leadership is confident there is enough support for the bill to pass.

Keen to score his first major legislative win since taking office in January, Trump has been personally engaged in building support among fellow Republicans in the House for an effort that has already twice collapsed.

Aides said Trump has been furiously working the phones, trying to make good on a key promise to voters: overhauling former President Barack Obama&#39;s signature domestic legislation. The effort is showing Trump how hard it is to manage factions among the Republicans, who control both chambers of Congress.

The House bill has been changed several times as Republicans have tried to balance demands by conservatives for a maximum Obamacare rollback with moderates&#39; worries about angering voters who like parts of the law, formally known as the Affordable Care Act and enacted in 2010.

One popular feature of the law lets young people stay on their parents&#39; plans until age 26; another protects people with pre-existing health conditions, a provision defended by late-night talk show host Jimmy Kimmel, who tearfully revealed on Monday his newborn son had a congenital heart condition.

Kimmel&#39;s monologue has been viewed nearly 19 million times on his show&#39;s Facebook page and on Wednesday morning was the No&nbsp;1 trending story on YouTube.

Trump met at the White House with two key House Republican moderates, Michigan&#39;s Fred Upton and Missouri&#39;s Billy Long. Speaking to reporters afterwards, they said Trump has endorsed their plan to add $8 billion over five years to help cover the cost for people with pre-existing illnesses who could otherwise be priced out of insurance markets.

Upton said it seemed likely the bill would pass the House, although Long said Republicans still seemed short of votes.

Long said he had opposed the legislation until the pre-existing conditions coverage was added. He said he had resisted Trump&#39;s arm-twisting, but that he now supported the bill. &quot;The president said, &#39;Billy we really need you, man,&#39;&quot; Long said.

Conservatives who have stymied rollback efforts before said they support the moderates&#39; latest plan, including the pre-existing conditions provision.

&quot;We see that as being a net plus in terms of the vote count,&quot; said Representative Mark Meadows, chairman of the House Freedom Caucus, a conservative faction.

Even if the bill passes the House, it faces an uphill battle in the Senate, where Republican leader Mitch McConnell has repeatedly said that if the House passes a healthcare bill, the Senate would work on one, but that it would be difficult.

Uncertainty for stocks

Health insurers, such as Anthem Inc, UnitedHealth Group Inc, Aetna Inc and Cigna Corp, have faced months of uncertainty over healthcare&#39;s future. So have hospital companies, such as HCA Holdings Inc and Tenet Healthcare Corp.

An initial rollback attempt failed in the House and was withdrawn by Republican leaders in March when conservatives opposed it, a defeat that clouded Trump&#39;s first 100 days.

Republicans renewed negotiations last month, but failed to round up enough support for a vote before a two-week recess in April. Republicans are now hoping to get something passed before they leave for another recess on Thursday evening.

Millions more Americans got healthcare coverage under Obamacare, but Republicans have long attacked it, seeing it as government overreach and complaining it drives up costs.

On Wednesday, Aetna said it will exit the Obamacare individual insurance market in Virginia next year, citing &quot;growing uncertainty&quot; and expected losses this year.

House Democrats rejected the latest change to the Republican legislation on Wednesday, saying it appears to protect patients with pre-existing conditions but some could still be pushed off their insurance in certain states and face higher costs.

&quot;This is deadly,&quot; House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi told a news conference. &quot;No Band-Aid will fix it.&quot;

The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office estimated an earlier version of the Republican bill would leave 24 million more people without insurance in 2026. It was unclear if a new estimate would be made before a vote on the House floor.

Called the American Health Care Act, the Republican bill repeals most Obamacare taxes, including a penalty for not buying health insurance. It slashes funding for Medicaid, the program that provides insurance for the poor, and rolls back much of Medicaid&#39;s expansion, while swapping Obamacare&rsquo;s income-based tax credits for flat age-based credits. It also allows insurers to raise premiums by 30 percent for those who have a lapse in insurance coverage of about two months or more.

An amendment recently added to win over the Freedom Caucus lets states opt out of Obamacare&rsquo;s mandate that insurers charge sick and healthy people the same rates. But Wednesday&#39;s amendment from Upton aimed to assuage moderates&#39; concerns about that by providing a way for people with pre-existing conditions to get financial help to afford insurance. Others said the $8 billion over five years was not enough.

(Reuters)

The decision to hold a vote comes after key moderate lawmakers met Trump and said a revised bill may win approval as conservatives voiced no objections

In a possible breakthrough for US Republicans' effort to roll back Obamacare, the House of Representatives plans to hold a vote Thursday on compromise legislation, potentially ending a logjam that has delayed advancing President Donald Trump's campaign promise to repeal the law. The decision to hold a vote comes after key moderate lawmakers met with Trump on Wednesday and said a revised bill might win approval as conservatives voiced no objections. House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy said Republican leadership is confident there is enough support for the bill to pass. Keen to score his first major legislative win since taking office in January, Trump has been personally engaged in building support among fellow Republicans in the House for an effort that has already twice collapsed. Aides said Trump has been furiously working the phones, trying to make good on a key promise to voters: overhauling former President Barack Obama's signature domestic legislation. The effort is showing Trump how hard it is to manage factions among the Republicans, who control both chambers of Congress. The House bill has been changed several times as Republicans have tried to balance demands by conservatives for a maximum Obamacare rollback with moderates' worries about angering voters who like parts of the law, formally known as the Affordable Care Act and enacted in 2010. One popular feature of the law lets young people stay on their parents' plans until age 26; another protects people with pre-existing health conditions, a provision defended by late-night talk show host Jimmy Kimmel, who tearfully revealed on Monday his newborn son had a congenital heart condition. Kimmel's monologue has been viewed nearly 19 million times on his show's Facebook page and on Wednesday morning was the No 1 trending story on YouTube. Trump met at the White House with two key House Republican moderates, Michigan's Fred Upton and Missouri's Billy Long. Speaking to reporters afterwards, they said Trump has endorsed their plan to add $8 billion over five years to help cover the cost for people with pre-existing illnesses who could otherwise be priced out of insurance markets. Upton said it seemed likely the bill would pass the House, although Long said Republicans still seemed short of votes. Long said he had opposed the legislation until the pre-existing conditions coverage was added. He said he had resisted Trump's arm-twisting, but that he now supported the bill. "The president said, 'Billy we really need you, man,'" Long said. Conservatives who have stymied rollback efforts before said they support the moderates' latest plan, including the pre-existing conditions provision. "We see that as being a net plus in terms of the vote count," said Representative Mark Meadows, chairman of the House Freedom Caucus, a conservative faction. Even if the bill passes the House, it faces an uphill battle in the Senate, where Republican leader Mitch McConnell has repeatedly said that if the House passes a healthcare bill, the Senate would work on one, but that it would be difficult. Uncertainty for stocks Health insurers, such as Anthem Inc, UnitedHealth Group Inc, Aetna Inc and Cigna Corp, have faced months of uncertainty over healthcare's future. So have hospital companies, such as HCA Holdings Inc and Tenet Healthcare Corp. An initial rollback attempt failed in the House and was withdrawn by Republican leaders in March when conservatives opposed it, a defeat that clouded Trump's first 100 days. Republicans renewed negotiations last month, but failed to round up enough support for a vote before a two-week recess in April. Republicans are now hoping to get something passed before they leave for another recess on Thursday evening. Millions more Americans got healthcare coverage under Obamacare, but Republicans have long attacked it, seeing it as government overreach and complaining it drives up costs. On Wednesday, Aetna said it will exit the Obamacare individual insurance market in Virginia next year, citing "growing uncertainty" and expected losses this year. House Democrats rejected the latest change to the Republican legislation on Wednesday, saying it appears to protect patients with pre-existing conditions but some could still be pushed off their insurance in certain states and face higher costs. "This is deadly," House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi told a news conference. "No Band-Aid will fix it." The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office estimated an earlier version of the Republican bill would leave 24 million more people without insurance in 2026. It was unclear if a new estimate would be made before a vote on the House floor. Called the American Health Care Act, the Republican bill repeals most Obamacare taxes, including a penalty for not buying health insurance. It slashes funding for Medicaid, the program that provides insurance for the poor, and rolls back much of Medicaid's expansion, while swapping Obamacare’s income-based tax credits for flat age-based credits. It also allows insurers to raise premiums by 30 percent for those who have a lapse in insurance coverage of about two months or more. An amendment recently added to win over the Freedom Caucus lets states opt out of Obamacare’s mandate that insurers charge sick and healthy people the same rates. But Wednesday's amendment from Upton aimed to assuage moderates' concerns about that by providing a way for people with pre-existing conditions to get financial help to afford insurance. Others said the $8 billion over five years was not enough. (Reuters)

US House of Representatives vote today to repeal and replace Obamacare

The US House of Representatives approved a bill on Thursday to repeal major parts of Obamacare and replace it with a Republican healthcare plan, handing President Donald Trump his biggest legislative victory but setting up a tough fight in the Senate.

With the 217-213 vote, Republicans obtained just enough support to push the legislation through the House, sending it to the Senate for consideration. No Democrat&nbsp;voted for the bill.

The bill&#39;s passage represented a vital step toward fulfilling a top Trump campaign pledge and a seven-year Republican quest to dismantle Democratic former President Barack Obama&#39;s signature healthcare law. But the effort now faces new hurdles in the Senate, where the House bill will have difficulty gaining Republican support.

Thursday&#39;s vote was also a political victory for House Speaker Paul Ryan, demonstrating his ability to pull together a fractured Republican caucus after two failed attempts this year to win consensus on the healthcare legislation.

Democrats are hoping that the Republicans&#39; vote to repeal Obamacare will spark a voter backlash in next year&#39;s midterm congressional elections.

Some 20 million Americans gained healthcare coverage under Obama&#39;s 2010 Affordable Care Act, which has recently gathered support in public opinion polls. But Republicans have long attacked it, seeing the programme as government overreach and complaining that it drives up healthcare costs.

The Republican bill, known formally as the American Health Care Act, aims to repeal most Obamacare taxes, including a penalty for not buying health insurance. It would slash funding for Medicaid, the programme that provides insurance for the poor, and roll back much of Medicaid&#39;s expansion. 
 
(Reuters)

 
&nbsp;

With the 217-213 vote, Republicans obtained just enough support to push the legislation through the House

The US House of Representatives approved a bill on Thursday to repeal major parts of Obamacare and replace it with a Republican healthcare plan, handing President Donald Trump his biggest legislative victory but setting up a tough fight in the Senate. With the 217-213 vote, Republicans obtained just enough support to push the legislation through the House, sending it to the Senate for consideration. No Democrat voted for the bill. The bill's passage represented a vital step toward fulfilling a top Trump campaign pledge and a seven-year Republican quest to dismantle Democratic former President Barack Obama's signature healthcare law. But the effort now faces new hurdles in the Senate, where the House bill will have difficulty gaining Republican support. Thursday's vote was also a political victory for House Speaker Paul Ryan, demonstrating his ability to pull together a fractured Republican caucus after two failed attempts this year to win consensus on the healthcare legislation. Democrats are hoping that the Republicans' vote to repeal Obamacare will spark a voter backlash in next year's midterm congressional elections. Some 20 million Americans gained healthcare coverage under Obama's 2010 Affordable Care Act, which has recently gathered support in public opinion polls. But Republicans have long attacked it, seeing the programme as government overreach and complaining that it drives up healthcare costs. The Republican bill, known formally as the American Health Care Act, aims to repeal most Obamacare taxes, including a penalty for not buying health insurance. It would slash funding for Medicaid, the programme that provides insurance for the poor, and roll back much of Medicaid's expansion. (Reuters)

US House of Representatives passes healthcare bill in big win for Trump

United States President Donald Trump laid the blame at the feet of the Democrats for his failure to repeal the Obamacare on Friday, as the country&#39;s fledgling administration was forced to wthdraw the refurbished healthcare bill in the last minute.

Moments before the bill was retracted, a sombre Trump called a Washington Post correspondent to explain his defeat in repealing and replacing the Obamacare, which was one of his key election pledge.

&quot;We couldn&rsquo;t get one Democratic vote, and we were a little bit shy, very little, but it was still a little bit shy, so we pulled it,&rdquo; he told by phone.

But he added that the Obamacare would &quot;explode&quot; and that would give him the best opportunity to frame a new bill.

&nbsp;

Friday&nbsp;drama

Republican leaders of the House of Representatives pulled the legislation due to a shortage of votes despite desperate lobbying by the White House and its allies in Congress, ensuring that Trump&#39;s first major legislative initiative since taking office on January&nbsp;20 ended in failure.

House Republicans had planned a vote on the measure after Trump late on Thursday cut off negotiations with Republicans who had balked at the plan and issued an ultimatum to vote on Friday, win or lose.&nbsp;Republican moderates as well as the most conservative lawmakers had objected to the legislation.

The White House and House leaders were unable to come up with a plan that satisfied both moderates and conservatives, despite Trump&#39;s vaunted image as a deal maker.

&quot;We learned a lot about loyalty. We learned a lot about the vote-getting process,&quot; Trump told reporters at the White House, although he sought to shift the blame to the Democrats, who were unified in their opposition, even though his party controls the White House, the House and the Senate.

Amid a chaotic scramble for votes, House of Representatives Speaker Paul Ryan, who championed the bill, met with Trump at the White House before the bill was pulled from the House floor after hours of debate.

Ryan said he recommended that the legislation be withdrawn from the House floor because he did not have the votes to pass it, and that Trump agreed.

&quot;There were things in this bill that I didn&#39;t particularly like,&quot; Trump added, without specifying what those were, but expressed confidence in Ryan&#39;s leadership.

&quot;Perhaps the best thing that could happen is exactly what happened today, because we&#39;ll end up with a truly great healthcare bill in the future after this mess known as Obamacare explodes,&quot; Trump said.

Friday&#39;s events cast doubt on whether Ryan can get major legislation approved by fractious Republican lawmakers.

&quot;I will not sugarcoat this. This is a disappointing day for us,&quot; Ryan said at a news conference, adding that his fellow Republicans are experiencing what he called &quot;growing pains&quot; transitioning from an opposition party to a governing party.

&quot;Doing big things is hard,&quot; Ryan added, noting that he got close but failed to muster the 216 votes needed to pass it.

Ryan said he did not know what the next steps would be on healthcare, but called Obamacare so flawed that it would be hard to prop up.

Without the bill&#39;s passage in Congress, Democratic former President Barack Obama&#39;s signature domestic policy achievement, the 2010 Affordable Care Act - known as Obamacare - remains in place despite seven years of Republican promises to dismantle it.

Repealing and replacing Obamacare was a top campaign promise by Trump in last year&#39;s presidential election, as well as by most Republican candidates, &quot;from dog-catcher on up,&quot; as White House spokesman Sean Spicer put it during a briefing on Friday.

&nbsp;

Agenda at risk

The House failure to pass the measure called into question Trump&#39;s ability to get other key parts of his agenda, including tax cuts and a boost in infrastructure spending, through Congress.

News that the bill had been pulled before a final vote was greeted initially with a small sigh of relief by US equity investors, who earlier in the week had been fretful that an outright defeat would damage Trump&#39;s other priorities, such as tax cuts and infrastructure spending.

Benchmark US stock market indexes ended the session mixed after rallying back from session lows following the news. The S&amp;P 500 Index ended fractionally lower, the blue chip Dow Jones Industrial Averageslipped about 0.3 per cent and the Nasdaq Composite Index rose about 0.2 per cent.

The dollar also strengthened modestly on the news and US Treasury bond yields edged up from session lows. &quot;There&#39;s nobody that objectively can look at this effort and say the president didn&#39;t do every single thing he possibly could with this team to get every vote possible,&quot; Spicer told reporters before the legislation was pulled.

Trump already has been stymied by federal courts that blocked his executive actions barring entry into the United States of people from several Muslim-majority nations. Some Republicans worry a defeat on the healthcare legislation could cripple his presidency just two months after the wealthy New York real estate mogul took office.

In a blow to the bill&#39;s prospects, House Appropriations Committee Chairman Rodney Frelinghuysen announced his opposition, expressing concern about reductions in coverage under the Medicaid insurance program for the poor and the retraction of &quot;essential&quot; health benefits that insurers must cover.&nbsp;

&quot;We need to get this right for all Americans,&quot; Frelinghuysen said.&nbsp;

Republican Representative Dana Rohrabacher said before the bill was pulled that voting it down would be &quot;neutering Trump&quot; while empowering his opponents.

&quot;You don&#39;t cut the balls off a bull and then expect that he can go out and get the job done,&quot; Rohrabacher told Reuters. &quot;This will emasculate Trump and we can&#39;t do that. ... If we bring this down now, Trump will have lost all of his leverage to pass whatever bill it is, whether it&#39;s the tax bill or whatever reforms that he wants.&quot;

Trump and House Republican leaders could not afford to lose many votes in their own party because Democrats were unified in opposition, saying the bill would take away medical insurance from millions of Americans and leave the more-than-$3 trillion US healthcare system in disarray.

Republican supporters said the plan would achieve their goal of rolling back the government&#39;s &quot;nanny state&quot; role in healthcare.

Obamacare boosted the number of Americans with health insurance through mandates on individuals and employers, and income-based subsidies. About 20 million Americans gained insurance coverage through the law.

The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office said under the Republican legislation 14 million people would lose medical coverage by next year and more than 24 million would be uninsured in 2026.

Days of negotiations involving Republican lawmakers and the White House led to some changes in the bill but failed to produce a consensus deal.

The House plan would rescind a range of taxes created by Obamacare, end a penalty on people who refuse to obtain health insurance, end Obamacare&#39;s income-based subsidies to help people buy insurance while creating less-generous age-based tax credits

It also would end Obamacare&#39;s expansion of the Medicaid state-federal insurance program for the poor, cut future federal Medicaid funding and let states impose work requirements on some Medicaid recipients.

House leaders agreed to a series of last-minute changes to try to win over disgruntled conservatives, including ending the Obamacare requirement that insurers cover certain &quot;essential benefits&quot; such as maternity care, mental health services and prescription drug coverage.

Republicans appear to have been very&nbsp;confident that they could successfully repeal and replace ObamaCare:

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Adding insult to injury, running now on TVs across the country are ads congratulating Rs for repealing Obamacare. <a href="https://t.co/SfhRfxwaej">pic.twitter.com/SfhRfxwaej</a>
&mdash; Rob Bennett (@rob_bennett) <a href="https://twitter.com/rob_bennett/status/845478451146559488">March 25, 2017</a></blockquote>
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(WION with inputs from Reuters)

Without the bill's passage in the Congress, Obamacare remains in place despite seven years of Republican promises to dismantle it

United States President Donald Trump laid the blame at the feet of the Democrats for his failure to repeal the Obamacare on Friday, as the country's fledgling administration was forced to wthdraw the refurbished healthcare bill in the last minute. Moments before the bill was retracted, a sombre Trump called a Washington Post correspondent to explain his defeat in repealing and replacing the Obamacare, which was one of his key election pledge. "We couldn’t get one Democratic vote, and we were a little bit shy, very little, but it was still a little bit shy, so we pulled it,” he told by phone. But he added that the Obamacare would "explode" and that would give him the best opportunity to frame a new bill. Friday drama Republican leaders of the House of Representatives pulled the legislation due to a shortage of votes despite desperate lobbying by the White House and its allies in Congress, ensuring that Trump's first major legislative initiative since taking office on January 20 ended in failure. House Republicans had planned a vote on the measure after Trump late on Thursday cut off negotiations with Republicans who had balked at the plan and issued an ultimatum to vote on Friday, win or lose. Republican moderates as well as the most conservative lawmakers had objected to the legislation. The White House and House leaders were unable to come up with a plan that satisfied both moderates and conservatives, despite Trump's vaunted image as a deal maker. "We learned a lot about loyalty. We learned a lot about the vote-getting process," Trump told reporters at the White House, although he sought to shift the blame to the Democrats, who were unified in their opposition, even though his party controls the White House, the House and the Senate. Amid a chaotic scramble for votes, House of Representatives Speaker Paul Ryan, who championed the bill, met with Trump at the White House before the bill was pulled from the House floor after hours of debate. Ryan said he recommended that the legislation be withdrawn from the House floor because he did not have the votes to pass it, and that Trump agreed. "There were things in this bill that I didn't particularly like," Trump added, without specifying what those were, but expressed confidence in Ryan's leadership. "Perhaps the best thing that could happen is exactly what happened today, because we'll end up with a truly great healthcare bill in the future after this mess known as Obamacare explodes," Trump said. Friday's events cast doubt on whether Ryan can get major legislation approved by fractious Republican lawmakers. "I will not sugarcoat this. This is a disappointing day for us," Ryan said at a news conference, adding that his fellow Republicans are experiencing what he called "growing pains" transitioning from an opposition party to a governing party. "Doing big things is hard," Ryan added, noting that he got close but failed to muster the 216 votes needed to pass it. Ryan said he did not know what the next steps would be on healthcare, but called Obamacare so flawed that it would be hard to prop up. Without the bill's passage in Congress, Democratic former President Barack Obama's signature domestic policy achievement, the 2010 Affordable Care Act - known as Obamacare - remains in place despite seven years of Republican promises to dismantle it. Repealing and replacing Obamacare was a top campaign promise by Trump in last year's presidential election, as well as by most Republican candidates, "from dog-catcher on up," as White House spokesman Sean Spicer put it during a briefing on Friday. Agenda at risk The House failure to pass the measure called into question Trump's ability to get other key parts of his agenda, including tax cuts and a boost in infrastructure spending, through Congress. News that the bill had been pulled before a final vote was greeted initially with a small sigh of relief by US equity investors, who earlier in the week had been fretful that an outright defeat would damage Trump's other priorities, such as tax cuts and infrastructure spending. Benchmark US stock market indexes ended the session mixed after rallying back from session lows following the news. The S&P 500 Index ended fractionally lower, the blue chip Dow Jones Industrial Averageslipped about 0.3 per cent and the Nasdaq Composite Index rose about 0.2 per cent. The dollar also strengthened modestly on the news and US Treasury bond yields edged up from session lows. "There's nobody that objectively can look at this effort and say the president didn't do every single thing he possibly could with this team to get every vote possible," Spicer told reporters before the legislation was pulled. Trump already has been stymied by federal courts that blocked his executive actions barring entry into the United States of people from several Muslim-majority nations. Some Republicans worry a defeat on the healthcare legislation could cripple his presidency just two months after the wealthy New York real estate mogul took office. In a blow to the bill's prospects, House Appropriations Committee Chairman Rodney Frelinghuysen announced his opposition, expressing concern about reductions in coverage under the Medicaid insurance program for the poor and the retraction of "essential" health benefits that insurers must cover. "We need to get this right for all Americans," Frelinghuysen said. Republican Representative Dana Rohrabacher said before the bill was pulled that voting it down would be "neutering Trump" while empowering his opponents. "You don't cut the balls off a bull and then expect that he can go out and get the job done," Rohrabacher told Reuters. "This will emasculate Trump and we can't do that. ... If we bring this down now, Trump will have lost all of his leverage to pass whatever bill it is, whether it's the tax bill or whatever reforms that he wants." Trump and House Republican leaders could not afford to lose many votes in their own party because Democrats were unified in opposition, saying the bill would take away medical insurance from millions of Americans and leave the more-than-$3 trillion US healthcare system in disarray. Republican supporters said the plan would achieve their goal of rolling back the government's "nanny state" role in healthcare. Obamacare boosted the number of Americans with health insurance through mandates on individuals and employers, and income-based subsidies. About 20 million Americans gained insurance coverage through the law. The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office said under the Republican legislation 14 million people would lose medical coverage by next year and more than 24 million would be uninsured in 2026. Days of negotiations involving Republican lawmakers and the White House led to some changes in the bill but failed to produce a consensus deal. The House plan would rescind a range of taxes created by Obamacare, end a penalty on people who refuse to obtain health insurance, end Obamacare's income-based subsidies to help people buy insurance while creating less-generous age-based tax credits It also would end Obamacare's expansion of the Medicaid state-federal insurance program for the poor, cut future federal Medicaid funding and let states impose work requirements on some Medicaid recipients. House leaders agreed to a series of last-minute changes to try to win over disgruntled conservatives, including ending the Obamacare requirement that insurers cover certain "essential benefits" such as maternity care, mental health services and prescription drug coverage. Republicans appear to have been very confident that they could successfully repeal and replace ObamaCare: Adding insult to injury, running now on TVs across the country are ads congratulating Rs for repealing Obamacare. pic.twitter.com/SfhRfxwaej — Rob Bennett (@rob_bennett) March 25, 2017 × (WION with inputs from Reuters)

Trump blames Democrats for healthcare bill going down in flames

US President Donald Trump on Thursday failed to close the deal with Republican lawmakers on how to dismantle Obamacare, forcing the House of Representatives to delay a vote on a healthcare bill that was supposed to be his first legislative win.

The day had been designed as a big symbolic win for conservatives. Trump and House Republican leaders planned the vote on the seventh anniversary of former Democratic President Barack Obama signing his namesake healthcare law, formally known as the Affordable Care Act, which became a prime target for Republicans.

Some Republican conservatives felt the new Trump-backed healthcare plan, formally called the American Health Care Act, did not go far enough, while some moderates worried the legislation would hurt their constituents, so the bill was postponed indefinitely as negotiations continued into the evening.

The White House has insisted there is no &quot;Plan B&quot; if the bill fails.

&quot;I am desperately trying to get to &lsquo;yes&rsquo; and I think the president knows that. I told him that personally,&quot; said North Carolina Congressman Mark Meadows, the chairman of a group of conservatives known as the Freedom Caucus, which has been critical of the bill.

&quot;We`re going to get to the finish line,&quot; Meadows told reporters.

Trump, who has been working the phones all week and bringing lawmakers into the Oval Office to talk, met with the Freedom Caucus on Thursday morning, and was set to later meet with moderate Republicans, known as the &#39;Tuesday Group&#39;.

As the healthcare drama unfolded on Capitol Hill, Trump took a break from the negotiations to talk about the issue and hang out with some truckers, climbing into the cab of one long-haul transport truck parked on the back driveway of the White House, and blowing the horn a few times.

He told reporters the vote would be close but remained optimistic. &quot;I think we&rsquo;re doing well. We&rsquo;ll find out in about three hours,&quot; he said, just as reports began to surface that the vote had been postponed.

Even if the bill does eventually get approval from the House, the legislation faces a potentially tough fight in the Republican-controlled Senate.

The House and Senate had hoped to deliver a new healthcare bill to Trump by April 8, when Congress is scheduled to begin a two-week spring break.

Market Turned Red

The vote was seen by financial markets as a crucial test of Trump&#39;s ability to work with Congress to deliver on his agenda.

Uncertainty over the bill rattled financial markets this week. US stock markets rose steadily in recent months on optimism over a pro-business Trump agenda but fell back sharply on Tuesday as investors worried that failure to push through the healthcare bill could postpone other Trump priorities like tax cuts and infrastructure spending.

&quot;The continued divisions within the Republicans will, at the margin, raise concerns about the prospects for the pro-growth legislation that the White House plans to subsequently submit to Congress, including tax reform,&quot; said Mohamed El-Erian, chief economic adviser at financial group Allianz.

In the last 30 minutes of trading on Thursday, the benchmark S&amp;P 500 stock index dipped as the first headlines moved about the vote delay. It closed down very slightly.&nbsp;

&quot;Delay on healthcare equates to delay on tax cuts. That is why the market turned red when the news flow suggested they didn`t have a deal,&quot; said David Kotok, chairman and chief investment officer at Cumberland Advisors, a money management firm. 
But others said it was too soon to panic.

&quot;If this thing gets materially delayed or if we get a no vote, we&#39;re going to see a horrific market reaction. But if they vote in the morning and it passes, we&#39;ll have a hell of a rally,&quot; said Jake Dollarhide, chief executive officer of Longbow Asset Management in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

The delay in the house vote is likely to extend the ups and downs in the stocks of some hospital groups and health insurers.

Republican Promise

Trump and Republicans had campaigned on a promise to repeal and replace Obamacare, passed in 2010.

Republican control of the White House, the Senate and the House has given the party a chance to achieve what it has long aspired to do - overturn a law they cast as too invasive and too expensive.

Obamacare aimed to boost the number of Americans with health insurance through mandates on individuals and employers, and income-based subsidies. Some 20 million Americans gained insurance coverage through the law.

The House replacement plan would rescind the taxes created by Obamacare, repeal a penalty against people who do not buy coverage, slash funding for the Medicaid programme for the poor and disabled, and modify tax subsidies that help individuals buy plans.

The Republican plan got more unwelcome news late on Thursday from the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office, which said that the latest version of the bill would reduce the U.S. budget deficit by less than the original version. The smaller deficit reduction was expected due to tweaks made this week to try to build support for the bill.

But the CBO said the revised plan would still have the same impact as the original bill on the level of uninsured Americans, with 24 million fewer people having medical coverage by 2026.&nbsp;

The Republicans have a majority in the House but because of united Democratic opposition, can afford to lose only 21 Republican votes. As of Thursday morning, NBC News said that 30 Republicans had planned to vote &quot;no&quot; or were leaning that way.

With this delay, House of Representatives Speaker Paul Ryan and his Republican leadership team will continue to search for ways to alter the legislation and bring it to a vote.

(Reuters)&nbsp;

The White House has insisted there is no 'Plan B' if the bill fails

US President Donald Trump on Thursday failed to close the deal with Republican lawmakers on how to dismantle Obamacare, forcing the House of Representatives to delay a vote on a healthcare bill that was supposed to be his first legislative win. The day had been designed as a big symbolic win for conservatives. Trump and House Republican leaders planned the vote on the seventh anniversary of former Democratic President Barack Obama signing his namesake healthcare law, formally known as the Affordable Care Act, which became a prime target for Republicans. Some Republican conservatives felt the new Trump-backed healthcare plan, formally called the American Health Care Act, did not go far enough, while some moderates worried the legislation would hurt their constituents, so the bill was postponed indefinitely as negotiations continued into the evening. The White House has insisted there is no "Plan B" if the bill fails. "I am desperately trying to get to ‘yes’ and I think the president knows that. I told him that personally," said North Carolina Congressman Mark Meadows, the chairman of a group of conservatives known as the Freedom Caucus, which has been critical of the bill. "We`re going to get to the finish line," Meadows told reporters. Trump, who has been working the phones all week and bringing lawmakers into the Oval Office to talk, met with the Freedom Caucus on Thursday morning, and was set to later meet with moderate Republicans, known as the 'Tuesday Group'. As the healthcare drama unfolded on Capitol Hill, Trump took a break from the negotiations to talk about the issue and hang out with some truckers, climbing into the cab of one long-haul transport truck parked on the back driveway of the White House, and blowing the horn a few times. He told reporters the vote would be close but remained optimistic. "I think we’re doing well. We’ll find out in about three hours," he said, just as reports began to surface that the vote had been postponed. Even if the bill does eventually get approval from the House, the legislation faces a potentially tough fight in the Republican-controlled Senate. The House and Senate had hoped to deliver a new healthcare bill to Trump by April 8, when Congress is scheduled to begin a two-week spring break. Market Turned Red The vote was seen by financial markets as a crucial test of Trump's ability to work with Congress to deliver on his agenda. Uncertainty over the bill rattled financial markets this week. US stock markets rose steadily in recent months on optimism over a pro-business Trump agenda but fell back sharply on Tuesday as investors worried that failure to push through the healthcare bill could postpone other Trump priorities like tax cuts and infrastructure spending. "The continued divisions within the Republicans will, at the margin, raise concerns about the prospects for the pro-growth legislation that the White House plans to subsequently submit to Congress, including tax reform," said Mohamed El-Erian, chief economic adviser at financial group Allianz. In the last 30 minutes of trading on Thursday, the benchmark S&P 500 stock index dipped as the first headlines moved about the vote delay. It closed down very slightly. "Delay on healthcare equates to delay on tax cuts. That is why the market turned red when the news flow suggested they didn`t have a deal," said David Kotok, chairman and chief investment officer at Cumberland Advisors, a money management firm. But others said it was too soon to panic. "If this thing gets materially delayed or if we get a no vote, we're going to see a horrific market reaction. But if they vote in the morning and it passes, we'll have a hell of a rally," said Jake Dollarhide, chief executive officer of Longbow Asset Management in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The delay in the house vote is likely to extend the ups and downs in the stocks of some hospital groups and health insurers. Republican Promise Trump and Republicans had campaigned on a promise to repeal and replace Obamacare, passed in 2010. Republican control of the White House, the Senate and the House has given the party a chance to achieve what it has long aspired to do - overturn a law they cast as too invasive and too expensive. Obamacare aimed to boost the number of Americans with health insurance through mandates on individuals and employers, and income-based subsidies. Some 20 million Americans gained insurance coverage through the law. The House replacement plan would rescind the taxes created by Obamacare, repeal a penalty against people who do not buy coverage, slash funding for the Medicaid programme for the poor and disabled, and modify tax subsidies that help individuals buy plans. The Republican plan got more unwelcome news late on Thursday from the non-partisan Congressional Budget Office, which said that the latest version of the bill would reduce the U.S. budget deficit by less than the original version. The smaller deficit reduction was expected due to tweaks made this week to try to build support for the bill. But the CBO said the revised plan would still have the same impact as the original bill on the level of uninsured Americans, with 24 million fewer people having medical coverage by 2026. The Republicans have a majority in the House but because of united Democratic opposition, can afford to lose only 21 Republican votes. As of Thursday morning, NBC News said that 30 Republicans had planned to vote "no" or were leaning that way. With this delay, House of Representatives Speaker Paul Ryan and his Republican leadership team will continue to search for ways to alter the legislation and bring it to a vote. (Reuters)

US President Trump suffers setback as House delays vote on healthcare bill

Two Congressional Democrats mocked US&nbsp;Vice President Mike Pence for posting a picture of all men&nbsp;on&nbsp;Twitter from a House Freedom Caucus meeting proposing doing away with&nbsp;women&#39;s healthcare initiatives, <a href="http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/325562-dem-lawmaker-shreds-house-gop-over-lack-of-women-in-maternity" target="_blank">The Hill</a> reports.

Here is the Tweet from Vice President Mike Pence:&nbsp;

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Appreciated joining <a href="https://twitter.com/POTUS">@POTUS</a> for meeting with the Freedom Caucus again today. This is it. <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/PassTheBill?src=hash">#PassTheBill</a> <a href="https://t.co/XG6lQIy5a6">pic.twitter.com/XG6lQIy5a6</a>
&mdash; Vice President Pence (@VP) <a href="https://twitter.com/VP/status/844977432713146370">March 23, 2017</a></blockquote>
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The House Freedom Caucus&nbsp;gathered seeking ways to pass the Republican bill to repeal-and-replace the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare. Proposed was doing away with &quot;essential health benefits&quot;, which require insurance plans to cover basic health services females need, like maternity care and mammograms.

At least two Democrats seised on this&nbsp;picture without women in it to mock the Republicans for making laws about women&#39;s health in a meeting wit

That the Republicans would make legislation that so impacted women&#39;s health in a meeting without women it and&nbsp;post a picture of it, was seised on by two Democrats.

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This is outrageous: Not a single woman in the room as <a href="https://twitter.com/mike_pence">@Mike_Pence</a> and <a href="https://twitter.com/HouseGOP">@HouseGOP</a> propose removing maternity coverage in <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Trumpcare?src=hash">#Trumpcare</a>. <a href="https://t.co/wwY6WsN206">pic.twitter.com/wwY6WsN206</a>
&mdash; Jim McGovern (@RepMcGovern) <a href="https://twitter.com/RepMcGovern/status/844991898850877443">March 23, 2017</a></blockquote>
<script async src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script></div>
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A rare look inside the GOP&rsquo;s women&rsquo;s health caucus. <a href="https://t.co/SgLmvSpeSM">https://t.co/SgLmvSpeSM</a>
&mdash; Senator Patty Murray (@PattyMurray) <a href="https://twitter.com/PattyMurray/status/845001919034732544">March 23, 2017</a></blockquote>
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No women are in the House Freedom Caucus, but it was reported that top Trump aide Kellyanne Conway was in attendance, as was the president and vice president.

(WION)

&nbsp;

The meeting discussed repealing ObamaCare 'essential health benefits', requiring insurance companies to cover mammograms and maternity care

Two Congressional Democrats mocked US Vice President Mike Pence for posting a picture of all men on Twitter from a House Freedom Caucus meeting proposing doing away with women's healthcare initiatives, The Hill reports. Here is the Tweet from Vice President Mike Pence: Appreciated joining @POTUS for meeting with the Freedom Caucus again today. This is it. #PassTheBill pic.twitter.com/XG6lQIy5a6 — Vice President Pence (@VP) March 23, 2017 × The House Freedom Caucus gathered seeking ways to pass the Republican bill to repeal-and-replace the Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare. Proposed was doing away with "essential health benefits", which require insurance plans to cover basic health services females need, like maternity care and mammograms. At least two Democrats seised on this picture without women in it to mock the Republicans for making laws about women's health in a meeting wit That the Republicans would make legislation that so impacted women's health in a meeting without women it and post a picture of it, was seised on by two Democrats. This is outrageous: Not a single woman in the room as @Mike_Pence and @HouseGOP propose removing maternity coverage in #Trumpcare. pic.twitter.com/wwY6WsN206 — Jim McGovern (@RepMcGovern) March 23, 2017 × A rare look inside the GOP’s women’s health caucus. https://t.co/SgLmvSpeSM — Senator Patty Murray (@PattyMurray) March 23, 2017 × No women are in the House Freedom Caucus, but it was reported that top Trump aide Kellyanne Conway was in attendance, as was the president and vice president. (WION)

Republicans mocked for posting photo of healthcare meeting with 0 women in it: The Hill

US&nbsp;President Donald Trump and House of Representatives leaders pushed on Wednesday for votes for their plan to overhaul Obamacare and said they were making progress in their efforts to win over conservative Republicans who have demanded changes to the legislation.

With a vote on the bill scheduled for Thursday evening, members of the House Freedom Caucus, a conservative Republican faction, said they had been negotiating possible concessions from the White House.

&quot;I can tell you that we&#39;re making great progress,&quot; Mark Meadows, chairman of the Freedom Caucus, told reporters. &quot;We&#39;re not there yet. But we&#39;re hopeful.&quot;

Repealing and replacing Democratic former President Barack Obama&#39;s 2010 Affordable Care Act, unofficially known as &quot;Obamacare&quot;, is a first major test of Trump&rsquo;s legislative ability and whether he can keep his big promises to business.

Plans aired by Trump during his election campaign and his first two months in office have lifted US&nbsp;stock markets to new highs. But stocks fell back sharply on Tuesday as investors worried that a rough ride for the healthcare legislation could affect his ability to deliver on other big pieces of his agenda, from cutting taxes and regulation to boosting infrastructure.

Major stock indexes wobbled on Wednesday, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average ending slightly down and the S&amp;P 500 slightly higher. Investors are eagerly awaiting Thursday&rsquo;s healthcare vote, which could be pivotal for Trump&#39;s broader plans.

The Freedom Caucus has objected to the bill because its members believe it is still too close to Obamacare.

Representative Steve King, a conservative who was among lawmakers who met Trump on Wednesday morning at the White House, said he would now vote for the bill because he got a commitment from Trump to publicly advocate for a Senate amendment to the legislation that would eliminate insurance coverage benefits put in place under Obamacare.

&quot;I have a full and firm commitment with many witnesses from President Trump,&quot; King said in a video statement on YouTube.

King said the amendment would be put forward by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell. A spokesman for McConnell did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Earlier on Wednesday, a Freedom Caucus aide said more than 25 of its members were opposed, enough to stop the bill from passing. Republicans cannot afford to lose more than 20 votes from their own party, since Democrats are united in opposition.

&nbsp;

HEADWAY

White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders also gave signs negotiations were making headway late on Wednesday. 
Trump fights for healthcare bill, makes headway with conservatives. &quot;We are continuing to move forward and adding new supporters constantly,&quot; she said. &quot;As we have indicated previously we are open to changes to the bill that make it better and grow its support.&quot;

But even if Trump is able to get conservatives on board, he still faces a struggle in pushing the bill through the House. While conservatives say the House bill is too similar to Obamacare, moderate Republicans are concerned that it will provoke a backlash by increasing the number of uninsured Americans.

The primary aim of Obama&#39;s signature legislation, passed in 2010, was reducing the numbers of Americans with no health coverage. Twenty million people gained insurance under the law.

The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office estimated 14 million people would lose coverage under the Republican plan by next year. It also said 24 million fewer people would be insured by 2026.

Obamacare mandates that insurance plans must cover trips emergency room trips, maternity and newborn care, and mental health services. Conservatives say reducing or scrapping the mandates would bring down insurance premiums.

The Republican plan would rescind taxes created by Obamacare, repeal a penalty against those who do not buy coverage, slash funding for the Medicaid programme for the poor and disabled, and modify subsidies that help individuals buy plans.

In the two weeks since the healthcare plan was unveiled, shares of some hospital operators and health insurers have fallen more than 10 percent, due to concerns about the fate of the benefits companies gained from coverage expansion.

If the healthcare bill passes the House, the Senate could take it up next week. Republican leaders are hoping that if the Senate acts quickly, the bill could go back to the House for a final vote by mid-April, possibly allowing Trump to sign it into law by Easter, April 16.

Trump has put considerable effort into building support for the Republican healthcare bill, called the American Health Care Act, and on Tuesday warned Republicans that failure could have sharp repercussions in next year&#39;s congressional elections.

&nbsp;

PROTESTS

Opponents of the overhaul have been fiercely vocal, and on Wednesday protesters, many in wheelchairs or with serious medical conditions, blocked the Capitol rotunda for about an hour.

&quot;Rather go to jail than die without Medicaid,&quot; they chanted.

Capitol police said they made 54 arrests and later released the protesters.

(Reuters)

The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office estimated 14 million people would lose coverage under the Republican plan by next year

US President Donald Trump and House of Representatives leaders pushed on Wednesday for votes for their plan to overhaul Obamacare and said they were making progress in their efforts to win over conservative Republicans who have demanded changes to the legislation. With a vote on the bill scheduled for Thursday evening, members of the House Freedom Caucus, a conservative Republican faction, said they had been negotiating possible concessions from the White House. "I can tell you that we're making great progress," Mark Meadows, chairman of the Freedom Caucus, told reporters. "We're not there yet. But we're hopeful." Repealing and replacing Democratic former President Barack Obama's 2010 Affordable Care Act, unofficially known as "Obamacare", is a first major test of Trump’s legislative ability and whether he can keep his big promises to business. Plans aired by Trump during his election campaign and his first two months in office have lifted US stock markets to new highs. But stocks fell back sharply on Tuesday as investors worried that a rough ride for the healthcare legislation could affect his ability to deliver on other big pieces of his agenda, from cutting taxes and regulation to boosting infrastructure. Major stock indexes wobbled on Wednesday, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average ending slightly down and the S&P 500 slightly higher. Investors are eagerly awaiting Thursday’s healthcare vote, which could be pivotal for Trump's broader plans. The Freedom Caucus has objected to the bill because its members believe it is still too close to Obamacare. Representative Steve King, a conservative who was among lawmakers who met Trump on Wednesday morning at the White House, said he would now vote for the bill because he got a commitment from Trump to publicly advocate for a Senate amendment to the legislation that would eliminate insurance coverage benefits put in place under Obamacare. "I have a full and firm commitment with many witnesses from President Trump," King said in a video statement on YouTube. King said the amendment would be put forward by Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell. A spokesman for McConnell did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Earlier on Wednesday, a Freedom Caucus aide said more than 25 of its members were opposed, enough to stop the bill from passing. Republicans cannot afford to lose more than 20 votes from their own party, since Democrats are united in opposition. HEADWAY White House spokeswoman Sarah Sanders also gave signs negotiations were making headway late on Wednesday. Trump fights for healthcare bill, makes headway with conservatives. "We are continuing to move forward and adding new supporters constantly," she said. "As we have indicated previously we are open to changes to the bill that make it better and grow its support." But even if Trump is able to get conservatives on board, he still faces a struggle in pushing the bill through the House. While conservatives say the House bill is too similar to Obamacare, moderate Republicans are concerned that it will provoke a backlash by increasing the number of uninsured Americans. The primary aim of Obama's signature legislation, passed in 2010, was reducing the numbers of Americans with no health coverage. Twenty million people gained insurance under the law. The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office estimated 14 million people would lose coverage under the Republican plan by next year. It also said 24 million fewer people would be insured by 2026. Obamacare mandates that insurance plans must cover trips emergency room trips, maternity and newborn care, and mental health services. Conservatives say reducing or scrapping the mandates would bring down insurance premiums. The Republican plan would rescind taxes created by Obamacare, repeal a penalty against those who do not buy coverage, slash funding for the Medicaid programme for the poor and disabled, and modify subsidies that help individuals buy plans. In the two weeks since the healthcare plan was unveiled, shares of some hospital operators and health insurers have fallen more than 10 percent, due to concerns about the fate of the benefits companies gained from coverage expansion. If the healthcare bill passes the House, the Senate could take it up next week. Republican leaders are hoping that if the Senate acts quickly, the bill could go back to the House for a final vote by mid-April, possibly allowing Trump to sign it into law by Easter, April 16. Trump has put considerable effort into building support for the Republican healthcare bill, called the American Health Care Act, and on Tuesday warned Republicans that failure could have sharp repercussions in next year's congressional elections. PROTESTS Opponents of the overhaul have been fiercely vocal, and on Wednesday protesters, many in wheelchairs or with serious medical conditions, blocked the Capitol rotunda for about an hour. "Rather go to jail than die without Medicaid," they chanted. Capitol police said they made 54 arrests and later released the protesters. (Reuters)

Trump fights to overhaul Obamacare, makes headway with conservatives

A nonpartisan Congressional research report which states that 14 million Americans would lose medical insurance by next year under a Republican plan to dismantle Obamacare has forced President Donald Trump and Republicans to reconsider whether they could modify the plan.

Press Secretary Sean Spicer said that White House officials and leaders in the Republican-controlled US&nbsp;House of Representatives were considering whether they could tweak the plan, which has Trump&#39;s own party divided.

Republican senators held a lunch on Capitol Hill with Vice President Mike Pence and Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price to discuss possible changes, Reuters reported.

Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said the bill could be amended in the Republican-controlled Senate.

&ldquo;The first step is in the House. We&#39;re hopeful and optimistic they&#39;re going to send us over something. It will be open for amendment,&rdquo; he said.

The US Congressional Budget Office (CBO)&nbsp;forecast on Monday&nbsp;that 14 million Americans would lose health insurance by 2018 and 24 million more people would be uninsured in 2026 if the legislation to replace Obamacare were to go through.

It added that 52 million people would be uninsured by 2026 if the bill became a law, compared with 28 million who would not have coverage that year if the law remained unchanged.

The CBO, however, said that budget deficit would be reduced by $337 billion between 2017 and 2026 if the plan to replace the 2010 Affordable Care Act was adopted.

Obamacare, as President Barack Obama&#39;s signature piece of domestic policy is commonly called, expanded insurance to about 20 million Americans.&nbsp;

Republicans&#39; plan to replace Obamacare&nbsp;would repeal a requirement that every American have health insurance and will slash spending on the Medicaid program for the poor and disabled. It will also replace Obamacare&#39;s&nbsp;income-based subsidies with fixed tax credits for the purchase of private insurance.

The bill&nbsp;will&nbsp;revamp the tax subsidies that help people buy insurance if they do not get it from work. The amounts would be based on age, not income.

The new health bill is currently being considered by the House of Representatives. Two House of Representatives committees have approved the legislation to dismantle Obamacare that was unveiled by Republican leaders a week ago, but it faces opposition from not only Democrats but also medical providers including doctors and hospitals and many conservatives.&nbsp;

Hours after the CBO report was released, the House Budget Committee postponed its consideration of the Republican bill to Thursday from Wednesday.&nbsp;

Prior to the report, Republicans had been planning to vote soon on the bill in the House, where it is likely to pass, and send it to the Senate, where its outlook is uncertain.&nbsp;

Details of the Congressional Research report

The CBO estimated that insurance premiums would rise 15 per cent to 20 per cent in both 2018 and 2019 because fewer healthy people would sign up after the repeal of the Obamacare penalty for declining to obtain insurance. But it said the hikes would be offset after 2020 by a $100 billion fund allocated to states in the bill and deregulation in the insurance market.&nbsp;

By 2026, average premiums for single policyholders in the nongroup market under the legislation would be roughly 10 per cent lower than the estimates under current law, in part because insurers will be able to offer plans that cover a lower share of healthcare costs.

While the federal government would lose revenues through the repeal of Obamacare&rsquo;s individual and employer mandates&rsquo; tax penalties, CBO said the loss would be surpassed by savings on insurance subsidies and Medicaid payments that Washington would no longer have to provide for people who lost coverage.&nbsp;

At the same time, CBO said the repeal of the individual mandate&rsquo;s tax penalties would mean higher health insurance premiums for those who retained coverage, because insurers would still have to cover any applicant without being free to raise premiums for older, sicker people, despite lower numbers of younger, healthier customers who are cheaper to insure.

The nonpartisan Tax Policy Center on Monday said the Republican plan would benefit the wealthiest US households far more than middle-income families. A family making $51,600 to $89,400 a year, including fringe benefits like employer-provided health insurance, would get a tax cut averaging $300. The top 0.1 percent of earners with incomes of at least $3.9 million would get a tax cut of about $207,000, the study said. 
 
Implications of the report for Trump

The CBO report&#39;s findings could make the Republican plan a harder sell for lawmakers, particularly in the US Senate.

Democratic leaders in Congress said the bill could result in elderly people being kicked out of nursing homes as it simultaneously gives tax cuts for the richest Americans.

&quot;How can they look their constituents in the eye when they say 24 million of you no longer have coverage and those of you who do have it, will have less coverage at more cost to you,&quot; House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi said.

Doctors groups and patient advocates have for long been saying that the bill must be abandoned.

Democrats say the Republican plan would hurt the elderly, the poor and working families but give tax cuts to the rich.&nbsp;

Trump&#39;s own party has been&nbsp;divided. Moderates, particularly in the Senate, worry about causing people to lose coverage, while conservatives do not think the bill goes far enough in undoing Obamacare.

Some Republicans worry a misfire on the Republican healthcare legislation could hobble Trump&#39;s presidency and set the stage for losses for the party in the 2018 congressional elections.&nbsp;

Trump administration defends healthcare plan

While Trump himself made no comment on the report, his administration defended the healthcare plan, which they say will have a second and third phase that will entice consumers.&nbsp;Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price said at the White House that Trump&#39;s plan would cover more individuals at a lower cost and it was &quot;virtually impossible&quot; to envision that 14 million people would lose insurance coverage by next year.

House of Representatives Speaker Paul Ryan, a key backer of the plan called the American Health Care Act, said the CBO estimates showed it would ultimately lower premiums. 
&nbsp; 
&quot;Our plan is not about forcing people to buy expensive, one-size-fits-all coverage. It is about giving people more choices and better access to a plan they want and can afford. When people have more choices, costs go down,&quot; Ryan said.

Shares fall

Shares of hospitals and health insurers slipped, partly on worries the plan would mean fewer insured patients. 
 
(WION with inputs from Reuters)

A congressional research report forecast that 14 million Americans would lose health insurance by next year if the new health bill is passed

A nonpartisan Congressional research report which states that 14 million Americans would lose medical insurance by next year under a Republican plan to dismantle Obamacare has forced President Donald Trump and Republicans to reconsider whether they could modify the plan. Press Secretary Sean Spicer said that White House officials and leaders in the Republican-controlled US House of Representatives were considering whether they could tweak the plan, which has Trump's own party divided. Republican senators held a lunch on Capitol Hill with Vice President Mike Pence and Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price to discuss possible changes, Reuters reported. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell said the bill could be amended in the Republican-controlled Senate. “The first step is in the House. We're hopeful and optimistic they're going to send us over something. It will be open for amendment,” he said. The US Congressional Budget Office (CBO) forecast on Monday that 14 million Americans would lose health insurance by 2018 and 24 million more people would be uninsured in 2026 if the legislation to replace Obamacare were to go through. It added that 52 million people would be uninsured by 2026 if the bill became a law, compared with 28 million who would not have coverage that year if the law remained unchanged. The CBO, however, said that budget deficit would be reduced by $337 billion between 2017 and 2026 if the plan to replace the 2010 Affordable Care Act was adopted. Obamacare, as President Barack Obama's signature piece of domestic policy is commonly called, expanded insurance to about 20 million Americans. Republicans' plan to replace Obamacare would repeal a requirement that every American have health insurance and will slash spending on the Medicaid program for the poor and disabled. It will also replace Obamacare's income-based subsidies with fixed tax credits for the purchase of private insurance. The bill will revamp the tax subsidies that help people buy insurance if they do not get it from work. The amounts would be based on age, not income. The new health bill is currently being considered by the House of Representatives. Two House of Representatives committees have approved the legislation to dismantle Obamacare that was unveiled by Republican leaders a week ago, but it faces opposition from not only Democrats but also medical providers including doctors and hospitals and many conservatives. Hours after the CBO report was released, the House Budget Committee postponed its consideration of the Republican bill to Thursday from Wednesday. Prior to the report, Republicans had been planning to vote soon on the bill in the House, where it is likely to pass, and send it to the Senate, where its outlook is uncertain. Details of the Congressional Research report The CBO estimated that insurance premiums would rise 15 per cent to 20 per cent in both 2018 and 2019 because fewer healthy people would sign up after the repeal of the Obamacare penalty for declining to obtain insurance. But it said the hikes would be offset after 2020 by a $100 billion fund allocated to states in the bill and deregulation in the insurance market. By 2026, average premiums for single policyholders in the nongroup market under the legislation would be roughly 10 per cent lower than the estimates under current law, in part because insurers will be able to offer plans that cover a lower share of healthcare costs. While the federal government would lose revenues through the repeal of Obamacare’s individual and employer mandates’ tax penalties, CBO said the loss would be surpassed by savings on insurance subsidies and Medicaid payments that Washington would no longer have to provide for people who lost coverage. At the same time, CBO said the repeal of the individual mandate’s tax penalties would mean higher health insurance premiums for those who retained coverage, because insurers would still have to cover any applicant without being free to raise premiums for older, sicker people, despite lower numbers of younger, healthier customers who are cheaper to insure. The nonpartisan Tax Policy Center on Monday said the Republican plan would benefit the wealthiest US households far more than middle-income families. A family making $51,600 to $89,400 a year, including fringe benefits like employer-provided health insurance, would get a tax cut averaging $300. The top 0.1 percent of earners with incomes of at least $3.9 million would get a tax cut of about $207,000, the study said. Implications of the report for Trump The CBO report's findings could make the Republican plan a harder sell for lawmakers, particularly in the US Senate. Democratic leaders in Congress said the bill could result in elderly people being kicked out of nursing homes as it simultaneously gives tax cuts for the richest Americans. "How can they look their constituents in the eye when they say 24 million of you no longer have coverage and those of you who do have it, will have less coverage at more cost to you," House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi said. Doctors groups and patient advocates have for long been saying that the bill must be abandoned. Democrats say the Republican plan would hurt the elderly, the poor and working families but give tax cuts to the rich. Trump's own party has been divided. Moderates, particularly in the Senate, worry about causing people to lose coverage, while conservatives do not think the bill goes far enough in undoing Obamacare. Some Republicans worry a misfire on the Republican healthcare legislation could hobble Trump's presidency and set the stage for losses for the party in the 2018 congressional elections. Trump administration defends healthcare plan While Trump himself made no comment on the report, his administration defended the healthcare plan, which they say will have a second and third phase that will entice consumers. Health and Human Services Secretary Tom Price said at the White House that Trump's plan would cover more individuals at a lower cost and it was "virtually impossible" to envision that 14 million people would lose insurance coverage by next year. House of Representatives Speaker Paul Ryan, a key backer of the plan called the American Health Care Act, said the CBO estimates showed it would ultimately lower premiums. "Our plan is not about forcing people to buy expensive, one-size-fits-all coverage. It is about giving people more choices and better access to a plan they want and can afford. When people have more choices, costs go down," Ryan said. Shares fall Shares of hospitals and health insurers slipped, partly on worries the plan would mean fewer insured patients. (WION with inputs from Reuters)

White House may tweak health bill after damning report that repealing Obamacare would leave millions uninsured

Donald Trump has thrown his full weight behind a contested plan to repeal and replace Obamacare, battling to overcome resistance from the Republican Party&#39;s right wing and meet a key campaign pledge 50 days into his presidency.

With Democrats expected to unite against the new health care plan, Trump can ill afford defections from within as he seeks to drive through the top legislative priority of his new administration.

While the bill winds its way through Congress in the coming weeks, Trump is using his bully pulpit, powers of persuasion, and deal-making savvy to try and salvage the controversial plan.

On Friday Trump met in the White House with senior House Republicans to discuss the way forward on the repeal and replacement of Barack Obama&#39;s signature health care law.

&quot;We must act now to save Americans from the imploding Obamacare disaster,&quot; Trump said as he sat down with the lawmakers.

&quot;This is the time we&#39;re going to get it done.&quot;

The president has spent much of the week huddling with key health care players, including Republican lawmakers who support and oppose the bill, known as the American Health Care Act.

On Wednesday he hosted several conservative groups that have expressed concerns about how the plan to use tax credits for people to buy insurance on the free market is too similar to the subsidies in Obamacare.

Trump dispatches Vice President Mike Pence to Kentucky Saturday to talk up the bill. It could be an arm-twisting gesture of sorts, as Kentucky&#39;s Senator Rand Paul is one of its chief Republican critics.

The president has signalled he is open to &quot;negotiation&quot; on the AHCA -- a potentially critical acknowledgement as some conservatives in his party warn that the bill will not pass Congress without significant changes.

At the heart of the debate, Trump wants to repeal Obama&#39;s landmark reforms and remove the federal government from its role as health care architect, while maintaining the high levels of coverage for Americans entitled to Obamacare.

Trump has stated he ultimately wants a plan in place that allows for &quot;insurance for everybody.&quot;

&#39;Binary choice&#39;

The chief champion of the plan in Congress, House Speaker Paul Ryan, claimed that millions of US taxpayers would benefit from a rollback of Obamacare&#39;s subsidy system.

In a crisp rolled-up-sleeves presentation Thursday, Ryan also sounded a clear warning to Republicans who are considering bucking the president.

&quot;This is the closest we will ever get to repealing and replacing Obamacare,&quot; the charismatic 47-year-old said, describing the path forward as &quot;a binary choice&quot; between reform and the status quo.

House Republican Steve Scalise reiterated the us-versus-them approach Friday on CNN. &quot;Members are going to have to pick a side: (House Democratic leader) Nancy Pelosi or President Trump.&quot;

Polls show that Obama&#39;s Affordable Care Act, which helped 20 million Americans gain coverage, remains popular. About half of those people are covered through Obamacare&#39;s expansion of the Medicaid insurance program covering the poorest Americans -- an expansion that would phase out by 2020 under the new plan.

Several health-related interest groups, including the American Medical Association, are opposed to the Republican reform, fearing millions could lose their coverage.

According to the Washington Post, citing figures from New York University research, the Republican plan would strip away vital drug addiction or mental health treatment benefits from as many as 1.3 million people.

The new legislation&#39;s cost remains a major unknown. Next week the Congressional Budget Office is expected to release its &quot;score&quot; on the bill&#39;s costs and the estimate on the number of people who could lose or gain coverage.

A preliminary analysis by Standard &amp; Poor&#39;s concluded that between six million and 10 million people could lose coverage if the Republican plan replaces Obamacare.

Ryan told his footsoldiers in Congress to gird for battle, as he framed the fight as between the free market and government mandates -- which under Obamacare required people to take out health insurance.

&quot;Our goal is not to show a pretty piece of paper that says we&#39;re mandating great things for Americans,&quot; he told the conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt.

&quot;Our goal is to get a vibrant health care system that&#39;s patient-centered, that brings down costs (and) that increases choices.&quot;

(AFP)

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

&nbsp;

He has spent much of the week huddling with key health care players who support and oppose the bill, known as the American Health Care Act

Donald Trump has thrown his full weight behind a contested plan to repeal and replace Obamacare, battling to overcome resistance from the Republican Party's right wing and meet a key campaign pledge 50 days into his presidency. With Democrats expected to unite against the new health care plan, Trump can ill afford defections from within as he seeks to drive through the top legislative priority of his new administration. While the bill winds its way through Congress in the coming weeks, Trump is using his bully pulpit, powers of persuasion, and deal-making savvy to try and salvage the controversial plan. On Friday Trump met in the White House with senior House Republicans to discuss the way forward on the repeal and replacement of Barack Obama's signature health care law. "We must act now to save Americans from the imploding Obamacare disaster," Trump said as he sat down with the lawmakers. "This is the time we're going to get it done." The president has spent much of the week huddling with key health care players, including Republican lawmakers who support and oppose the bill, known as the American Health Care Act. On Wednesday he hosted several conservative groups that have expressed concerns about how the plan to use tax credits for people to buy insurance on the free market is too similar to the subsidies in Obamacare. Trump dispatches Vice President Mike Pence to Kentucky Saturday to talk up the bill. It could be an arm-twisting gesture of sorts, as Kentucky's Senator Rand Paul is one of its chief Republican critics. The president has signalled he is open to "negotiation" on the AHCA -- a potentially critical acknowledgement as some conservatives in his party warn that the bill will not pass Congress without significant changes. At the heart of the debate, Trump wants to repeal Obama's landmark reforms and remove the federal government from its role as health care architect, while maintaining the high levels of coverage for Americans entitled to Obamacare. Trump has stated he ultimately wants a plan in place that allows for "insurance for everybody." 'Binary choice' The chief champion of the plan in Congress, House Speaker Paul Ryan, claimed that millions of US taxpayers would benefit from a rollback of Obamacare's subsidy system. In a crisp rolled-up-sleeves presentation Thursday, Ryan also sounded a clear warning to Republicans who are considering bucking the president. "This is the closest we will ever get to repealing and replacing Obamacare," the charismatic 47-year-old said, describing the path forward as "a binary choice" between reform and the status quo. House Republican Steve Scalise reiterated the us-versus-them approach Friday on CNN. "Members are going to have to pick a side: (House Democratic leader) Nancy Pelosi or President Trump." Polls show that Obama's Affordable Care Act, which helped 20 million Americans gain coverage, remains popular. About half of those people are covered through Obamacare's expansion of the Medicaid insurance program covering the poorest Americans -- an expansion that would phase out by 2020 under the new plan. Several health-related interest groups, including the American Medical Association, are opposed to the Republican reform, fearing millions could lose their coverage. According to the Washington Post, citing figures from New York University research, the Republican plan would strip away vital drug addiction or mental health treatment benefits from as many as 1.3 million people. The new legislation's cost remains a major unknown. Next week the Congressional Budget Office is expected to release its "score" on the bill's costs and the estimate on the number of people who could lose or gain coverage. A preliminary analysis by Standard & Poor's concluded that between six million and 10 million people could lose coverage if the Republican plan replaces Obamacare. Ryan told his footsoldiers in Congress to gird for battle, as he framed the fight as between the free market and government mandates -- which under Obamacare required people to take out health insurance. "Our goal is not to show a pretty piece of paper that says we're mandating great things for Americans," he told the conservative radio host Hugh Hewitt. "Our goal is to get a vibrant health care system that's patient-centered, that brings down costs (and) that increases choices." (AFP)

Trump meets lawmakers over replacing Obamacare with new health care plan

Two US congressional panels approved Donald Trump&#39;s administration to repeal Obamacare following a heated debate that lasted&nbsp;hours.

The two panels approved the new bill that would replace Obamacare amid protests from Democrats, several major hospitals and medical organisations.

There were grumblings within the Republican party as well, with some calling out Trump to make &quot;major changes&quot; to the bill.

&quot;House health-care bill can&#39;t pass Senate w/o major changes,&quot; Senator Tom Cotton tweeted early Thursday, joining a host of other Senate Republicans opposed the measure in its current form.&nbsp;

But approval from the two congressional panels --&nbsp;House Energy and Commerce Committee -- means the bill will now head to the House Budget Committee.

&quot;Today, the House took a decisive step forward in fulfilling a promise to the American people that has been years in the making: repealing and replacing Obamacare with affordable, patient-centered reforms,&quot; Energy and Commerce chairman Greg Walden said.

Tempers frayed overnight during several testy exchanges, including one over military veteran coverage in the proposed legislation and another on its costs -- still unknown because the Congressional Budget Office has yet to &quot;score&quot; the bill.

Republican leaders indicate they want to pass the bill by early April. But that timeline was put in question after House Speaker Paul Ryan said the bill will take three weeks to move through the House, before facing scrutiny in the Senate.

With its future in doubt, Ryan delivered a crisp presentation Thursday in a bid to salvage the plan, but also offered a direct warning to Republicans sitting on the fence.

&quot;This is the closest we will ever get to repealing and replacing Obamacare,&quot; he said. &quot;The time is here, the time is now.&quot;

The plan suffered a setback Wednesday when several major hospital and medical organizations including the American Medical Association, which represents more than 200,000 doctors, lined up in opposition.

Backers say the legislation would gut Obamacare&#39;s mandates to purchase health care, roll back its taxes and stabilize costs.

Republican opponents warn the plan is too similar to Obamacare, and could cost even more.

Democrats, expected to unanimously oppose the bill, say it would leave millions of Americans without coverage.

(WION with inputs from AFP)

The new bill has been slammed by medical organisations and also by some Republican party members for possibly being a costly alternative

Two US congressional panels approved Donald Trump's administration to repeal Obamacare following a heated debate that lasted hours. The two panels approved the new bill that would replace Obamacare amid protests from Democrats, several major hospitals and medical organisations. There were grumblings within the Republican party as well, with some calling out Trump to make "major changes" to the bill. "House health-care bill can't pass Senate w/o major changes," Senator Tom Cotton tweeted early Thursday, joining a host of other Senate Republicans opposed the measure in its current form. But approval from the two congressional panels -- House Energy and Commerce Committee -- means the bill will now head to the House Budget Committee. "Today, the House took a decisive step forward in fulfilling a promise to the American people that has been years in the making: repealing and replacing Obamacare with affordable, patient-centered reforms," Energy and Commerce chairman Greg Walden said. Tempers frayed overnight during several testy exchanges, including one over military veteran coverage in the proposed legislation and another on its costs -- still unknown because the Congressional Budget Office has yet to "score" the bill. Republican leaders indicate they want to pass the bill by early April. But that timeline was put in question after House Speaker Paul Ryan said the bill will take three weeks to move through the House, before facing scrutiny in the Senate. With its future in doubt, Ryan delivered a crisp presentation Thursday in a bid to salvage the plan, but also offered a direct warning to Republicans sitting on the fence. "This is the closest we will ever get to repealing and replacing Obamacare," he said. "The time is here, the time is now." The plan suffered a setback Wednesday when several major hospital and medical organizations including the American Medical Association, which represents more than 200,000 doctors, lined up in opposition. Backers say the legislation would gut Obamacare's mandates to purchase health care, roll back its taxes and stabilize costs. Republican opponents warn the plan is too similar to Obamacare, and could cost even more. Democrats, expected to unanimously oppose the bill, say it would leave millions of Americans without coverage. (WION with inputs from AFP)

Two US congressional panels approve Obamacare replacement bill

Republicans in the US&nbsp;House of Representatives unveiled long-awaited legislation on Monday to repeal much of the Obamacare healthcare law, including its expansion of the Medicaid programme for the poor.

President Donald Trump and fellow Republicans in Congress have repeatedly promised to repeal and replace former Democratic President Barack Obama&#39;s signature domestic policy achievement known as the 2010 Affordable Care Act. It was not immediately clear if the bill had enough support to pass the Republican-led Congress. It goes next to two House committees for review.

The proposal would freeze enrollment in Obamacare&#39;s expanded Medicaid programme on January 1, 2020. States that expanded Medicaid could still sign up individuals until the end of 2019, and continue to receive enhanced federal funds for them thereafter, Republican aides said. But going forward, federal funds for Medicaid would be capped.

While eliminating the income-based subsidies for purchasing insurance under Obamacare, the proposal would instead offer age-based refundable tax credits. Those would be capped at upper-income levels, Republican aides said.

The proposal would repeal most Obamacare-levied taxes in January 2018 and immediately repeal the penalty for the individual and employer mandates to buy insurance. It would not, however, cap the existing tax exemption for employer-sponsored health insurance, although some lawmakers had favoured that.

&quot;Our legislation transfers power from Washington back to the American people,&quot; House Ways and Means Chairman Kevin Brady said in a statement.

Democrats have warned that Republicans risk throwing the entire US&nbsp;healthcare system into chaos by repealing the Obamacare law that was passed by congressional Democrats over united Republican opposition. The law enabled about 20 million previously uninsured people to get medical insurance.

(Reuters)

It was not immediately clear if the bill had enough support to pass the Republican-led Congress

Republicans in the US House of Representatives unveiled long-awaited legislation on Monday to repeal much of the Obamacare healthcare law, including its expansion of the Medicaid programme for the poor. President Donald Trump and fellow Republicans in Congress have repeatedly promised to repeal and replace former Democratic President Barack Obama's signature domestic policy achievement known as the 2010 Affordable Care Act. It was not immediately clear if the bill had enough support to pass the Republican-led Congress. It goes next to two House committees for review. The proposal would freeze enrollment in Obamacare's expanded Medicaid programme on January 1, 2020. States that expanded Medicaid could still sign up individuals until the end of 2019, and continue to receive enhanced federal funds for them thereafter, Republican aides said. But going forward, federal funds for Medicaid would be capped. While eliminating the income-based subsidies for purchasing insurance under Obamacare, the proposal would instead offer age-based refundable tax credits. Those would be capped at upper-income levels, Republican aides said. The proposal would repeal most Obamacare-levied taxes in January 2018 and immediately repeal the penalty for the individual and employer mandates to buy insurance. It would not, however, cap the existing tax exemption for employer-sponsored health insurance, although some lawmakers had favoured that. "Our legislation transfers power from Washington back to the American people," House Ways and Means Chairman Kevin Brady said in a statement. Democrats have warned that Republicans risk throwing the entire US healthcare system into chaos by repealing the Obamacare law that was passed by congressional Democrats over united Republican opposition. The law enabled about 20 million previously uninsured people to get medical insurance. (Reuters)

US House Republicans unveil bill to repeal and replace Obamacare

Tom Price was sworn in as US secretary of health on Friday, putting in place a determined opponent of Obamacare to help President Donald Trump fulfil his pledge to dismantle his predecessor`s law and reshape the country`s healthcare system.

As head of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Price has the authority to rewrite rules implementing the 2010 Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare. He could move quickly to rework the regulations while waiting for Republicans in Congress to keep their pledge to scrap the law entirely.

The Republican president signed an order on January 20, his first day in office, to freeze regulations and take other steps to weaken the law enacted by former Democratic President Barack Obama, a directive that will fall largely on Price. But Trump said in a recent Fox News interview that a replacement for the law may not come until next year.&nbsp;

Trump said on Friday the effort was a &quot;difficult process&quot; but could now get going with Price in place.

&quot;Now we get down to the final strokes,&quot; he told reporters at a separate news conference at the White House alongside visiting Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. He did not offer more details but said the country would end up with &quot;tremendous healthcare at a lower price.&quot;&nbsp;

Republicans, who have long viewed Obamacare as federal overreach and who have the majority in Congress, are trying to craft a replacement but have not agreed on one. Twenty million Americans gained health insurance under the law.

&quot;Having Dr Tom Price at the helm of HHS gives us a committed ally in our work to repeal and replace Obamacare,&quot; said US House of Representatives Speaker Paul Ryan, who has vowed to pass a new plan this year.&nbsp;

Price, a member of the House since 2005 who chaired the budget committee, offered legislation in 2015 to repeal Obamacare and replace it with age-adjusted tax credits for the purchase of health insurance.

While Price`s fellow Republicans have controlled the House since 2011, they did not advance his bill and it was not considered by the full chamber.

The Senate voted 52-47 earlier on Friday to approve Price, a former orthopaedic surgeon, to oversee the HHS, which has an annual budget of more than $1 trillion.&nbsp;

Price`s nomination was dogged by questions about his trading in hundreds of thousands of dollars in health company stocks while working on healthcare legislation. Democrats accused him of making misleading statements. Price defended his actions.

Democrats also criticized Price for his opposition to Obamacare, his ideas about restructuring the Medicare programme for the elderly and disabled, and his opposition to Planned Parenthood, an organisation that provides abortions and other affordable healthcare and education services. 
 
With Price confirmed, the Senate is expected to vote on Monday on Trump&#39;s US Treasury secretary designate, Steven Mnuchin. 
 
(Reuters) 
&nbsp;

As HHS head, Price has the authority to rewrite rules implementing the 2010 Affordable Care Act or Obamacare

Tom Price was sworn in as US secretary of health on Friday, putting in place a determined opponent of Obamacare to help President Donald Trump fulfil his pledge to dismantle his predecessor`s law and reshape the country`s healthcare system. As head of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Price has the authority to rewrite rules implementing the 2010 Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare. He could move quickly to rework the regulations while waiting for Republicans in Congress to keep their pledge to scrap the law entirely. The Republican president signed an order on January 20, his first day in office, to freeze regulations and take other steps to weaken the law enacted by former Democratic President Barack Obama, a directive that will fall largely on Price. But Trump said in a recent Fox News interview that a replacement for the law may not come until next year. Trump said on Friday the effort was a "difficult process" but could now get going with Price in place. "Now we get down to the final strokes," he told reporters at a separate news conference at the White House alongside visiting Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. He did not offer more details but said the country would end up with "tremendous healthcare at a lower price." Republicans, who have long viewed Obamacare as federal overreach and who have the majority in Congress, are trying to craft a replacement but have not agreed on one. Twenty million Americans gained health insurance under the law. "Having Dr Tom Price at the helm of HHS gives us a committed ally in our work to repeal and replace Obamacare," said US House of Representatives Speaker Paul Ryan, who has vowed to pass a new plan this year. Price, a member of the House since 2005 who chaired the budget committee, offered legislation in 2015 to repeal Obamacare and replace it with age-adjusted tax credits for the purchase of health insurance. While Price`s fellow Republicans have controlled the House since 2011, they did not advance his bill and it was not considered by the full chamber. The Senate voted 52-47 earlier on Friday to approve Price, a former orthopaedic surgeon, to oversee the HHS, which has an annual budget of more than $1 trillion. Price`s nomination was dogged by questions about his trading in hundreds of thousands of dollars in health company stocks while working on healthcare legislation. Democrats accused him of making misleading statements. Price defended his actions. Democrats also criticized Price for his opposition to Obamacare, his ideas about restructuring the Medicare programme for the elderly and disabled, and his opposition to Planned Parenthood, an organisation that provides abortions and other affordable healthcare and education services. With Price confirmed, the Senate is expected to vote on Monday on Trump's US Treasury secretary designate, Steven Mnuchin. (Reuters)

With eye on Obamacare, Tom Price sworn-in as US health secretary

US President Donald Trump signed his first executive order on Friday to &quot;ease the burden of Obamacare&quot;, the signature healthcare law introduced by Barack Obama which Trump had pledged to repeal.&nbsp;

Trump&#39;s chief of staff, Reince Preibus&nbsp;directed an immediate regulatory freeze for all government agencies, White House spokesman Sean Spicer said.&nbsp;

Spicer said the order was aimed &quot;to ease the burden of Obamacare as we transition from repeal and replace.&quot;

He did not give any further details.&nbsp;

During the presidential campaign, Trump had vowed to scrap the Affordable Care Act or Obamacare, but Republicans have yet to find a replacement for the healthcare programme which provided health insurance to more than 20 million people.&nbsp;

Trump also confirmed the appointments of&nbsp;his Defence secretary James Mattis and Homeland Security secretary John Kelly.&nbsp;

The Senate voted 98-1 confirming Mattis and 88-11 in favour of Kelly.

&nbsp;Vice President Mike Pence swore Mattis and Kelly in a separate ceremony.

Trump also told reporters, &quot;It was busy, but good. It was a beautiful day.&quot;

(WION with inputs from agencies)

&nbsp;

White House spokesman Spicer said the order was aimed 'to ease the burden of Obamacare as we transition from repeal and replace'

US President Donald Trump signed his first executive order on Friday to "ease the burden of Obamacare", the signature healthcare law introduced by Barack Obama which Trump had pledged to repeal. Trump's chief of staff, Reince Preibus directed an immediate regulatory freeze for all government agencies, White House spokesman Sean Spicer said. Spicer said the order was aimed "to ease the burden of Obamacare as we transition from repeal and replace." He did not give any further details. During the presidential campaign, Trump had vowed to scrap the Affordable Care Act or Obamacare, but Republicans have yet to find a replacement for the healthcare programme which provided health insurance to more than 20 million people. Trump also confirmed the appointments of his Defence secretary James Mattis and Homeland Security secretary John Kelly. The Senate voted 98-1 confirming Mattis and 88-11 in favour of Kelly. Vice President Mike Pence swore Mattis and Kelly in a separate ceremony. Trump also told reporters, "It was busy, but good. It was a beautiful day." (WION with inputs from agencies)

US President Donald Trump signs first executive order on Obamacare

The US&nbsp;House of Representatives&nbsp;took the first step to dismantling Obamacare on Friday, with the House voting 227-198 to repeal it.&nbsp;

The move to repeal President Barack Obama&#39;s landmark health insurance law came without any replacement policy ready. &nbsp;

The motion was not supported by Democrats and committees have been directed to draft legislation by January 27 to repeal the 2010 Affordable Health Care Act or Obamacare.&nbsp;

The law provided health insurance&nbsp;to some 20 million Americans who are not covered by work but was hampered by a&nbsp;rise in insurance premiums and deductables as well as national&nbsp;insurers quitting the system.&nbsp;

House Speaker, Republican&nbsp;Paul Ryan,&nbsp;&quot;The deductibles are so high it doesn&rsquo;t feel like you&rsquo;ve got insurance in the first place.

&quot;We have to step in before things get worse. This is nothing short of a rescue mission,&quot; he said.&nbsp;

Trump on Friday morning tweeted&nbsp;&quot;The &#39;Unaffordable&#39; Care Act will soon be history!&quot; He also pressured lawmakers to repeal and replace it &quot;essentially simultaneously&quot;.

While campaigning for presidential election Trump had vowed to repeal Obamacare if he became president.&nbsp;

The resolution will need the president&#39;s signature and the approval of the House and Senate once the repeal legislation is drafted.&nbsp;

(WION with inputs from Reuters)

&nbsp;

The House voted 227-198 to repeal the 2010 Affordable Health Care Act which provided health insurance to some 20 million Americans

The US House of Representatives took the first step to dismantling Obamacare on Friday, with the House voting 227-198 to repeal it. The move to repeal President Barack Obama's landmark health insurance law came without any replacement policy ready. The motion was not supported by Democrats and committees have been directed to draft legislation by January 27 to repeal the 2010 Affordable Health Care Act or Obamacare. The law provided health insurance to some 20 million Americans who are not covered by work but was hampered by a rise in insurance premiums and deductables as well as national insurers quitting the system. House Speaker, Republican Paul Ryan, "The deductibles are so high it doesn’t feel like you’ve got insurance in the first place. "We have to step in before things get worse. This is nothing short of a rescue mission," he said. Trump on Friday morning tweeted "The 'Unaffordable' Care Act will soon be history!" He also pressured lawmakers to repeal and replace it "essentially simultaneously". While campaigning for presidential election Trump had vowed to repeal Obamacare if he became president. The resolution will need the president's signature and the approval of the House and Senate once the repeal legislation is drafted. (WION with inputs from Reuters)

US House of Representatives votes to repeal Obamacare

The Republican-led U.S. Congress, under pressure from President-elect Donald Trump to move quickly, took its first concrete step towards dismantling Obamacare on Thursday as the Senate voted to instruct key committees to draft legislation to repeal it.

Trump on Twitter congratulated the Senate for its 51-48 vote in the early hours of Thursday, adding &quot;now it&#39;s onto the House!&quot; Only one Republican, Kentucky&#39;s Rand Paul, joined Senate Democrats in opposing the resolution.

The House of Representatives plans to vote on the measure on Friday, Speaker Paul Ryan said, pushing ahead despite concerns among some Republicans about launching a repeal before building a consensus about how to replace the complicated and far-reaching Affordable Care Act, dubbed Obamacare.

Democrats accused Republicans of rushing forward to scrap outgoing President Barack Obama&#39;s signature legislative accomplishment, a law that has enabled upwards of 20 million previously uninsured Americans to obtain health coverage, without yet having a firm replacement plan.

The resolution passed on Thursday instructs committees of the House and Senate to draft repeal legislation by January&nbsp;27. Both chambers will then need to approve the resulting legislation before any repeal goes into effect.

Obamacare&#39;s fate is a high-stakes political showdown between Republicans and Democrats that potentially jeopardizes medical coverage for millions of Americans and risks causing chaos in the health insurance marketplace.

House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi vowed to fight. &quot;I think it&#39;s easier to win a fight when something is going to be taken away from you,&quot; Pelosi said in an appearance with elderly Americans who talked about how they had been helped by the law&#39;s provisions, including lower prescription drug costs.

Republicans have called Obamacare a federal government overreach and have sought to undermine it in Congress and the courts since it was passed by Democratic majorities in the House and Senate in 2010.

They are aggressively pushing towards their goal of killing Obamacare now that they will control Congress and the White House once Trump takes office on January&nbsp;20.

Ryan, speaking to reporters just hours after the Senate vote, said House Republicans would discuss options for replacing Obamacare during an annual retreat at the end of this month in Philadelphia.

Ryan said while Congress will take some replacement steps, the incoming Trump administration will be able to act on its own on some aspects, which he did not detail. Ryan said lawmakers were working on dismantling Obamacare &quot;in sync&quot; with Trump.

&quot;We&#39;re not holding hard deadlines, only because we want to get it right,&quot; Ryan said, indicating it will take some time for several House committees to work on replacement legislation.

&nbsp;

&#39;NO IDEA&#39;

Democrats mocked the Republican effort.

&quot;They want to kill ACA but they have no idea how they are going to bring forth a substitute proposal,&quot; said Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont, an independent who caucuses with the Democrats.

Indeed, some Republicans have expressed concern about the party&#39;s current strategy of pushing repeal without having a consensus replacement plan ready.

Representative Charlie Dent, a moderate Republican from Pennsylvania, has &quot;major concerns&quot; about the process, according to a spokesman, fearing a repeal vote at the start diminishes the leverage that may be needed to get some lawmakers to back a replacement later.

Trump put new pressure on congressional Republicans on Wednesday when he said Obamacare repeal and replacement should happen &quot;essentially simultaneously&quot;. And an influential conservative group, Heritage Action, late on Wednesday pressed lawmakers to back the resolution.

Trump senior adviser Kellyanne Conway said the replacement effort will likely tackle drug pricing.&nbsp;

Some Americans&nbsp;are worried about what this change will mean to their&nbsp;immediate future.

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May each one of these men experience the anxiety that I as a cancer patient feel right now, knowing I&#39;ll die if care becomes unavailable <a href="https://t.co/ZaOpZI6VKA">https://t.co/ZaOpZI6VKA</a>
&mdash; Xeni Jardin (@xeni) <a href="https://twitter.com/xeni/status/819469147281059840">January 12, 2017</a></blockquote>
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Democrats say Obamacare is working, enabling growing numbers of Americans to get medical insurance and helping slow the rise in healthcare spending. Republicans say the program is collapsing and support giving states more control. The average premium for a private insurance policy obtained through Obamacare is set to rise 25 per cent in 2017.

(Reuters)

Under pressure from Trump, Republicans are rushing to dismantle the Affordable Care Act, which is more commonly known as 'Obamacare'

The Republican-led U.S. Congress, under pressure from President-elect Donald Trump to move quickly, took its first concrete step towards dismantling Obamacare on Thursday as the Senate voted to instruct key committees to draft legislation to repeal it. Trump on Twitter congratulated the Senate for its 51-48 vote in the early hours of Thursday, adding "now it's onto the House!" Only one Republican, Kentucky's Rand Paul, joined Senate Democrats in opposing the resolution. The House of Representatives plans to vote on the measure on Friday, Speaker Paul Ryan said, pushing ahead despite concerns among some Republicans about launching a repeal before building a consensus about how to replace the complicated and far-reaching Affordable Care Act, dubbed Obamacare. Democrats accused Republicans of rushing forward to scrap outgoing President Barack Obama's signature legislative accomplishment, a law that has enabled upwards of 20 million previously uninsured Americans to obtain health coverage, without yet having a firm replacement plan. The resolution passed on Thursday instructs committees of the House and Senate to draft repeal legislation by January 27. Both chambers will then need to approve the resulting legislation before any repeal goes into effect. Obamacare's fate is a high-stakes political showdown between Republicans and Democrats that potentially jeopardizes medical coverage for millions of Americans and risks causing chaos in the health insurance marketplace. House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi vowed to fight. "I think it's easier to win a fight when something is going to be taken away from you," Pelosi said in an appearance with elderly Americans who talked about how they had been helped by the law's provisions, including lower prescription drug costs. Republicans have called Obamacare a federal government overreach and have sought to undermine it in Congress and the courts since it was passed by Democratic majorities in the House and Senate in 2010. They are aggressively pushing towards their goal of killing Obamacare now that they will control Congress and the White House once Trump takes office on January 20. Ryan, speaking to reporters just hours after the Senate vote, said House Republicans would discuss options for replacing Obamacare during an annual retreat at the end of this month in Philadelphia. Ryan said while Congress will take some replacement steps, the incoming Trump administration will be able to act on its own on some aspects, which he did not detail. Ryan said lawmakers were working on dismantling Obamacare "in sync" with Trump. "We're not holding hard deadlines, only because we want to get it right," Ryan said, indicating it will take some time for several House committees to work on replacement legislation. 'NO IDEA' Democrats mocked the Republican effort. "They want to kill ACA but they have no idea how they are going to bring forth a substitute proposal," said Senator Bernie Sanders of Vermont, an independent who caucuses with the Democrats. Indeed, some Republicans have expressed concern about the party's current strategy of pushing repeal without having a consensus replacement plan ready. Representative Charlie Dent, a moderate Republican from Pennsylvania, has "major concerns" about the process, according to a spokesman, fearing a repeal vote at the start diminishes the leverage that may be needed to get some lawmakers to back a replacement later. Trump put new pressure on congressional Republicans on Wednesday when he said Obamacare repeal and replacement should happen "essentially simultaneously". And an influential conservative group, Heritage Action, late on Wednesday pressed lawmakers to back the resolution. Trump senior adviser Kellyanne Conway said the replacement effort will likely tackle drug pricing. Some Americans are worried about what this change will mean to their immediate future. May each one of these men experience the anxiety that I as a cancer patient feel right now, knowing I'll die if care becomes unavailable https://t.co/ZaOpZI6VKA — Xeni Jardin (@xeni) January 12, 2017 × Democrats say Obamacare is working, enabling growing numbers of Americans to get medical insurance and helping slow the rise in healthcare spending. Republicans say the program is collapsing and support giving states more control. The average premium for a private insurance policy obtained through Obamacare is set to rise 25 per cent in 2017. (Reuters)

US Senate launches Obamacare repeal process, House to vote

The United States President Barack Obama on Friday pinned the blame for making Obamacare unpopular on the left wing within the Democrats. &nbsp;

He alluded to the role played by former Democratic presidential candidate&nbsp;Bernie Sanders in making Obamacare unpopular.

Obama was speaking at a town hall event with Vox Media.

During Sanders&#39; campaign for the presidential nomination, he proposed replacing Obamacare with a government-run single payer health insurance system, Reuters reported.

&quot;In the &#39;dissatisfied&#39; column are a whole bunch of Bernie Sanders supporters who wanted a single-payer plan,&quot; Obama said in the interview, Reuters reported.

&quot;The problem is not that they think Obamacare is a failure. The problem is that they don`t think it went far enough and that it left too many people still uncovered,&quot; Obama said. 
&nbsp;&nbsp; 
He asked his supporters to voice their opposition to Republicans&#39; plans to roll back Obamacare.&nbsp;

(With inputs from Reuters) 
&nbsp;

Obama alluded to the role played by former Democratic presidential candidate?Bernie Sanders in undermining Obamacare

The United States President Barack Obama on Friday pinned the blame for making Obamacare unpopular on the left wing within the Democrats. He alluded to the role played by former Democratic presidential candidate Bernie Sanders in making Obamacare unpopular. Obama was speaking at a town hall event with Vox Media. During Sanders' campaign for the presidential nomination, he proposed replacing Obamacare with a government-run single payer health insurance system, Reuters reported. "In the 'dissatisfied' column are a whole bunch of Bernie Sanders supporters who wanted a single-payer plan," Obama said in the interview, Reuters reported. "The problem is not that they think Obamacare is a failure. The problem is that they don`t think it went far enough and that it left too many people still uncovered," Obama said. He asked his supporters to voice their opposition to Republicans' plans to roll back Obamacare. (With inputs from Reuters)

Obama pins blame on Sanders for making Obamacare unpopular

US President Barack Obama headed on Wednesday to Capitol Hill where he urged fellow Democrats to &quot;fight&quot; to preserve his signature health care reform that Donald Trump vows to start repealing on day one of his administration.

Obamacare, the fruit of an eight-year drive to extend medical coverage to tens of millions of Americans, will come under sustained assault when Trump takes office January 20 with Republican majorities in both chambers of Congress.

But the debate over US health care began in earnest Wednesday with Obama and Vice President-elect Mike Pence making duelling visits to Congress where they urged their footsoldiers to gird for battle.

&quot;I envy you for the opportunity you are going to have to engage in this fight to protect health care for the American people,&quot; the outgoing president told Senate and House Democrats, according to Senator Ed Markey who attended the 100-minute meeting.

After a crushing election loss, Democrats may have limited options for stalling a repeal of Obamacare without significant Republican defections.

They also face criticism that Obama&#39;s reforms have led to rising insurance premiums and a string of technical problems.

But certain elements of Obamacare remain popular, notably the provisions barring companies from refusing coverage due to pre-existing conditions and allowing children to retain coverage on family plans through age 26.

Republican opposition in general to Obamacare is clear, but their prescription to fix it is not, however.

House Speaker Paul Ryan has proposed a tax credit system as a possible replacement, but the costs to government and individuals remains vague.

The White House is betting that American voters will react with fury if Trump moves to strip millions of coverage with no viable alternative -- forcing the incoming president to confront the most radical reformers within his own party.

While Pence addressed the issue gingerly in Congress Wednesday, he stressed that Trump will begin the process of repealing the Affordable Care Act as the first step of the new administration.

&quot;The first order of business is to repeal and replace Obamacare,&quot; Pence told reporters in the US Capitol shortly after meeting with House Republicans.

But earlier in the day Trump himself warned against over-hasty action.

&quot;Republicans must be careful in that the Dems own the failed ObamaCare disaster, with its poor coverage and massive premium increases,&quot; the president-elect said on Twitter.

&quot;Massive increases of ObamaCare will take place this year and Dems are to blame for the mess. It will fall of its own weight - be careful!&quot;

While urging a full repeal of the law, House Speaker Paul Ryan also said Republicans should avoid putting millions of families in further financial jeopardy by gutting Obamacare without a viable alternative in place.

&quot;We&#39;ve got to fix this by replacing it with something better. In that transition we want to make sure we don&#39;t pull the rug out from anybody,&quot; the speaker said.

One Republican, congressman Chris Collins, said the party was looking at a six-month timeline for crafting an Obamacare alternative.

Other Republicans said that was far too ambitious.Republican legislators are eager to take charge after eight years spent fighting against Obama&#39;s policies.

But some are wary that white working class Americans, who delivered them to office, may bear the brunt of any reforms. 
Dismantling Obamacare could also have knock-on effects for funding health care for retirees, a group essential to the Republican Party&#39;s survival.

In these two issues, Democrats see pressure points they hope to exploit in defence of Obama&#39;s plan.

&quot;It&#39;s not surprising to me that there are some Republicans who are now a little queasy about the prospect of the impact that repealing Obamacare would have on their own supporters,&quot; said White House spokesman Josh Earnest.

&quot;We know there are people all across the country who benefit from this law, who are protected by this law, whose lives have been saved by this law.&quot;&nbsp;

Obama is believed to have put this point directly to Trump when they talked soon after the election.

Democratic leaders voiced support for a stiff defence of the Affordable Care Act in the face of Republican attacks.

&quot;Instead of working to further ensure affordable care for all Americans, they seek to rip health care away from millions of Americans, creating chaos in our entire economy,&quot; charged Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer.

But privately many Democrats admit their best hope now could be offering Trump some form of political victory, so long as the plan survives more or less intact.

(AFP)

&nbsp;

Obamacare, the result of an eight-year drive,?will come under sustained assault when Trump takes office January 20

US President Barack Obama headed on Wednesday to Capitol Hill where he urged fellow Democrats to "fight" to preserve his signature health care reform that Donald Trump vows to start repealing on day one of his administration. Obamacare, the fruit of an eight-year drive to extend medical coverage to tens of millions of Americans, will come under sustained assault when Trump takes office January 20 with Republican majorities in both chambers of Congress. But the debate over US health care began in earnest Wednesday with Obama and Vice President-elect Mike Pence making duelling visits to Congress where they urged their footsoldiers to gird for battle. "I envy you for the opportunity you are going to have to engage in this fight to protect health care for the American people," the outgoing president told Senate and House Democrats, according to Senator Ed Markey who attended the 100-minute meeting. After a crushing election loss, Democrats may have limited options for stalling a repeal of Obamacare without significant Republican defections. They also face criticism that Obama's reforms have led to rising insurance premiums and a string of technical problems. But certain elements of Obamacare remain popular, notably the provisions barring companies from refusing coverage due to pre-existing conditions and allowing children to retain coverage on family plans through age 26. Republican opposition in general to Obamacare is clear, but their prescription to fix it is not, however. House Speaker Paul Ryan has proposed a tax credit system as a possible replacement, but the costs to government and individuals remains vague. The White House is betting that American voters will react with fury if Trump moves to strip millions of coverage with no viable alternative -- forcing the incoming president to confront the most radical reformers within his own party. While Pence addressed the issue gingerly in Congress Wednesday, he stressed that Trump will begin the process of repealing the Affordable Care Act as the first step of the new administration. "The first order of business is to repeal and replace Obamacare," Pence told reporters in the US Capitol shortly after meeting with House Republicans. But earlier in the day Trump himself warned against over-hasty action. "Republicans must be careful in that the Dems own the failed ObamaCare disaster, with its poor coverage and massive premium increases," the president-elect said on Twitter. "Massive increases of ObamaCare will take place this year and Dems are to blame for the mess. It will fall of its own weight - be careful!" While urging a full repeal of the law, House Speaker Paul Ryan also said Republicans should avoid putting millions of families in further financial jeopardy by gutting Obamacare without a viable alternative in place. "We've got to fix this by replacing it with something better. In that transition we want to make sure we don't pull the rug out from anybody," the speaker said. One Republican, congressman Chris Collins, said the party was looking at a six-month timeline for crafting an Obamacare alternative. Other Republicans said that was far too ambitious.Republican legislators are eager to take charge after eight years spent fighting against Obama's policies. But some are wary that white working class Americans, who delivered them to office, may bear the brunt of any reforms. Dismantling Obamacare could also have knock-on effects for funding health care for retirees, a group essential to the Republican Party's survival. In these two issues, Democrats see pressure points they hope to exploit in defence of Obama's plan. "It's not surprising to me that there are some Republicans who are now a little queasy about the prospect of the impact that repealing Obamacare would have on their own supporters," said White House spokesman Josh Earnest. "We know there are people all across the country who benefit from this law, who are protected by this law, whose lives have been saved by this law." Obama is believed to have put this point directly to Trump when they talked soon after the election. Democratic leaders voiced support for a stiff defence of the Affordable Care Act in the face of Republican attacks. "Instead of working to further ensure affordable care for all Americans, they seek to rip health care away from millions of Americans, creating chaos in our entire economy," charged Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer. But privately many Democrats admit their best hope now could be offering Trump some form of political victory, so long as the plan survives more or less intact. (AFP)

Obama asks democrats to 'fight' to preserve Obamacare

The Republican-led US Congress begins a new session on Tuesday&nbsp;where it will start laying plans for enacting President-elect Donald Trump&#39;s agenda of tax cuts, repeal of Obamacare and the rollback of financial and environmental regulations.

With Trump set to be sworn in as president on January 20, Republican lawmakers hope to get a quick start on priorities that were blocked during Democratic President Barack Obama&#39;s eight years in the White House.

Since his election on November 8, the Republican president-elect has made clear he wants to move swiftly to enact proposals he outlined during the campaign such as simplifying the tax code, slashing corporate tax rates and repealing and replacing Obama&rsquo;s signature health insurance program known as Obamacare.

Republicans have long sought to dismantle Obamacare, insisting it was unworkable and hampered job growth. But they face a dilemma over how to provide health insurance for the 13.8 million people enrolled in Obamacare who could lose their coverage. The law aims to provide health insurance to economically disadvantaged people and expand coverage for others.

Last month Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, a Republican, said that before the election, he assumed Democrats would take back control of the Senate and hold on to the White House, ending any talk of repealing Obamacare.

&quot;I didn&#39;t think...Trump had a chance of winning,&quot; McConnell said in a December 19 interview with Kentucky Educational Television.

The opposite occurred and now Republicans find they have to deliver on their campaign promise, even though they have not agreed on a replacement healthcare program.

Trump kept up his attack on the law on Tuesday, tweeting: &quot;People must remember that ObamaCare just doesn&#39;t work, and it is not affordable,&quot; and adding, &quot;It is lousy healthcare.&quot;

The first meeting of the 115th Congress will be full of ceremony, as the 435 members of the House of Representatives and a third of the 100-member Senate are sworn in.

Amid the celebration will be a move by House Republicans to clear the decks for Obamacare repeal.

That will come in the form of a vote on rules governing House procedures in the two-year term of the chamber. Tucked into the rules package is a move to prevent Democrats from slowing or stopping Obamacare repeal legislation because of the potential cost to the US Treasury of doing so.

Leading Democrats warned on Monday of a fierce battle over Obamacare.

&quot;We&#39;re going to fight as hard as ever to protect the ACA (Affordable Care Act),&quot; said Representative Steny Hoyer, the House&#39;s second-ranking Democrat.

Speaking to reporters, Hoyer and House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi said they would launch an effort to mobilise grassroots support for Obamacare by explaining how repeal would create a ripple effect hurting a majority of Americans.

Obama is scheduled to meet on Wednesday with congressional Democrats to discuss strategies for fending off the Republican attacks on Obamacare.

&nbsp;

Cabinet, Supreme Court nominations

The Senate will kick off hearings on Trump&#39;s choices to head his Cabinet departments and other top jobs in the new administration.

It is also expected to receive a Supreme Court nomination from Trump early in his term to replace conservative Justice Antonin Scalia, who died last February. Republicans refused to consider Obama&#39;s nomination of Merrick Garland last year.

Prominent Republican Senator John McCain has warned that Rex Tillerson, Trump&#39;s choice for secretary of state, will have to explain his relations with Russian President Vladimir Putin, whom McCain has called a &quot;thug and a murderer&quot;.

Tillerson, who spent much of his career at Exxon Mobil Corp, has been involved in business dealings in Russia and opposed US sanctions against Moscow for its incursion into Crimea.

While McConnell repeatedly called for removing Obamacare &quot;root and branch,&quot; he said in the Kentucky television interview that his top priorities for the new Congress were dealing with the &quot;massive overregulation&quot; he said had been a brake on the US economy and accomplishing tax code changes to stop companies from moving jobs offshore.

Republican lawmakers also want to curtail or block regulations aimed at controlling industrial emissions that contribute to climate change, and roll back banking industry reforms enacted after the near-collapse of Wall Street in 2008.

Republicans might use upcoming spending bills funding government agencies to try to kill some of those regulations. Trump is also expected to try to use his executive powers toward that end.

Republicans will hold a slightly smaller majority in both the Senate and House than they enjoyed the past two years. That means Democrats will still have bargaining power, especially on issues that divide Republicans, such as spending priorities.

(Reuters)

Republican's are eager for Trump's agenda of tax cuts, repeal of Obamacare and the rollback of financial and environmental regulations

The Republican-led US Congress begins a new session on Tuesday where it will start laying plans for enacting President-elect Donald Trump's agenda of tax cuts, repeal of Obamacare and the rollback of financial and environmental regulations. With Trump set to be sworn in as president on January 20, Republican lawmakers hope to get a quick start on priorities that were blocked during Democratic President Barack Obama's eight years in the White House. Since his election on November 8, the Republican president-elect has made clear he wants to move swiftly to enact proposals he outlined during the campaign such as simplifying the tax code, slashing corporate tax rates and repealing and replacing Obama’s signature health insurance program known as Obamacare. Republicans have long sought to dismantle Obamacare, insisting it was unworkable and hampered job growth. But they face a dilemma over how to provide health insurance for the 13.8 million people enrolled in Obamacare who could lose their coverage. The law aims to provide health insurance to economically disadvantaged people and expand coverage for others. Last month Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, a Republican, said that before the election, he assumed Democrats would take back control of the Senate and hold on to the White House, ending any talk of repealing Obamacare. "I didn't think...Trump had a chance of winning," McConnell said in a December 19 interview with Kentucky Educational Television. The opposite occurred and now Republicans find they have to deliver on their campaign promise, even though they have not agreed on a replacement healthcare program. Trump kept up his attack on the law on Tuesday, tweeting: "People must remember that ObamaCare just doesn't work, and it is not affordable," and adding, "It is lousy healthcare." The first meeting of the 115th Congress will be full of ceremony, as the 435 members of the House of Representatives and a third of the 100-member Senate are sworn in. Amid the celebration will be a move by House Republicans to clear the decks for Obamacare repeal. That will come in the form of a vote on rules governing House procedures in the two-year term of the chamber. Tucked into the rules package is a move to prevent Democrats from slowing or stopping Obamacare repeal legislation because of the potential cost to the US Treasury of doing so. Leading Democrats warned on Monday of a fierce battle over Obamacare. "We're going to fight as hard as ever to protect the ACA (Affordable Care Act)," said Representative Steny Hoyer, the House's second-ranking Democrat. Speaking to reporters, Hoyer and House Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi said they would launch an effort to mobilise grassroots support for Obamacare by explaining how repeal would create a ripple effect hurting a majority of Americans. Obama is scheduled to meet on Wednesday with congressional Democrats to discuss strategies for fending off the Republican attacks on Obamacare. Cabinet, Supreme Court nominations The Senate will kick off hearings on Trump's choices to head his Cabinet departments and other top jobs in the new administration. It is also expected to receive a Supreme Court nomination from Trump early in his term to replace conservative Justice Antonin Scalia, who died last February. Republicans refused to consider Obama's nomination of Merrick Garland last year. Prominent Republican Senator John McCain has warned that Rex Tillerson, Trump's choice for secretary of state, will have to explain his relations with Russian President Vladimir Putin, whom McCain has called a "thug and a murderer". Tillerson, who spent much of his career at Exxon Mobil Corp, has been involved in business dealings in Russia and opposed US sanctions against Moscow for its incursion into Crimea. While McConnell repeatedly called for removing Obamacare "root and branch," he said in the Kentucky television interview that his top priorities for the new Congress were dealing with the "massive overregulation" he said had been a brake on the US economy and accomplishing tax code changes to stop companies from moving jobs offshore. Republican lawmakers also want to curtail or block regulations aimed at controlling industrial emissions that contribute to climate change, and roll back banking industry reforms enacted after the near-collapse of Wall Street in 2008. Republicans might use upcoming spending bills funding government agencies to try to kill some of those regulations. Trump is also expected to try to use his executive powers toward that end. Republicans will hold a slightly smaller majority in both the Senate and House than they enjoyed the past two years. That means Democrats will still have bargaining power, especially on issues that divide Republicans, such as spending priorities. (Reuters)

New Republican-led US Congress lays groundwork for reversing Obama agenda

Repealing Obamacare will be the first order of business in the US&nbsp;Senate in January, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, a Republican, said on Tuesday.

Republicans will replace President Barack Obama&#39;s signature health insurance program that provides coverage to millions of Americans &quot;step by step&quot;, said senator John Thune, another member of the Republican leadership.

McConnell did not say when the repeal of the Affordable Care Act, as it is officially known, would go into effect. Senator John Barrasso said it might be effective in two or three years, and that the timeframe was still being debated.

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The Affordable Healthcare Act was a landmark policy implementation for Obama&#39;s presidency, and a milestone for the United Stated, which has a weak system of&nbsp;publicly-funded&nbsp;hospitals, and a weak&nbsp;safety net for people who cannot&nbsp;afford private care.

The Affordable Care Act has provided 25 million previously uninsured Americans with health coverage by expanding Medicaid and through online exchanges where consumers can receive income-based subsidies. Republicans have launched repeated legal and legislative efforts to dismantle the law, which they call a government overreach.

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Democrats scoffed at the Republican plans, saying they do not even know what they want to replace Obamacare with.

&quot;Bring it on,&quot; said senator Chuck Schumer, who will be the Democrats&#39; leader in the Senate next year.

Donald Trump&#39;s election as US&nbsp;president last month means Republicans will control the White House, Senate and House of Representatives in 2017. The new Congress opens on January 3; Trump will be sworn in on January 20.

The average Obamacare premium is set to rise 25 per cent in 2017.

Large national insurers including Aetna Inc, UnitedHealth Group Inc and Anthem Inc have said they are losing money on the exchanges because patient costs are higher than anticipated and enrollment is lower than forecast. Both UnitedHealth and Aetna have pulled out of the exchanges for 2017.

In order to repeal Obamacare, congressional Republicans are expected to resort to a special procedure known as budget reconciliation to get around Democrats in the Senate, where rules protect the rights of the minority party.

Thune said Republicans hoped Democrats would work with them to replace Obamacare in a way that will give states, rather than the federal government, more control over healthcare issues and create more flexibility for small businesses in the way they offer healthcare benefits.

But senator Harry Reid, the outgoing Senate Democratic leader, dismissed the idea that Democrats would join in.

&quot;I think that any hope that we&#39;re going to buy into ruining healthcare in America, there&#39;s not a chance of it,&quot; he said.

(With inputs from agencies)

Democrats scoffed at the Republican plans, saying they do not even know what they want to replace Obamacare with

Repealing Obamacare will be the first order of business in the US Senate in January, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell, a Republican, said on Tuesday. Republicans will replace President Barack Obama's signature health insurance program that provides coverage to millions of Americans "step by step", said senator John Thune, another member of the Republican leadership. McConnell did not say when the repeal of the Affordable Care Act, as it is officially known, would go into effect. Senator John Barrasso said it might be effective in two or three years, and that the timeframe was still being debated. The Affordable Healthcare Act was a landmark policy implementation for Obama's presidency, and a milestone for the United Stated, which has a weak system of publicly-funded hospitals, and a weak safety net for people who cannot afford private care. The Affordable Care Act has provided 25 million previously uninsured Americans with health coverage by expanding Medicaid and through online exchanges where consumers can receive income-based subsidies. Republicans have launched repeated legal and legislative efforts to dismantle the law, which they call a government overreach. Democrats scoffed at the Republican plans, saying they do not even know what they want to replace Obamacare with. "Bring it on," said senator Chuck Schumer, who will be the Democrats' leader in the Senate next year. Donald Trump's election as US president last month means Republicans will control the White House, Senate and House of Representatives in 2017. The new Congress opens on January 3; Trump will be sworn in on January 20. The average Obamacare premium is set to rise 25 per cent in 2017. Large national insurers including Aetna Inc, UnitedHealth Group Inc and Anthem Inc have said they are losing money on the exchanges because patient costs are higher than anticipated and enrollment is lower than forecast. Both UnitedHealth and Aetna have pulled out of the exchanges for 2017. In order to repeal Obamacare, congressional Republicans are expected to resort to a special procedure known as budget reconciliation to get around Democrats in the Senate, where rules protect the rights of the minority party. Thune said Republicans hoped Democrats would work with them to replace Obamacare in a way that will give states, rather than the federal government, more control over healthcare issues and create more flexibility for small businesses in the way they offer healthcare benefits. But senator Harry Reid, the outgoing Senate Democratic leader, dismissed the idea that Democrats would join in. "I think that any hope that we're going to buy into ruining healthcare in America, there's not a chance of it," he said. (With inputs from agencies)

Repealing Obamacare first on Senate agenda in 2017

US President-elect Donald Trump told business daily&nbsp;the Wall Street Journal that he will consider an &quot;amended&quot; Obamacare on Friday.&nbsp;

The sudden shift comes after his meeting with President Barack Obama, who asked him to reconsider abolishing the Affordable Care Act (ACA).&nbsp;

&quot;Either Obamacare will be amended, or repealed and replaced,&quot; Trump told the business daily.&nbsp;

&quot;I told him I will look at his suggestions, and out of respect, I will do that,&quot; he added.&nbsp;

According to WSJ, Trump approved banning insurance companies which denied consumers coverage on the basis of so-called pre-existing conditions.&nbsp;

He also agreed with another Obamacare clause, which requires&nbsp;insurance companies to cover children on their parents insurance policies until the age of 26.&nbsp;

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Obamacare is Obama&#39;s legacy and during campaigning, Trump pledged to remove the law if he was elected president.&nbsp; (Getty)
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Trump also appeared to be committed on his promises of bringing jobs back through improved international trade deals and massive infrastructure investment, besides focusing on defeating Islamic State.

&quot;I want a country that loves each other. I want to stress that,&quot; Trump said in his first interview after winning the November 8 presidential elections, in which he defeated Hillary Clinton after mounting one of the most divisive campaigns in recent memory.&nbsp;

(WION with inputs from agencies)

The US president-elect's statement to Wall Street Journal comes after he had dubbed the insurance plan a 'disaster' during his poll campaign

US President-elect Donald Trump told business daily the Wall Street Journal that he will consider an "amended" Obamacare on Friday. The sudden shift comes after his meeting with President Barack Obama, who asked him to reconsider abolishing the Affordable Care Act (ACA). "Either Obamacare will be amended, or repealed and replaced," Trump told the business daily. "I told him I will look at his suggestions, and out of respect, I will do that," he added. According to WSJ, Trump approved banning insurance companies which denied consumers coverage on the basis of so-called pre-existing conditions. He also agreed with another Obamacare clause, which requires insurance companies to cover children on their parents insurance policies until the age of 26. Obamacare is Obama's legacy and during campaigning, Trump pledged to remove the law if he was elected president. (Getty) × Trump also appeared to be committed on his promises of bringing jobs back through improved international trade deals and massive infrastructure investment, besides focusing on defeating Islamic State. "I want a country that loves each other. I want to stress that," Trump said in his first interview after winning the November 8 presidential elections, in which he defeated Hillary Clinton after mounting one of the most divisive campaigns in recent memory. (WION with inputs from agencies)

Donald Trump open to keeping certain parts of Obamacare

A 25 per cent jump in premiums for Obamacare has stoked the already heated battle between Trump and Democratic rival Hillary Clinton

With the premiums of Obama's signature healthcare plan set to hike, the US Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump targeted the Democratic government, vowing to overturn the program. The health department's report announced that there could be an average 25 per cent jump in the insurance costs next year in the 38 American states with federally managed health care exchanges under the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Trump jumped at the opportunity to lash out at Obama's pet project, which allows millions of uninsured people to get health insurance with no limits based on "pre-existing conditions." Republicans have repeatedly tried to overturn Obamacare. Trump said the health program must be "repealed and replaced with something much less expensive for the people", warning even bigger trouble ahead otherwise. Obamacare is a disaster. Rates going through the sky - ready to explode. I will fix it. Hillary can't!#ObamacareFailed — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 25, 2016 The White House fired back, saying most Americans are better off under the current healthcare system. Although Obama did acknowledge that more needs to be done to help those facing rising costs. "The vast majority of people who are purchasing health insurance through the marketplace will not see a significant increase in the amount that they pay for their health care, and that`s because the vast majority of people who are purchasing health insurance through the marketplace get tax credits that ensure that health care is affordable," White House spokesman Josh Earnest told reporters. Clinton's campaign hit back at Trump, saying he wants to "rip up the ACA and reverse the progress we have made." Trump would "throw 20 million people off their coverage and let the insurance companies write the rules again," campaign spokesperson Julie Wood said. "Hillary Clinton wants to build on the progress we've made and fix what's broken." Without explaining where he got his numbers, Trump alleged that the government figures were incorrect and the costs could go up to 60 per cent. Other Republican leaders too argued that the system was "unsustainable". Arizona senator John McCain said, "Obamacare places an unfair financial burden on families and small businesses." Republican House Speaker Paul Ryan compared Obama's healthcare program to ill-fated and now-discontinued Samsung phones that were catching fire. "The president recently compared Obamacare to a Samsung Galaxy Note 7, and he's right: this disastrous law is blowing up. But at least you can return the phone," Ryan said in a statement. (WION with inputs from agencies)

Trump vows to scrap Obamacare as insurance costs set to jump 25 per cent

Trump said the health program must be 'repealed and replaced with something much less expensive for the people'

With the premiums of Obama's signature healthcare plan set to hike, the US Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump targeted the Democratic government, vowing to overturn the program. The health department's report announced that there could be an average 25 per cent jump in the insurance costs next year in the 38 American states with federally managed health care exchanges under the Affordable Care Act (ACA). Trump jumped at the opportunity to lash out at Obama's pet project, which allows millions of uninsured people to get health insurance with no limits based on "pre-existing conditions." Republicans have repeatedly tried to overturn Obamacare. Trump said the health program must be "repealed and replaced with something much less expensive for the people", warning even bigger trouble ahead otherwise. Obamacare is a disaster. Rates going through the sky - ready to explode. I will fix it. Hillary can't!#ObamacareFailed — Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 25, 2016 × The White House fired back, saying most Americans are better off under the current healthcare system. Although Obama did acknowledge that more needs to be done to help those facing rising costs. "The vast majority of people who are purchasing health insurance through the marketplace will not see a significant increase in the amount that they pay for their health care, and that`s because the vast majority of people who are purchasing health insurance through the marketplace get tax credits that ensure that health care is affordable," White House spokesman Josh Earnest told reporters. Clinton's campaign hit back at Trump, saying he wants to "rip up the ACA and reverse the progress we have made." Trump would "throw 20 million people off their coverage and let the insurance companies write the rules again," campaign spokesperson Julie Wood said. "Hillary Clinton wants to build on the progress we've made and fix what's broken." Without explaining where he got his numbers, Trump alleged that the government figures were incorrect and the costs could go up to 60 per cent. Other Republican leaders too argued that the system was "unsustainable". Arizona senator John McCain said, "Obamacare places an unfair financial burden on families and small businesses." Republican House Speaker Paul Ryan compared Obama's healthcare program to ill-fated and now-discontinued Samsung phones that were catching fire. "The president recently compared Obamacare to a Samsung Galaxy Note 7, and he's right: this disastrous law is blowing up. But at least you can return the phone," Ryan said in a statement. (WION with inputs from agencies)

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