A conservative lawmaker wants to dramatically shorten the transition period for rolling back Obamacare’s Medicaid expansion in the Republican repeal plan.
Rep. Joe Barton, R-Texas, said the Medicaid expansion should end after this year, instead of in 2020 as outlined in the American Health Care Act, a plan issued late Monday by GOP leadership that repeals a majority of Obamacare.
Barton on Tuesday attended a meeting of the conservative Freedom Caucus, which has balked at the 2020 transition deadline.
He said he will introduce an amendment on the Medicaid expansion transition during the House Energy and Commerce Committee markup of its portion of the bill, one of many expected to be considered Wednesday.
Meanwhile, Democrats bashed Republicans for moving the bill too quickly.
Rep. Kathy Castor of Florida chided Republicans for introducing the bill less than 48 hours ago and without a score from the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office on how it would affect insurance coverage and the deficit.
“House Republicans have promised to replace the [Affordable Care Act] with something better and cheaper. This bill does not do that.”
