Key amendments to a major bill to partially repeal Obamacare cleared the House Rules Committee on late Wednesday, smoothing the path forward for a Thursday vote on the bill.
The House Rules Committee voted 8-3 along party lines late Wednesday to advance several key amendments for the American Health Care Act, a bill that partially repeals Obamacare.
Now that the rules committee has approved the changes, which include more money for federal high-risk pools integral to getting centrists on board, its passage is more likely.
The GOP conference is expected to meet at 9 a.m. tomorrow and then an expected final vote is planned between 12:30 to 1 p.m., according to Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy.
But the vote will take place without a new Congressional Budget Office estimate on the bill’s impact on spending and insurance coverage. Alongside the amendment to add $8 billion for high-risk pools, there is an amendment that lets states opt out of Obamacare insurance mandates including the price control community rating and providing essential health benefits in plans.
The $8 billion is only for high-risk pools for states that opt out of the mandate for community rating, which prevents insurers from charging sick people higher rates.
