HEALTHCARE/OBAMACARE(ACA)/POLITICS/PRE-EXISTING CONDITIONS: “House Republicans are outlining a new deal that could revive their bid to repeal Obamacare — and set up an all-out sprint to make concrete progress on health care amid the specter of a government shutdown.
The flurry of activity just days before Congress returns to Washington aims to reunite the GOP behind Speaker Paul Ryan’s embattled American Health Care Act, offering concessions meant to win over the party’s moderate and conservative wings.
The deal — brokered by centrist Tuesday Group co-chair Tom MacArthur and hard-right Freedom Caucus head Mark Meadows — proposes giving states more flexibility to opt out of major Obamacare provisions, while at the same time preserving popular protections like the law’s ban on discrimination against people with pre-existing conditions.
It remains unclear whether the proposal can succeed in shifting any votes — President Donald Trump and leaders were forced to abandon a planned vote last month in the face of intraparty rebellion. They’ve since struggled to find a path forward, and even the deal being floated now relies largely on rehashing concepts lawmakers previously rejected.”
-Adam Cancryn, “GOP makes new bid on Obamacare repeal,” Politico, April 20, 2017 9:40am