"American Health Care Act"

Congress has been trying to repeal and/or replace the Affordable Care Act for years. Now it’s down to the wire, but there are multiple proposals on the Senate’s table, and more could be on the way.

Senate Republicans say they will release a draft of their legislation on Thursday, with a vote likely next week.

The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office estimates that the GOP’s Obamacare repeal-and-replace bill would also reduce the deficit and leave some sick Americans unable to buy coverage.

Juneau’s hospital could lose $69 million over 10 years under the House GOP’s health care bill. Alaska’s health care sector is making its case to the U.S. Senate in Washington.

The version of the American Health Care Act passed by the House eliminates taxes on corporations and wealthy people and shrinks Medicaid coverage. A chart breaks down who would be affected and how.

“You have to have the assurance and the backing of the leadership or your bills don’t move. And Alaska has a lot of things on the plate,” Young said. “And I think we’re in a better position to get legislation done for Alaska after the vote today, than I was before.”

The vote is the first step in fulfilling the GOP’s longtime pledge to dismantle Obamacare. Democrats said the bill had been hastily rammed through the House.

Health Commissioner Valeria Davidson said the bill would devastate the Medicaid program in the state. Davidson said the bill shift responsibility onto states at a time when Alaska can’t afford it.

The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office estimates that defunding Planned Parenthood would cause an uptick in births. Nearly half of pregnancies in the U.S. are covered by Medicaid.