Overnight Healthcare: Conservative group says it’s close to backing ObamaCare repeal bill

Conservative RSC says it’s close to backing GOP health bill

The conservative Republican Study Committee (RSC) says it is very close to supporting the House GOP’s healthcare plan if changes are made to its Medicaid provisions.

Vice President Pence met with members of the Republican Study Committee Wednesday and indicated that the White House is open to accepting some changes to the bill.

The 172-member RSC wants to freeze the expansion of Medicaid earlier, in 2018, and put in place work requirements for able-bodied, childless adults.

But GOP leadership has pushed back on moving up the freeze, set for 2020 in the current bill, worried it will further alienate moderates. Some lawmakers leaving the meeting said they expect smaller changes will be made.

{mosads}RSC Chairman Mark Walker (R-N.C.) sounded a positive note after the meeting, however.

“We were overwhelmingly blown away by the expectation that the vice president just laid out for us,” Walker said.

Read more here: http://bit.ly/2nube0z

 

House budget chair ‘confident’ on ObamaCare repeal vote

House Budget Committee Chairwoman Diane Black (R-Tenn.) says she is confident that ObamaCare repeal legislation will advance out of her committee despite concerns from conservatives.

The panel, which is voting Thursday on the GOP healthcare bill, has several conservative members, including Reps. Dave Brat (R-Va.) and Mark Sanford (R-S.C.), who have strong concerns about the bill. The measure would fail if four Republicans join all Democrats in opposing it.

But Black said the committee could send on “recommendations” to address conservative concerns.

“I am confident that this bill is going to come out of the Budget [Committee] tomorrow, and we will have some recommendations that we can send on forward for those concerns that our committee members have,” Black said on MSNBC.

Read more here: http://bit.ly/2nGwC2b

 

Ryan: Rand Paul ‘insulting’ Trump by suggesting GOP is misleading him

House Speaker Paul Ryan (R-Wis.) accused Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) of “insulting” President Trump, citing the Kentucky senator’s recent assertion that Ryan is misleading Trump on the GOP’s health care plan.

The Wednesday comments on CNN came in response to remarks from Paul on the same network, in which he argued that Ryan is “selling [Trump] a bill of goods that he didn’t explain to the president.”

“Frankly I think that is kind of an insulting remark to the president, as if he doesn’t know what he’s doing,” Ryan said during a Wednesday interview on CNN’s “The Lead with Jake Tapper.”

Paul has emerged as a chief antagonist to Ryan and congressional leadership as they attempt to work through a plan to repeal and replace ObamaCare, despite incoming criticism from both sides.

The Hill’s Ben Kamisar has more here: http://bit.ly/2mQeGo5

 

12.2 million enroll for ObamaCare for 2017

About 12.2 million people signed up for ObamaCare plans during the 2017 enrollment period, the Trump administration announced Wednesday.

The total falls short of the Obama administration’s projected signups of 13.8 million people and is slightly down from the 2016 enrollment period, when 12.7 million people signed up for plans.

Democrats accused the Trump administration of sabotaging enrollment when it pulled $5 million in ads that were to air in the final weeks of open enrollment.

Read more here: http://bit.ly/2npgXIw

 

What we’re reading

The lessons on ObamaCare (Vox)

Mayo to give preference to privately insured patients over Medicaid patients (startribune.com)

Sticker shock forces cancer patients to skip drugs (khn.org)

 

State by state

GOP health plan would strain state budgets (NBC)

Washington state insurance commissioner: GOP health plan worse than expected (King5)

 

In case you missed it from The Hill:

Ryan: Trump is ‘all in’ on GOP’s ObamaCare replacement

Ryan: GOP healthcare plan was written with Trump

Experts worry ObamaCare repeal plan puts Medicare trust fund at risk

Cruz: GOP a ‘laughingstock’ if ObamaCare repeal fails

Pelosi warns Ryan over changing healthcare bill

Poll: Voters prefer ObamaCare to GOP plan

And for the latest on where GOP lawmakers stand on the repeal and replace bill, check out The Hill’s Whip List.