ADVERTISEMENT

Graham-Cassidy Bill Revised to Give More Funding to Home States of McCain, Paul, Murkowski

Sen. Bill Cassidy speaks as Sen. Dean Heller and Sen. Lindsey Graham listen during a news conference on health care
Sen. Bill Cassidy speaks as Sen. Dean Heller and Sen. Lindsey Graham listen during a news conference / Getty Images
September 25, 2017

The Graham-Cassidy bill, the GOP's current replacement to the Affordable Care Act, has been revised to give more funding to Alaska, Arizona, and Kentucky, Politico reported.

These states are home to senators John McCain, Rand Paul, and Lisa Murkowski, who have either said they would vote no on the bill or had concerns with the measure.

The changes would increase funding in Arizona by 14 percent, Kentucky by 4 percent, and Alaska by 3 percent. Without the changes, these states would have seen declines in federal funding.

Additionally, the bill's changes would include more freedom to get rid of federal insurance regulations so individuals could buy plans with cheaper premiums but higher out-of-pocket costs. Senators Ted Cruz (R., Texas) and Mike Lee (R., Utah) wanted this type of deregulation.

However, some critics are saying the new spending doesn't add up with the funding cuts.

"The bill authors' new estimates don't account for major federal funding cuts resulting from transforming Medicaid from an open-ended entitlement into a budgeted program," the article states. "Medicaid spending caps in the previous version of Graham-Cassidy, which remain in the revised bill, would have reduced federal funds to states by $120 billion between 2020 and 2026—and by more than $1 trillion through 2036, according to a recent study from Avalere Health."

Published under: Obamacare