CBO estimate released for American Health Care Act
The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) and Joint Commission on Taxation (JCT) released a score of the American Health Care Act, outlining the impacts on the budget and the number of uninsured Americans. The bill would reduce federal deficits by $337 billion over the 2017-2026 period from reductions in Medicaid and the changes to the ACA subsidies which is offset by a number of tax cuts including hospital Insurance payroll tax rate for high-income taxpayers and annual fees imposed on health insurers.
CBO and JCT estimate that, in 2018, 14 million more people would be uninsured under the legislation than under current law. The rate would rise to 21 million in 2020 and then to 24 million in 2026. In 2026, an estimated 52 million people would be uninsured, compared with 28 million who would lack insurance that year under current law.
NRHA will continue to follow the American Health Care Act as it moves through the legislative process and work include protections to ensure access to health care in rural America.