Health Care

200 health, business groups endorse bipartisan ObamaCare bill

More than 200 health and business groups have endorsed a bipartisan bill to shore up ObamaCare’s insurance markets. 

Senate Health Committee Chairman Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) and ranking member Patty Murray (D-Wash.) announced the support Wednesday as part of their latest push to get the bill passed. 

Those in support include influential groups such as the American Medical Association and the American Hospital Association.

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But the bill still faces an uphill battle to becoming law. While it appears to have the support needed to pass the Senate, Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) has said he won’t call it for a vote without approval from President Trump. 

The bill would fund ObamaCare’s insurer subsidy payments for two years and give states additional flexibility to change their ObamaCare requirements.

Trump has called the bill a bailout for insurance companies and is pushing for more conservative changes. 

But Murray said Tuesday she hasn’t had any discussions with the White House about making changes to the legislation, calling for it to be brought up as is. 

The bill thus appears to be at a standstill. Many observers think its only real chance is to be included in a larger deal on spending in December.