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| Republicans unveil revised Obamacare repeal bill | Republicans unveil revised Obamacare repeal bill |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| US Senate Republicans have published a revised health bill in a bid to rally their divided party around its wavering election pledge to repeal Obamacare. | US Senate Republicans have published a revised health bill in a bid to rally their divided party around its wavering election pledge to repeal Obamacare. |
| The proposal retains key Obamacare taxes on the wealthy in an attempt bid to win over moderate party members. | The proposal retains key Obamacare taxes on the wealthy in an attempt bid to win over moderate party members. |
| It includes part of one senator's plan to let insurers offer policies with less coverage than Obamacare. | |
| Congress is delaying its summer holiday in a bid to overturn former President Barack Obama's 2010 legislation. | Congress is delaying its summer holiday in a bid to overturn former President Barack Obama's 2010 legislation. |
| What's new? | What's new? |
| The latest version of the Republican bill would keep two taxes on the wealthy that helped pay for Obamacare: | The latest version of the Republican bill would keep two taxes on the wealthy that helped pay for Obamacare: |
| The Better Care Reconciliation Act would provide an extra $45bn to tackle the US opioid epidemic that is wreaking havoc in some Republican senators' constituencies. | The Better Care Reconciliation Act would provide an extra $45bn to tackle the US opioid epidemic that is wreaking havoc in some Republican senators' constituencies. |
| It would include an additional $70bn to help cover so-called out-of-pocket medical expenses, which are not reimbursed by insurers. | It would include an additional $70bn to help cover so-called out-of-pocket medical expenses, which are not reimbursed by insurers. |
| The bill also incorporates Senator Ted Cruz's proposal to let insurers offer stripped-down, low-cost healthcare plans by ducking Obamacare rules requiring coverage for "essential" health benefits. | The bill also incorporates Senator Ted Cruz's proposal to let insurers offer stripped-down, low-cost healthcare plans by ducking Obamacare rules requiring coverage for "essential" health benefits. |
| These include maternity and postnatal care, mental health services, addiction treatment, outpatient care, hospitalisation, emergency room visits and prescription drugs. | These include maternity and postnatal care, mental health services, addiction treatment, outpatient care, hospitalisation, emergency room visits and prescription drugs. |
| Insurance companies have warned that Senator Cruz's proposal would harm people with pre-existing medical conditions by making their insurance unaffordable. | Insurance companies have warned that Senator Cruz's proposal would harm people with pre-existing medical conditions by making their insurance unaffordable. |
| Plans to impose deep cuts on Medicaid, a healthcare programme for the poor and disabled, are largely unchanged in the new Republican bill. | |
| Can Republicans pass this bill? | |
| The Obamacare repeal has been testing Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell's reputation as a master tactician. | |
| He must conjure a compromise option that will appease both moderates and conservatives among his rank-and-file. | |
| Democrats are united against the bill, which means that just three "no" votes among Republican senators would sink the legislation. | |
| Republicans have a 52-48 majority in the 100-seat Senate, with Vice-President Mike Pence able to cast a potential tie-breaking vote. | |
| Underlining the divisions, minutes before Mr McConnell unveiled his plan, two other Republican senators, Lindsey Graham and Bill Cassidy, offered their own healthcare proposal. | |
| Their plan would steer much of the federal funding for health insurance to the states. | |
| President Donald Trump, who made repeal of Obamacare a core campaign pledge, is monitoring the Senate developments while on a visit to France. | |
| He said in an interview on Wednesday he would be "very angry" if he did not get a bill on his desk, exhorting Mr McConnell to "pull it off". | |
| A vote is planned on the bill, should agreement emerge, next week. |