As the U.S. House of Representatives prepares Thursday to vote on a potential replacement for what is commonly called “Obamacare”, plenty of people across Florida are paying close attention to what the future of health care in the country may be.
According to the Congressional Budget Office, most of the 1.74 million people in the state who signed up for the Affordable Care Act – which was a signature piece of former President Barack Obama’s time in office – will not be able to afford their current plans under a Republican proposal being voted on.
Estimates say over four million people – including children, pregnant woman, low income elderly and the disabled – would see reductions in care and access to Medicaid programs. Hospitals with a large number of Medicaid patients and uninsured patients would also cut services.
Florida legislative leaders and Gov. Rick Scott did not allow for the expansion of Medicaid under the Obama administration’s plan.
The GOP has made it a top priority to get rid of the current health care program as President Trump and many congressional Republicans campaigned for its repeal. Their proposal is not a sure thing, however, as dozens of party members have either said they will not vote for the measure Thursday or remain undecided.
Some of those included South Florida representatives – with Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen confirming she will not vote for the GOP measure while Reps. Mario Diaz-Balart and Carlos Curbelo saying they were reviewing changes and evaluating the bill before making a decision.
