Victory would clear an initial but crucial hurdle toward achieving the GOP’s lodestar quest to repeal former President Barack Obama’s 2010 health care overhaul. The GOP bill eliminates the Obama statute’s unpopular fines on those who do not obtain coverage and the often generous subsidies for those who purchase insurance. In a bid to coax support from conservatives, House leaders proposed a fresh amendment – to be voted on Friday – repealing Obama’s requirement that insurers cover 10 specified services like maternity and mental health care. Many moderates are opposed because they say the GOP bill would leave many voters uninsured. Obama’s law increased coverage through subsidized private insurance for people who don’t have access to workplace plans, and a state option to expand Medicaid for low-income residents.

Source: Philippine Daily Inquirer March 24, 2017 13:58 UTC