Republican senators say the large spending cuts to Medicaid within the megabill GOP leaders hope to move to enact President Trump’s agenda are nonetheless a major concern, elevating questions on whether or not the invoice has the votes to advance on the Senate flooring this week.
Senators, who’ve warned for weeks that the Medicaid spending cuts handed by the Home final month can have a devastating affect on rural hospitals and cut back well being care protection of their states, say they’ve but to see a plan from their management that they might help.
“I nonetheless have issues about just a few provisions within the invoice. I’m not happy but,” stated Sen. Jerry Moran (R-Kan.), who cited Medicaid as his greatest downside with the laws.
“Broadly, Medicaid, associated to the well-being of hospitals in Kansas and rural America,” he stated.
Moran stated he’s “nonetheless making a case” to GOP management that these provisions must be reworked.
Sen. Susan Collins (R-Maine) instructed reporters whereas heading to a vote Monday afternoon that her issues about Medicaid spending cuts stay unresolved.
Final week, she floated a proposal to ascertain a well being care supplier aid fund to assist rural hospitals, nursing properties and group well being facilities that will be affected by funding cuts. However as of 5:30 p.m. Monday, she didn’t know the place her aid proposal stood.
“I’m undecided the place it stands proper now,” she stated of the Medicaid-related provisions within the invoice. “I’m nonetheless against the modifications within the supplier tax provisions.
“I nonetheless consider that we’d like [a] $100 billion provider-relief fund to help our distressed rural hospitals, nursing properties and group well being facilities,” she stated.
Collins stated she would be taught extra at a 6 p.m. briefing of the Senate GOP convention in regards to the entrepreneurial company modifications to the laws.
Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) instructed reporters Monday afternoon that the Medicaid language wants “work” and it could in all probability take till the top of the week to resolve the assorted issues.
“We acquired some work to do on Medicaid,” he stated.
“I feel it may get completed over the course of some days however in all probability not by Thursday,” he stated.
Senate Majority Chief John Thune (R-S.D.) plans to deliver the invoice to the ground by Thursday or Friday this week.
He wants a simple-majority vote to proceed to the laws earlier than holding an extended sequence of modification votes generally known as a vote-a-rama.
Thune stated the invoice remains “on schedule,” however he acknowledged it’s being slowed by Democratic challenges being argued earlier than the Senate parliamentarian.
Requested if he has the votes to move the invoice, Thune replied: “Let’s hope so.”