As we all know, the U.S. House of Representatives narrowly passed legislation known as the American Health Care Act (AHCA) to replace the Affordable care Act (ACA), better known as Obamacare. The next step is for the Senate to take up the bill, and many expect they will rewrite at least some portions of it. The main components in the House bill:

• Both the Individual Mandateand Employer Mandateare no longer valid
• Coverage of dependents up to age 26 is still in place
• Roll-back of the Medicaid expansion
• States have the option of applying for waivers to three Obamacare requirements:
  • Eliminate essential benefits – such as mental health, maternity care and prescription drugs
  • Charge older people more than younger people for the same coverage
  • Charge more for or deny coverage to people with pre-existing conditions
• Elimination of a tax to Health Insurers
• Delay of the Cadillac Tax until 2026

Although it’s very early, some have reported that the Senate will make changes to the House bill, while others have reported that the Senate will create their own bill from scratch. One thing all would agree with – there’s certainly a long way to go for a final bill awaiting President Trump’s signature.