Key takeaways

• On Thursday, Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell released the Better Care Act. This bill is the Senate Republican leadership’s response to the American Health Care Act, passed by the House on May 4, 2017.
• The Better Care Act would accomplish many of the same objectives as the American Health Care Act, repealing the Affordable Care Act’s tax provisions, reducing government subsidies to support the purchase of health insurance, restraining the growth of federal Medicaid spending and giving states more flexibility to regulate health insurance. The bills, however, would accomplish these objectives through different means.
• It remains uncertain whether Senate Republicans can garner enough votes to pass the Better Care Act. A vote on the bill has been postponed while Sen. McConnell works to gain the votes of at least 50 Republican senators, a task that likely will require further amendments to the bill. If the Senate passes a healthcare bill, members of the House and Senate would have to reach agreement on a bill that could pass both houses.