Your Seven Step Homework Guide for Studying the American Health Care Act

 By Clive Riddle, March 10, 2017

1.       Don’t sweat all the granular details yet. Who knows for certain where the political process will take this proposed Act from here?
 

2.       Watch for the CBO “score” on the Act, which will soon peg estimated cost and volume numbers to what’s being proposed. The CBO score will likely shape discussions from that point forward. The portal for CBO healthcare analysis is www.cbo.gov/topics/health-care.  Here’s two articles about the upcoming CBO score:  Obamacare replacement is hard to score, budget experts say (Washington Examiner) and Nonpartisan Scorekeeper in Hot Seat for GOP’s Obamacare Repeal (Bloomberg).
 

3.       Keep some original sources handy – including a summary from the House’s Energy and Commerce Committee and the s Ways and Means Committee. Also, here’s Paul Ryan’s press release announcing the Act. 
 

4.       Looking for a nice, quick summary of key provisions of the Act? Check out the Association of Health Care Journalists article by Unpacking some key provisions of GOP’s health care bill by Joanne Kenan. Kaiser Health News also has a succinct listing of five key points in comparison to the ACA - Five Ways the GOP Health Bill Would Reverse Course From the ACA by Julie Rovner.
 

5.       Looking for thoughtful analysis of the Act? Check out the Timothy Jost – the oft quoted in national press expert on such matters – in his Health Affairs Blog: Examining The House Republican ACA Repeal And Replace Legislation.
 

6.        Understand some key opposition points from public interest groups: AARP isn’t happy about the increased premium load older individuals would bear in the market, or about Medicare changes. The AMA and AHA don’t like the ultimate reductions in Medicaid and other coverages. Families USA says the only the Healthy and Wealthy will benefit from the bill and also take major issue with the per-capita caps in Medicaid.
 

7.       Getting too tired to read any further? Here’s six selected videos from major organizations discussing the Act.